West has a reputation for being "far and away the most
moderate Republican in the
General Assembly." Although he represents a conservative district, he often works with the Maryland General Assembly's Democratic majority to compromise on and pass legislation. In January 2020, the
American Conservative Union gave West a score of 40 percent on its annual legislative scorecard, the lowest score among Republicans.
COVID-19 pandemic In June 2021, West signed onto a letter that urged Governor Larry Hogan to use federal rent relief funding support legislation that would provide low-income tenants with access to legal representation in eviction cases. In August 2021, West signed onto a letter calling on the
Maryland State Board of Education to issue a universal
masking mandate for students and teachers across the state in response to the
COVID-19 pandemic. He was the only Republican to sign onto the letter.
Crime and policing During the 2020 legislative session, West introduced a bill that would end the practice of suspending
driver's licenses for unpaid court fines and fees. The bill passed unanimously and became law on May 8, 2020. During the 2021 legislative session, he introduced the
Juvenile Restoration Act, a bill that would abolish life without parole for those who committed crimes as juveniles and allow those who have served 20 years or more to petition to a judge for release. The bill passed with bipartisan support, but was vetoed by Governor
Larry Hogan in April 2021. The legislature voted to override Hogan's veto on the bill a few days later. During the 2021 legislative session, West introduced legislation in the 2021 legislative session that would prohibit law enforcement agencies from purchasing certain military equipment through the
1033 program. The bill passed unanimously in the Senate, but did not receive a vote in the House of Delegates. He also voted in favor of legislation that would repeal the
Law Enforcement Officers' Bill of Rights after two of his amendments—one that would insert portions of the Senate's Law Enforcement Officers' Bill of Rights repeal into the House version bill, and another that would establish that law enforcement agencies have the
burden of proof under a preponderance of the evidence during trial board proceedings and that officers can only be disciplined
for cause—made it into the bill. West co-sponsored legislation that would order police departments to provide
body-worn cameras for on-duty police officers by 2025. However, he withdrew his support for the body cameras bill after it was amended to include provisions that would create an employee assistance mental health program and implement a statewide use of force policy. He opposed provisions in "Anton's Law" that would allow police misconduct complaints to become public, introducing an amendment that would keep unsubstantiated complaints private. The amendment was rejected on a party line vote. During the 2026 legislative session, West opposed a bill that would ban law enforcement officers from wearing face coverings, saying there could be conflicts between state officers enforcing the law and federal officers doing their duties under federal law. During debate on the bill on the Senate floor, he introduced an amendment to lower the penalty for wearing a face mask from $1,500 to $100, which was rejected in a voice vote. West also supported a bill that would end the practice of charging juveniles as adults in criminal court.
Economic issues During the 2016 legislative session, West introduced legislation to ban off-track betting at the
Maryland State Fairgrounds. He later amended the bill to allow off-track betting, but required that the Fairgrounds enter a contract agreement with the Greater Timonium Community Council, and banned
slots and
table games. During the 2020 legislative session, West introduced a bill to legalize
sports betting in
Maryland's casinos and
pari-mutuel racetracks. In 2019, following the legislature's vote on a bill that would raise the state's minimum wage to
$15 an hour by 2025, West agreed to participate in a work group proposed by Democratic Senator
Katie Fry Hester that looked to study ways to help small businesses in the years leading up to the bill's full effective date.
Environment In April 2019, West voted against legislation that would mandate a 50 percent renewable energy target for 2030 over his disapproval of a provision that would provide
trash incinerators with renewable energy subsidies. In December 2019, the Maryland Public Interest Research Group gave West a score of 83 percent on its annual legislative scorecard. During the 2021 legislative session, West introduced legislation that would create timelines for Maryland's remaining power plants to transition away from coal and establish a transition fund to mitigate economic impacts for employees. He later withdrew the bill over worries that it would not pass in the House, but announced in March 2021 that he had worked out a deal with
AES Corporation that would cause the
Warrior Run Generating Station to stop burning coal in 2030. West introduced an amendment to the Climate Solutions Now Act of 2021 that would require newly constructed school buildings that use funding from the Build to Learn Act to install rooftop solar panels. The amendment failed by a vote of 15–31. He was also one of two Senate Republicans to vote in favor of passing the climate action plan, which passed the Senate by a vote of 34–11. In March 2022, West introduced an amendment to the Climate Solutions Now Act of 2022 that would require local school systems to consider installing solar panels on roofs of new school buildings, requiring school systems that decide against doing so to explain why to the Interagency Commission on School Construction. The amendment was passed in a 30–14 vote.
Marijuana West does not support the
legalization of marijuana, saying that he would oppose it until a method to test people for being under the influence of marijuana is developed. West introduced legislation in the 2019 legislative session that would limit companies to operating up to six
marijuana dispensaries through ownership or management agreements. The bill passed and was signed into law at a limit of four dispensaries. West introduced legislation in the 2020 legislative session that would allow actively licensed physicians to become a certifying provider of
medical marijuana. The bill passed unanimously and became law on May 8, 2020.
National politics In October 2025, West said he agreed with state delegate
Lauren Arikan's criticism that the
attorney general of Maryland's lawsuits against the
Trump administration were "politically motivated more than policy motivated", but conceded that Republican attorneys general often sued the
Biden administration in a similar manner. He also added that he hoped that attorneys general, both Democratic and Republican, would focus more on their constituents and less on national politics. In February 2026, West said he opposed pursuing
mid-decade redistricting in Maryland and opposed holding a vote on a bill that would redraw
Maryland's congressional districts to improve the Democratic Party's chances of winning the
1st congressional district, the only congressional district held by Republicans in the state.
Social issues West supports banning
abortions after a fetus reaches
fetal viability unless the mother's life is at risk. In 2019, West voted in favor of legislation that would make it legal for doctors to prescribe a
lethal dose of medication to terminally ill patients who want to end their lives. The bill failed to pass out of the Senate, receiving a 23–23 vote. West was the only Republican to vote in favor of the bill. During the 2020 legislative session, West introduced a bill that would require agencies to provide a voter application form and general voting information to people preparing to transition back to society from prison. The bill passed the House of Delegates by a vote of 93–36. In February 2020, West co-sponsored legislation that would make single-occupant bathrooms
gender neutral. In February 2021, West cosponsored legislation that would provide students with access to
period products in school bathrooms. The bill passed and became law on May 30, 2021. In August 2020, West signed onto a letter calling on the
Baltimore County Public Schools system to ban
hate symbols in the form of
Confederate Flags and
swastikas. During the 2021 legislative session, he introduced a bill to create penalties for vandalizing or destroying historically significant statues in Maryland. ==Personal life==