Delegate Harold Michael, D-Hardy, who was responsible for the amendment that created the nasty surprise, asserted he wanted the law to say what most West Virginians were led to believe that it did, that Sunday hunting would not be possible unless voters in a county agreed to it. McCoy reported that after the bill passed, Wise administration officials read it and weren't sure what it meant. They read it some more and concluded that Michael had done the opposite of what he intended. The matter could be headed for legal limbo, with lawyers wrangling over what it all means. That could take us well into squirrel season and no one will be happy.
Sensitive legislators complain about the contempt that some citizens have for the institution.
Lawmakers say if people had a better understanding of the process and the pressure imposed on members, they would have a more benign view. West Virginians also would hold the Legislature in higher regard if laws did not blow up in their faces.