Senate votes to fold Economic Development into Commerce after floor fight over civil service

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The West Virginia Senate on April 7 approved an engrossed committee substitute for House Bill 2008 that reconstitutes the Department of Economic Development as a division within the Department of Commerce and changes hiring classifications for future employees.

Supporters said the change will streamline recruitment and operations. “It reconstitutes the department of economic development as a division within the department of commerce,” said Senator from Jefferson, who explained the strike-and-insert amendment on the floor. “The bill makes employees hired after 07/01/2025 classified exempt. Current employees, however, retain their status as long as they remain in their current position.”

Opponents warned the move could dilute the state’s focus on business recruitment. The senior senator from Fourth argued that economic development needs a “laser focus” and cautioned that folding the smaller development office into the much larger commerce department risks losing that emphasis: “I don't think West Virginia should take its eye off the ball on being laser focused on sending our message around the planet that you need to come to West Virginia to open up your business here.”

The adopted committee amendment made several substantive changes. Lawmakers removed two sections that would have transferred DNR police to the Department of Homeland Security and explicitly excluded DNR police from the transfer to classified-exempt status. An amendment offered by the senator from Randolph added the West Virginia Broadband Enhancement Council to the list of agencies that would move to the department if the bill takes effect; that amendment to the amendment was adopted on the floor.

A separate amendment offered by the senior senator from Fourth to keep the departments separate failed in a roll call that ended in a tie (17 ayes, 17 nays) and was rejected. Another amendment to restore civil service grievance protections was rejected by roll call (9 ayes, 25 nays).

On final passage the Senate voted 25 yeas and 9 nays to pass the bill. Lawmakers later voted 34 yeas, 0 nays to make the bill effective July 1, 2025. The clerk was ordered to communicate the Senate’s action to the House.

Why it matters: the measure reshapes how the state organizes economic development and which employees will continue to be governed by the classified civil service and grievance procedures. The bill also preserves classified status for current employees who stay in their present roles and includes an explicit carve-out in the adopted amendment for DNR police to retain classified protections.

The bill’s supporters said the change will enable faster hiring and more flexibility, and that federal funding or regulatory conditions will allow the chief executive of an agency to keep particular positions classified where necessary. Opponents said the changes open the door to political patronage and reduce employee protections.

The Senate also adopted a title amendment before sending the bill on to the House.