The West Virginia House of Delegates this week passed the Attorney General Ethics and Accountability Act (House Bill 4490) by a strict party-line vote of 52 Democrats to 44 Republicans.
Talk about closing the barn door after the horse has bolted!
The horse in this case would be none other than West Virginia’s real-life version of Hanna-Barbera’s bumbling animated equine lawman: Darrell “Quick Draw” McGraw.
As we all remember, our departed but unlamented former state attorney general was notorious for his lax ethical standards. Yet, during his five-term, 20-year tenure in the position he exploited to benefit himself and cronies, our legislature did nothing of consequence to rein him in.
Now that Quick Draw’s gone and has been replaced by someone who campaigned against his ethical abuses and who, upon entering office, immediately set about correcting them – the House of Delegates Democrats see fit to “close the barn door” by passing a bill addressing a problem that no longer exists.
Never mind the consequences for the office of attorney general or the state of West Virginia. All that matters is vengeance against the man who unseated McGraw and threatens to derail the gravy train ridden by self-serving public servants.
“House Bill 4490, as it currently stands, will cost the state many millions of dollars, jeopardize existing investigations and lawsuits, and compromise the Attorney General’s ability to fight for the Second Amendment and jobs in West Virginia,” said a spokeswoman for current AG Patrick Morrisey, the genuine reformer targeted by this partisan proposal.
What a clever bunch, these laughing legislators! Such rogues and rascals! What a farcical tour de force, this so-called ethics law!
We can only speak for ourselves, but, personally, we don’t find the Democratic delegates’ dereliction of duty for two decades -- or their current ethical charade -- at all amusing. We hope at the next election West Virginia voters will remember who played this sick little joke on them.