CHARLESTON, WV (LOOTPRESS) – During the West Virginia State Senate’s Friday session, Senator Robert Karnes (R-Randolph) was removed from Senate Chamber after he was ruled out of order by Senate President Craig Blair (R-Berkeley).
Karnes was removed by the Sergeant-at-Arms of the Senate after repeatedly shouting at Senate President Craig Blair to have all bills on third reading read in their entirety. Blair refused to recognize Karnes which is what led Karnes to then begin shouting.
Following Karnes’ repeated demands to have bills read in their entirety, the Senate took a brief recess. Once the Senate resumed its floor session, President Pro Tempore Donna Boley (R-Pleasants), the Senate’s longest-serving member, moved that Senate President Craig Blair have the Senate Sergeant-at-Arms remove the Senator from Randolph from the Chamber.
No vote of the body was necessary on the motion.
Senator Karnes spoke with LOOTPRESS shortly following the incident. Sen. Karnes said that President Blair was violating the West Virginia Constitution by not recognizing his motion to have all bills up for passage read in their entirety. “The Constitution is clear, but [Senate President Craig Blair] thinks that none of the rules apply to him, including the constitution of the state of West Virginia,” Karnes stated. “He behaves in a way that says the rules don’t apply to him.”
Karnes also stated that he believes the legality of the bills passed during today’s session is now in jeopardy because of the failure to have his request recognized by Blair. “By refusing to follow the constitution, he is putting into constitutional jeopardy every single bill that passes in the Senate,” Karnes explained.
Senate President Craig Blair says Karnes’ only goal was to obstruct today’s Senate proceedings. “Very early into today’s Senate floor session, the Senator from Randolph repeatedly chose to be loud and disruptive in an effort to interfere with the body’s ability to conduct its business,” Blair said. “Senator Karnes chose Day 58 of the 60-day session to object to a procedural motion to which he had never objected before. It is clear he did so only to only to obstruct the Senate from completing its work.”
Karnes tells LOOTPRESS he is unsure if he will be able to return to the Senate Chamber before the end of the session, which officially ends tomorrow Saturday, March 11, 2023.