Photo Courtesy of W.Va. Legislative Photography State Sen. Robert Karnes, R-Randolph, wears a mesh mask during a Senate Judiciary Committee meeting last month.

Photo Courtesy of W.Va. Legislative Photography
State Sen. Robert Karnes, R-Randolph, wears a mesh mask during a Senate Judiciary Committee meeting last month.

CHARLESTON — State Sen. Robert Karnes, R-Randolph, resigned abruptly from all Senate committees Tuesday.

The resignation was first announced at the end of Tuesday’s state Senate floor session by Senate President Craig Blair, R-Berkeley. Karnes was also absent from Tuesday’s floor session.

According to the letter submitted by Karnes to Blair, he resigned from all his committees due to a business project that will take up most of his time.

“I recently took on a large project in my company and it will require a considerable amount of time over the next several weeks to get the project properly launched,” Karnes said. “As a result, my ability to fully participate in committee meetings and deliberations will be significantly impacted.”

Karnes was chairman of the Senate Interstate Cooperation Committee and vice chairman of the Senate Education Committee. He was also a member of the Senate Banking and Insurance, Pensions, Transportation and Infrastructure, and Judiciary committees.

“Knowing how important it is to the Senate that each committee member be present and fully participating at committee meetings as well as ancillary meetings with stakeholders and other legislators and knowing I may not be able to fully participate, I am requesting that you remove me from all committee assignments,” Karnes said. “I believe that is it critical that each committee be fully staffed to give each bill due consideration.”

Karnes didn’t indicate which business of his would be taking up more of his time. The Helvetia resident lists three businesses on his financial disclosure report with the West Virginia Ethics Commission: IT services company FSIS and two real estate investment LLCs.

According to his LinkedIn profile, Karnes is listed as president of FSIS. While FSIS has a Tallmansville, W.Va., address on his financial disclosure report, it’s listed as an “Orlando, Florida Area” company, while its company website puts its location in Longwood, Florida. Karnes is also listed on LinkedIn as president of Systek Computing Inc., which states it is a “Bryan/College Station, Texas Area” company. The company’s Better Business Bureau profile also lists Karnes as president.

Originally a Republican state senator from Upshur County from 2015 to 2019 representing the 11th Senatorial District, Karnes was defeated in the 2018 Republican primary by state Sen. Bill Hamilton, R-Upshur, a former member of the House of Delegates. Karnes changed his residency from Upshur County to Randolph County and ran for election in 2020 from the 11th District, defeating former Nicholas state Sen. John Pitsenbarger in the Republican primary and former Democratic Randolph County lawmaker Denise Campbell in the general election to return to the Senate.

Karnes has occasionally refused to wear face masks, often seen wearing a see-through mesh mask that provides no protection from water droplets. Most recently, state Sen. Mike Romano called out Karnes during a Senate Judiciary Committee last Thursday for wearing one of these masks.

“My friend from Randolph County refuses to wear a mask that is appropriate under the rules of this body for protection of his fellow senators,” Romano said. “He’s essentially wearing a beekeeper’s net mask. That does not protect anybody from what it is supposed to do. I care about my fellow senators, and evidently he does not.”

After a 15-minute recess, Karnes returned to the committee room wearing a standard facemask.

Despite resigning from all committee assignments, Karnes is not resigning from the state Senate altogether. With Karnes, Senate Republicans hold 23 seats and a supermajority, while the Democratic minority has 11 members. Karnes told Blair he would inform him when he could resume committee duties.

“As soon as I am able, I will notify you that my schedule has returned to normal and at that time I should be able to fulfill any committee assignment in which you determine I can benefit the Senate and West Virginia,” Karnes said.

State Sen. Jack Woodrum, R-Summers, will become the new chairman of the Interstate Cooperation Committee, with state Sen. Rollan Roberts, R-Raleigh, replacing Karnes as vice chairmen of the Education Committee.