Jeffrey Vincent Kessler (born November 16, 1955) is an American politician and former Democratic member of the West Virginia Senate in the United States, representing the 2nd district from 1997 to 2017. He is the former President of the Senate/Lieutenant Governor, Minority Leader of the Senate, Acting President of the Senate and Chairman of the Judiciary Committee. Kessler is also involved in private practice, where he is a partner in the law firm Berry, Kessler, Crutchfield, Taylor & Gordon.
Jeff Kessler | |
|---|---|
 | |
| President of the West Virginia Senate Lieutenant Governor of West Virginia | |
| In office November 14, 2011 – January 14, 2015 Acting: November 15, 2010 - November 14, 2011 | |
| Governor | Earl Ray Tomblin[a] |
| Preceded by | Earl Ray Tomblin |
| Succeeded by | Bill Cole |
| Minority Leader of the West Virginia Senate | |
| In office January 14, 2015 – January 11, 2017 | |
| Preceded by | Mike Hall |
| Succeeded by | Roman Prezioso |
| Member of the West Virginia Senate from the 2nd district | |
| In office November 10, 1997 – January 11, 2017 | |
| Preceded by | Larry Wiedebusch |
| Succeeded by | Mike Maroney |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Jeffrey Vincent Kessler November 16, 1955 Wheeling, West Virginia, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Gretchen Kessler |
| Alma mater | West Liberty University West Virginia University College of Law |
Kessler was born November 16, 1955, in Wheeling, West Virginia. He is the son of George Henry Kessler (1924–2009) and Rosemary Krupica Kessler (1930–1978). He is a 1974 graduate of Bishop Donahue High School in McMechen, West Virginia. He also attended West Liberty State College (now West Liberty University) near Wheeling, West Virginia, and the West Virginia University College of Law in Morgantown, West Virginia.
Kessler unsuccessfully ran for the Democratic nomination in the 2011 gubernatorial election, losing to Earl Ray Tomblin, and in the 2016 gubernatorial election, losing to Jim Justice.[1]
Biography
editJeff Kessler was born in 1955, he is of Russian descent on his mother's side. His father served in the US Navy during World War II and the Korean War, then later worked as a cookie salesman for Nabisco, he would bring home free samples and damaged cookies which Kessler enjoyed as a child. His mother stayed at home and took care of Jeff and his three siblings. Jeff's younger brother, Chris, was diagnosed with aplastic anemia when he was a toddler, he went into remission and survived. In 1994, Chris was elected Marshall County Assessor. Kessler's mother later died of breast cancer at the age of 47.[2]
Positions
editSCORE Initiative
editIn 2014, Kessler spearheaded the SCORE Initiative, which stands for Southern Coalfields Organizing and Revitalizing the Economy. The initiative aims to provide economic opportunities in areas which have suffered from job losses and economic hardships primarily due to losses in the coal industry. According to Kessler, the program acts as a counterpunch to the effects of the "war on coal" and aims to "change our way of thinking so that [Southern West Virginia] can once again become a region that offers our children and grandchildren opportunities for a better future."[3]
Gun control
editKessler has previously voted in favor of a bill that eliminated the requirement for a permit and training before a person can carry a concealed weapon. He refers to himself as a "second amendment advocate."[4]
Tobacco tax
editIn 2015, Kessler proposed raising the state cigarette tax by $1 per pack, stating that a $1 increase in the cigarette tax would bring in an estimated $130 million.[5] Citing West Virginia's relatively high smoking rate, he has proposed setting aside $20 million of the new revenue for substance abuse programs; this move comes as part of a larger effort [6] He also hopes to set aside $10 million of the money for collegiate scholarships.[7] The idea began to receive increased support in late 2015, with some newspaper boards citing the higher rates of neighboring states and comparing West Virginia's "arbitrarily low" rates to government subsidies for smokers.[8]
References
edit- ^ Senate President and Lieutenant Governor Tomblin acted as Governor until November 13, 2011. Kessler acted as Senate President and Lieutenant Governor until Tomblin's election in the 2011 gubernatorial election.
External links
edit- West Virginia Legislature - Senator Jeff Kessler Archived 2011-05-27 at the Wayback Machine official government website
- Project Vote Smart - Senator Jeffrey V. Kessler (WV) profile
- Follow the Money - Jeff Kessler
- ^ "Kessler signals run for governor in 2016". Charleston Gazette-Mail. 19 March 2015.
- ^ "Vote Jeff Kessler for WV Governor". Archived from the original on 2011-06-07. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
- ^ "Kessler announces S.C.O.R.E. initiative". Parkersburg News and Sentinel.
- ^ "Jeff Kessler on Gun Control". On the Issues. On the Issuesl.
- ^ "Cigarette tax hike-smoking bill moves from Senate to House". WV MetroNews. West Virginia MetroNews Network. 13 March 2015.
- ^ "In U.S., Smoking Rate Lowest in Utah, Highest in Kentucky". Gallup. 13 March 2014.
- ^ "Issues: Funding Our Future". Jeff Kessler for WV. Jeff Kessler Democrat for Governor of West Virginia. Archived from the original on 2016-02-15.
- ^ "Arbitrarily low cigarette tax costs WV $100 million a year". Charleston Gazette-Mail. 11 November 2015.