CHARLESTON – Senate President Mitch Carmichael, R-Jackson, has named Majority Whip Senator Craig Blair, R-Berkeley, Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee. He replaces Senator Mike Hall, R-Putnam, who resigned August 21 to become Chief of Staff for Governor Jim Justice.
Senator Blair was elected to the House of Delegates in 2002, and first elected to the Senate in 2012. In 2015, he became the Chairman of the Senate Government Organization Committee, and was selected as Majority Whip in 2016.
“I’m incredibly excited for what the future of the Senate Finance Committee holds with Senator Blair’s leadership,” Senate President Carmichael said. “He’s a person who is deeply familiar with the budgeting process, and most importantly, he’s dedicated to the core concepts of fiscal conservatism that we believe will help move West Virginia forward. He was a leading voice during this year’s session in promoting our plans for comprehensive tax reform and spending within our means, and as a longtime small business owner, I know he’s got the right approach to keeping expenditures in check that our state government sorely needs.”
Senator Blair will step down as the Chairman of the Government Organization Committee. A new chairman will be named at a later date.
“I’m honored that Senate President Carmichael has chosen me to assume such a tremendous role that comes with such precious responsibility,” Senate Finance Chairman Blair said. “I pledge to each hard-working taxpayer to always keep their interests first, and to ensure that we spend their money wisely, and without waste, fraud, and abuse. We are in tough financial times, and it is more important than ever to approach our budget with a critical eye. I am fortunate to have an outstanding Finance Committee to help with that task, and I look forward to getting started.”
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