Gov. Jim Justice appears to have done the right thing in vetoing a few bills for which lawmakers' hearts may have been in the right place, but not enough homework was done.
But in the case of House Bill 4020, Justice's veto was about more than just dotting Is and crossing Ts. The bill, which would have separated the Department of Health and Human Resources into two departments, was a mess. And it was the definition of bureaucracy serving itself.
Remember, HB 4020 had already been gutted of the language that was intended to help our most vulnerable children and support the foster care system. What remained was nothing more than an attempt to create a two-headed monster.
"There have been issues ... within DHHR for decades, and some of those issues are likely the result of the sheer size and diverse scope of the agency," Justice wrote. "The bill intends in just eight pages and by amending just two sections of Code, however, to divide this complex organization that manages over $7 billion of state and federal funds and employs thousands of individuals."
It is unlikely any citizen who has dealt with DHHR has said to themselves "What this agency needs is more red tape." Justice knows it. Careful stewardship of taxpayer dollars was not on the minds of those who passed the bill.
"We will work to develop a plan to address any and all problems, which may very well require a full reorganization of the agency," Justice said.
Mountain State children and families deserve better than to have to deal with a beast that feeds off taxpayer dollars with little thought to solving those "issues" Justice knows should be the priority.