DISCUSSION — State Sen. Ryan Weld, R-Brooke, speaks throughout an interview Friday at The Parkersburg Information and Sentinel. Weld has been touring the state since asserting his candidacy for West Virginia legal professional basic in April.
— Evan Bevins
PARKERSBURG – State Sen. Ryan Weld is on the marketing campaign path for West Virginia legal professional basic, each figuratively and actually.
“There’s at all times occasions occurring across the state, so I haven’t been at residence on Saturdays in fairly some time,” he mentioned.
The Republican senator — in his second time period representing Brooke, Hancock, Ohio and a portion of Marshall County — introduced his candidacy to turn out to be the state’s prime lawyer in April. He’s set to tackle fellow senator and former U.S. Lawyer Mike Stuart in subsequent spring’s GOP major.
“I simply basically have one job between now and subsequent Could, and that’s get out and converse to as many West Virginians as potential,” Weld mentioned.
He was doing that Friday in Parkersburg, planning to fulfill with people within the space after talking to the Mountaineer Breakfast Membership organized by state Sen. Donna Boley, R-Pleasants.
“Everybody can say, ‘I’m going to face up for West Virginia. I’m going to face up for coal. I’m going to face up for our individuals,’” Weld mentioned. “Once I say that I’m going to do one thing, I get it performed.”
Weld pointed to his legislative document on matters like substance abuse, psychological well being, prison legislation and veterans points to again up that declare. For instance, he pointed to laws he sponsored reestablishing a particular courtroom to take care of veterans within the prison justice system.
Probably the most seen a part of the legal professional basic’s job, Weld mentioned, is defending the pursuits of the state within the authorized enviornment.
“It’s essential for the AG’s workplace to struggle again towards Washington making an attempt to dictate phrases to us as an alternative of West Virginia having the ability to decide its personal future,” he mentioned, including the identical is true relating to exterior entities difficult legal guidelines handed by the state Legislature and signed into legislation by the governor. “As a lawyer, I can actually consider no better honor … than to have the ability to function this state’s legal professional.”
However Weld additionally acknowledges that not everyone seems to be conversant in what the job entails. After he introduced his candidacy, he mentioned, a neighbor requested what the legal professional basic does.
“How can we be sure that individuals right here in West Virginia know the AG’s workplace isn’t simply this workplace in Charleston that sues D.C.?” Weld mentioned, noting the workplace investigates Medicaid fraud and offers with shopper safety points, amongst different matters.
