Weld Says Battling Drug Crisis Must Remain a Focus in Charleston
Trending
WELLSBURG -- West Virginia's drug overdose deaths decreased in 2024, and state Sen. Ryan Weld hopes that momentum continues in 2025.
He said successful efforts were made during past legislative sessions that led toward combating West Virginia's opioid addiction problem, and he hopes that work will be kept going during the upcoming legislative session.
Weld, R-Brooke, has served as majority whip during past legislatures, as well as vice chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Senate President-elect Randy Smith, R-Preston, recently announced Sen. Mike Stuart, R-Kanawha, as the judiciary committee chairman, and Tom Willis, R-Berkeley, as vice chairman. Weld has been named chair of the Senate military committee and vice chair of the select committee on substance abuse and mental health.
"I look forward to working with our new governor and new leadership in the Senate to get things done for the people in West Virginia," Weld said. "We need to continue to move the economy forward, create economic development opportunities and assure West Virginia will continue to be a place people will want to stay or move back.
"I would like for us to do work creating economic development opportunities. We have also done a significant amount of work to address West Virginia's drug addiction problem."
That work "is now bearing fruit," he added.
The West Virginia Department of Human Services (DoHS), Office of Drug Control Policy (ODCP) announced Friday that year-over-year figures for the 12 months ending in June 2024 show an 18.52% decline in drug overdose deaths in West Virginia, surpassing the national average decline of 14.5%.
"I just want to see that work continues so we don't move backward," Weld said. "West Virginia has seen a decline in the overdose death rates. That's across the nation, but that decline is larger here than it is nationally.
"The work we've done to create access to treatments, pathways to treatment options and creating access to mental health care - that work has brought us to where we are now. Seeing that drop (in overdose deaths) is good news, and an affirmation that what we've done is working."
The 2025 legislative session, which occurs during a gubernatorial inauguration year, starts a month later in February. New Gov. Patrick Morrisey was sworn into office Monday.
As for what will be the focus of the session, Weld isn't certain.
"There's something that always pops up during a session that you never thought would be an issue," he said. "It just pops up. You never expect it.
"I've always been big on combating drug addiction. Until we can provide employers with a drug-free workforce, what is their incentive to move here or expand here?" Weld asked.