Day 13: West Virginia lawmakers hit a milestone
A legislative milestone?
Already?
Yep.
The 86th West Virginia Legislature completed work on two bills on Friday, making them the first of the regular session to be sent to Governor Justice.
The bills are aimed at paving the way toward the creation of hydrogen hubs that are called for in President Biden’s 2021 Infrastructure Law. They would expand the power of the state Division of Natural Resources.
S.B. 161 would allow the DNR to sell, lease or dispose of agency property that’s been deemed obsolete and no longer needed.
S.B. 162 would give the DNR director the power to lease state-owned pore spaces underlying state forests, natural and scenic areas, and management areas, and other lands under the jurisdiction and control of the director for carbon sequestration.
West Virginia has teamed up with several partners to create a regional hydrogen hub. But the Charleston Gazette-Mail reports that environmentalists aren’t sold on the idea: WV Legislature passes bills expanding DNR powers after having passed them without releasing bill text (Paywall)
Why are these two bills the first to complete the legislative process?
They were fast tracked. The two bills were among 25 the Senate passed on the first two days of the session, when it suspended constitutional rules requiring bills be read on three separate days.
Good morning and welcome back to 60 Days.
Today is Monday, January 23rd, the 13th day of the West Virginia Legislature’s regular session.
Today is Tourism Day at the Capitol.
Open your wallet for an over-priced morning coffee (maybe buy me one?) and let’s get started.
Speaking of constitutional rules, the Senate is expected to follow them today and has a few bills on third reading, the passage stage.
Eng. Com. Sub. for S. B. 59 - Requiring work search activities to qualify for unemployment benefits (original similar to HB2589)
Eng. Com. Sub. for Com. Sub. for S. B. 65 - Granting municipal fire marshal authority to assist law-enforcement officer.
Eng. Com. Sub. for S. B. 89 - Requiring hospitals to staff qualified personnel to perform sexual assault forensic exams.
Eng. Com. Sub. for S. B. 200 - Allowing leashed dogs to track wounded elk, turkey, bear, and wild boar when hunting.
The controversial “campus carry” bill will be on second reading on the Senate floor. That’s the amendment stage of the process.
S.B. 10 would essentially take the decision on concealed handguns away from state supported colleges and universities and allow them on campus.
The presidents of both Marshall University and West Virginia University came out against the proposal almost immediately after it passed out of the Senate Judiciary Committee last week. In a joint statement, they argued for local control and said it’s a decision best left to their respective schools’ boards of governors.
A similar bill failed in 2019 in the face of student opposition.
The Senate is scheduled to begin its floor session at 11 a.m. Here’s the committee schedule:
1 p.m.: Military (208W)
1 p.m.: Transportation and Infrastructure (451M)
2 p.m.: Agriculture and Natural Resources (208W)
2 p.m.: Banking and Insurance (451M)
3 p.m.: Judiciary (208W)
3 p.m.: Finance (451M)
The House will also gavel in at 11 a.m. and notably seems likely to pass S.B. 128 this week. The Senate-passed bill is at the amendment stage in the House today:
The bill would rein in the governor’s emergency powers amid frustration with the Covid-19 emergency Governor Justice declared in 2020 and only ended at the beginning of this year.
Initially, it called for the legislature to simply be notified by the governor if an emergency would extend past 60 days.
The House Government Organization Committee amended it last week to require the Legislature to pass a concurrent resolution to extend any emergency beyond 60 days.
A couple of House bills will be up for passage today:
Com. Sub. for H. B. 2530 - Relating to the extension of the expiration of temporary registration plates from sixty days to ninety days.
H. B. 2533 - Relating to a permanent windshield placard to be valid for the duration of the applicant’s life.
And here’s the House committee schedule for today:
1:00 p.m. - Committee on Education (Room 432-M)
1:00 p.m. - Committee on Government Organization (Room 215E)
3:00 p.m. - Committee on the Judiciary (Room 410-M)
As a Marshall University graduate, I would be run out of town (and Dave would be mad) if I failed to mention House passage of H.B. 2412, a measure that would memorialize November 14th each year, the day in 1970 when a plane carrying most of MU’s football team crashed, killing all 75 people on board.
The crash was one of the worst sports disasters in U.S. history.
Democratic Delegate Sean Hornbuckle of Huntington is the bill’s lead sponsor. On Friday, he read the names of those killed on the House floor.
The bill easily passed with 92 votes in favor and none against. It’s now in the hands of the Senate.
Thanks for reading 60 Days.
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I’m on Twitter @gilessnyder and Dave can be found @davemistich.
Have a good Monday. See you back here tomorrow morning.