Legislation

From The Well February 28, 2020 West Virginia Capitol Update Day 52 House Finance Committee advances budget The House Finance Committee took up the House budget bill, HB4021, in its Thursday afternoon meeting. The committee advanced the bill, which includes funding for line items including eliminating the wait list for the IDD waiver, and additional funding for proposed foster care improvements. Read the the presentation here. The $4.578 billion budget includes $16.8 million for foster care under House Bill 4092 and [...]

From The Well February 27, 2020 West Virginia Capitol Update Day 51 Statistic snapshot As of Crossover day, the total number of bills introduced by members of both bodies is 2,381. Members of the House introduced 1,528 bills, while members of the Senate introduced 853 bills. So far, 243 bills have passed the House, and 249 bills have passed the Senate. The Governor has signed 21 bills, and there are 10 are pending his signature. Snippets from Wednesday's [...]

          From The Well February 25, 2020 West Virginia Capitol Update Day 49     Senate votes to raise taxes to eliminate taxes After a lengthy debate in the Senate, SB 837, which creates a 6-year phase out of personal property taxes on manufacturing machinery, equipment, automobiles and inventory passed by a narrow 17-16 vote mostly along party lines. The bill creates a Special Revenue Account which provides that the Legislature plans to use to [...]

          From The Well February 24, 2020 West Virginia Capitol Update Day 48     We are heading into the last two weeks of the session. A total of 1,513 bills were introduced in the House and 842 were introduced in the Senate. The House has passed 160 bills, which are now before the Senate. The Senate has passed and advanced 153 to the House.   Yesterday was the last day for bills to [...]

          From The Well February 21, 2020 West Virginia Capitol Update Day 45     House passes broadband bill   The House of Delegates passed HB4015, which enacts the Vertical Real Estate Management and Availability Act, and calls for the Office of Technology to accept proposals for a vendor to manage the state's vertical real estate. The bill designates a fund to deposit any revenues from the management of the vertical real estate and [...]

          From The Well February 20, 2020 West Virginia Capitol Update Day 44     House Finance advances oil and gas tax credit bills   The House of Delegates Finance Committee approved two bills Wednesday creating separate tax credits in hopes of boosting development in the natural gas industry including attracting a natural gas storage hub and an ethane cracker plant.   House Bill 4421 aims to encourage the development, transportation and use of natural gas [...]

          From The Well February 19, 2020 West Virginia Capitol Update Day 43     House passes foster care bill   By a vote of 96-1, the House of Delegates passed a sweeping foster care bill that more clearly defines that guardians ad litem — the people who speak on behalf of children — are indeed speaking with children and hearing them out. It also increases the per diem reimbursement for foster families while [...]

From The Well February 18, 2020 West Virginia Capitol Update Day 42     Students appeal to legislature to continue GSA and GHA High school students addressed legislators Monday about their experiences in the Governor's School for the Arts and Governor's Honors Academy. Isabel Menon (Frank's niece) shared how being part of the GHA motivated her to learn more and to know more, and appealed to them to continue funding both programs.     Senate Finance passes sweeping [...]

          From The Well February 14, 2020 West Virginia Capitol Update Day 38     Critical infrastructure protection act passes House   After considerable debate over whether the bill infringed on the right to civil disobedience, HB 4615, the West Virginia Critical Infrastructure Protection Act, passed the House Thursday.   “If you want to exercise your freedom of speech, your freedom of assembly, any of your God-given rights, we enjoy that here,” said Delegate [...]

          From The Well February 13, 2020 West Virginia Capitol Update Day 37     House momentum grinds to a halt   In response to an incident that he says took place Tuesday evening, Republican Del. Eric Porterfield invoked a rule that requires that bills on third reading be read aloud, instead of lawmakers simply explaining their bills as usual. The result was a drawn-out floor session in which annoyed lawmakers meandered around the [...]