Christopher Wayne Toney (born February 13, 1988) is an American politician who has served as a Delegate from the 31st District to the
West Virginia House of Delegates since 2018. He is a
Republican.
Early life, education, and career
Toney was born to Gregory Toney and Emma Shrewsbury. He received a
B.A. in History and Special Education from
Concord University. He operated a school bus before assuming office.
Elections
2018
In his first primary, Toney defeated incumbent Chanda Adkins with 51.16% of the vote.
In the general election, Toney defeated Democrat Richard Snuffer with 55.76% of the vote to win his seat in the House of Delegates.
2020
In Toney's second primary election, he defeated fellow Republican Kase Poling with 56.60% of the vote.
In the general, Toney ran and won unopposed.
Tenure
Committee assignments
*Veterans Affairs (Vice Chair)
*Education
*Finance
*Senior, Children, and Family Issues
*Small Business and Economic Development
Coal
Toney voted for $12 million worth of tax cuts and exemptions in order to bail out a failing coal plant.
Education
Toney was one of a few Republicans to oppose an
omnibus
Omnibus may refer to:
Film and television
* ''Omnibus'' (film)
* Omnibus (broadcast), a compilation of Radio or TV episodes
* ''Omnibus'' (UK TV series), an arts-based documentary programme
* ''Omnibus'' (U.S. TV series), an educational progr ...
education bill that would allow
charter schools
A charter school is a school that receives government funding but operates independently of the established state school system in which it is located. It is independent in the sense that it operates according to the basic principle of autono ...
in West Virginia and increase school funding, among other things.
Additionally, Toney supported a bill to allow students in
home-school to participate in public school sports, on the condition that they take certain virtual classes.
Federal term limits
Toney sponsored a resolution supporting a
Constitutional convention Constitutional convention may refer to:
* Constitutional convention (political custom), an informal and uncodified procedural agreement
*Constitutional convention (political meeting), a meeting of delegates to adopt a new constitution or revise an e ...
to consider
term limits
A term limit is a legal restriction that limits the number of terms an officeholder may serve in a particular elected office. When term limits are found in presidential and semi-presidential systems they act as a method of curbing the potenti ...
for members of Congress. A similar resolution was adopted by both houses of the legislature in 2021. Many more states would have to ratify similar resolutions for a convention to be held.
Gun control
As of 2020, Toney had an "A" rating from the
NRA Political Victory Fund and a 64% rating from the West Virginia Citizen's Defense League, a local
gun rights organization.
Toney supported a bill to allow
concealed carry on college campuses. The bill was ultimately stalled in the
State Senate by protest and debate.
Labor
Toney has a 44% rating from the
AFL–CIO as of 2020. He voted against a bill that would make it more difficult for employees to
strike.
Marijuana
Toney opposed efforts to
legalize marijuana in West Virginia and efforts to expand access to medical marijuana.
West Virginia Impact Fund
Toney sponsored a bipartisan bill to create a fund to invest in and attract businesses to West Virginia in order to create jobs. Additionally, Toney wrote an
op-ed
An op-ed, short for "opposite the editorial page", is a written prose piece, typically published by a North-American newspaper or magazine, which expresses the opinion of an author usually not affiliated with the publication's editorial board. O ...
praising the legislation. The bill was signed by West Virginia Governor
Jim Justice
James Conley Justice II (born April 27, 1951) is an American businessman and politician who has served as the 36th governor of West Virginia since 2017. Justice had a net worth of $1.2 billion in September 2018, making him the wealthiest person ...
in March 2020.
Personal life
Toney is a Christian.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Toney, Chris
1988 births
Living people
Republican Party members of the West Virginia House of Delegates
21st-century American legislators
Concord University alumni