Wooton wants House judiciary chair

By Mannix Porterfield

CHARLESTON — Delegate Bill Wooton outstrips any of his rivals in the experience department and pledges fairness if House Speaker Rick Thompson chooses him as the next chairman of the pivotal Judiciary Committee.

Wooton is not alone in wanting to succeed Delegate Carrie Webster, D-Kanawha, appointed this week by Gov. Joe Manchin as a new circuit judge in her home county.

Besides Wooton, a number of other lawyers in the House relish the prospects of taking the gavel from Webster, among them Delegates Tim Miley, D-Harrison, now the panel’s vice chairman, Mark Hunt, D-Kanawha, and Alex Shook and Barbara Fleischauer, both D-Monongalia.

At least one attorney, Delegate John Frazier, D-Mercer, says he isn’t interested.

Wooton anchored the Senate Judiciary Committee fully a decade before losing his 9th District seat in 2002 to Republican Russ Weeks. Before winning his Senate seat, the Beckley attorney served on the House panel nine years.

“I’ve probably served on the committee longer than any other people being considered,” Wooton said Friday.

“I’m proud of my knowledge of the procedural work within the Legislature. I’ve gotten old enough that I’ve seen just about everything.”

In his lengthy legislative tenure, Wooton said, he has always exercised fairness to all sides of issues.

“I served as chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee 10 years, which is longer than anyone has ever chaired a judiciary committee in either house in the history of the state,” he said.

“No one ever accused me of being unfair.”

Thompson, D-Wayne, has said he would begin the process of picking Webster’s replacement in next week’s interims session, and Wooton said time is of the essence.

“It’s too important a committee with this close to the session,” he said.

“People don’t realize how much goes on before you have a session and the chair does all that stuff.”

Wooton said he considers the panel the most important one in the Legislature, adding, “It’s a fun committee, anyway.”

Miley has asked Thompson to consider him, saying he brings to the table many of the same qualities as Webster, “that is, being fair-minded and level-headed.”

“I certainly wouldn’t come with any personal agenda,” he said, emphasizing he wasn’t suggesting any of his rivals would do so.

“I take it as a compliment when others have told me that they feel like I’ve always been fair-minded, very open to different positions and views on a particular bill. I’ve always tried to work with both sides of an issue of interest and to reach an amicable resolution that both sides can live with.”

Sources say Fleischauer definitely is interested, but she and Thompson weren’t reachable for comment Friday. Frazier said he intends to continue his education about the legislative process and wasn’t interested in the committee post, adding, “We have a lot of well-qualified persons for that position, certainly much more qualified than I am.”

“Sure, I’m interested in it,” Shook said. “I don’t know if I’m a serious candidate or not. I haven’t had any discussion with him (Thompson), so that would tend me to believe that I’m not.”

But if offered the job, Shook said he would consider taking it.

“I can hope and dream, but I don’t know how much chance I have,” Hunt said from his Charleston office.

“Probably the speaker is looking at the vice chairman (Miley) real strong. That’s the normal progression. But it certainly would be an honor if Rick would think enough of me to do it.”

Hunt pointed out he was a staff attorney 10 years for the Senate Judiciary Committee, last working for Wooton in the upper chamber.

“I think I can work both sides of an issue and be fair to anybody,” he said. “I always have been.”

— E-mail: mannix@register-herald.com