Margaret Anne Staggers
Margaret Anne Staggers was an American politician who was a Democratic member of the West Virginia House of Delegates and served as an Assistant Majority Whip. Staggers was an emergency physician.
Early life and education
Staggers was born on January 12, 1945, at Naval Air Station Patuxent River in St. Mary's County, Maryland, and was the eldest child and daughter of Harley Orrin Staggers, Sr. and his wife Mary Casey Staggers. At the time of her birth, Staggers' father was serving as a lieutenant commander in the United States Naval Air Corps in both the European and Pacific theaters during World War II. In 1948, Staggers' father was elected a member of the United States House of Representatives from West Virginia's 2nd congressional district where he served until 1981.She earned her M.D. in 1969 from the West Virginia University School of Medicine after which she completed her residency in emergency medicine.
Medical career
Staggers was an emergency room physician practicing at Beckley Appalachian Regional Hospital in Beckley, West Virginia. In addition to her emergency medicine practice, Staggers serves as the medical director of multiple emergency medical services and emergency operations centers in Fayette, Wyoming, Raleigh, and Boone counties in West Virginia.She briefly considered retiring from emergency medicine at Beckley Appalachian Regional Hospital following a July 7, 2011, incident in which an elderly female patient attacked Staggers as she attempted to provide aid to the woman. The patient scratched Staggers' face, drawing blood. Staggers returned to her legislative duties in Charleston the week after the attack.
Political activities
Staggers served as a delegate to the 1976 Democratic National Convention at Madison Square Garden in New York City where she voted to nominate United States Senator Robert Byrd as the Democratic candidate for the 1976 United States presidential election.West Virginia House of Delegates tenure
Staggers was elected to the West Virginia House of Delegates from the 29th district representing Fayette County, West Virginia, in 2006. She served at various points as an Assistant Majority Whip, vice-chairperson on the Roads and Transportation Committee, and a member of the Government Organization Committee, Health and Human Resources Committee, Veterans Affairs/Homeland Security Committee, and the House Select Committee on Redistricting. During the 79th session of the West Virginia Legislature, Staggers served as vice-chairperson of the Committee on Enrolled Bills.In 2008, Staggers authored legislation extending a tax break to volunteer firefighters excusing them from tax that were due beyond what was already withheld from paychecks.
On the 30th anniversary of the passage of the Staggers Rail Act of 1980 authored by her father, Congressman Harley Orrin Staggers, Sr., Staggers wrote an op-ed in the Charleston Gazette-Mail praising the bipartisan effort in the United States Congress led by her father to deregulate the United States railroad industry.