At the center of the West Virginia state Capitol is an area known as The Well.
It is the informal gathering place for lobbyists, reporters, constituents and lawmakers.
Centrally situated between the chambers of the House of Delegates and Senate,
The Well is where information is often shared, alliances are formed, and deals are made.
86th West Virginia Legislature
Sine Die
March 12, 2023
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Senate
45 bills approved on last day of session
The West Virginia Senate adjourned at 11:49 p.m. Saturday, officially ending the 2023 legislative session.
The body spent the day receiving House messages and concurring on amendments to complete legislative action or make changes and send bills back to the House. All told, the Senate completed action on 45 bills Saturday.
The House of Delegates adjourned at midnight on Saturday, March 11, after the annual 60-day regular legislative session.
A total of 332 bills completed the legislative process, including the adoption of a balanced budget during the regular legislative session for the fifth consecutive year. Bill passage during the regular session eliminates the need for an extended budget session.
The first session of the 86th Legislature is the first time in West Virginia history that 100 single-member House districts represent citizens.
Click here to read more from House Speaker Roger Hanshaw of Clay County.
Legislative Action
Senate, House advance 332 bills to governor
During the first session of the 86th West Virginia Legislature, legislative staff reported that 332 bills were advanced — 203 House Bills, 129 Senate Bills — for Governor Jim Justice’s consideration.
The Governor has signed 47 bills.
Click here to read more from the West Virginia Press Association.
Click here to see the Legislature’s legislative report (scroll down).
State Budget
Balance cited in $4.87 billion spending plan
House of Delegates Finance Committee Chairman Vernon Criss of Wood County said the budget passed during the most recent legislative session achieves a balance, WVMetroNews reported.
On Day 59 of the regular legislative session, the House of Delegates completed work on the $4.87 billion general revenue budget, which includes provisions for pay raises and tax cuts while also making adjustments on insurance for public employees.
“Obviously, it’s a three-legged stool on the budget process,” Chairman Criss said Saturday. He noted the House and Senate worked concurrently on their own financial priorities before coming together during the final days of the session.
The final step is sending the budget to the Governor, whose representatives usually have been involved during the deliberative process.
The West Virginia Legislature gave final approval late Saturday night to a House bill that promotes reading and math literacy.
House Bill 3035 deals with “high-quality education programs” and creates a “multi-tiered system of support intervention for grade-level literacy and numeracy by the end of the third grade.” The bill had been going back and forth between the House and Senate with the House ultimately agreeing to the Senate’s version of the bill about a half-hour before the 60-day session ended at midnight Saturday.
Members of the West Virginia Legislature will receive a $5,000 pay raise in 2025, according to WVMetroNews.
Senate Bill 740 was among the last to pass the state Senate.
The Legislature marked its 60th and last day of the 2023 legislative session on Saturday. It was an unusual last day, with no bills in either chamber up for passage, and both sides awaiting messages and taking action to agree or disagree on amendments to their bills made by the other side.
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Some information in this update is collected from the WV Legislature’s Daily/Weekly Blogs.
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