Day 22: Ugh. It's February
Hopefully, we can all survive this cruel month.
Good morning and welcome back to 60 Days.
It’s Day 22 of the West Virginia Legislature’s regular session — and it also happens to be the first day of February.
Ugh.
I’ll leave it to Kevin Killeen of St. Louis AM news station KMOX to tell you what he thinks about this godforsaken month:
I discovered that video a couple Februarys ago. It hits a lot of notes for me. So much so, it may be some of my favorite few minutes on all of the internet.
For one, it’s a news guy waxing-poetic about some the most repetitive and mundane things we encounter in life — like a certain month, if you’re lucky enough to keep encountering it again and again.
And for whatever reason, everything about this “report” reminds me of Kurt Vonnegut: Killeen’s Midwestern observations, the simple language, the need to find beauty from all of life’s cruelties — and he even sorta looks a bit like K.V. but with short hair, or am I imagining things?
Before we get started on legislative stuff, let me make the ever-so-humble ask that you buy us a coffee or two. We have to make it through February, after all.
Now, down to business of the day:
Leaders from the American Federation of Teachers-West Virginia and the West Virginia Education Association are holding a news conference today at 1 p.m. at the WVEA building on Quarrier St. in Charleston.
The largest two teacher unions in the state will discuss their findings from a series of focus groups they held around the state late last year. As we’ve mentioned before, West Virginia students scored less-than-great on the most recent National Assessment of Education Progress — and the unions asked members for input on how to turn things around.
This news conference comes as bills to increase pay for teachers and service personnel make their way through the House — and as lawmakers tackle broader issues on improving education in the state.
The House and Senate will each gavel in at 11 a.m. Be sure to take a look at the bulletin board for a rundown of what’s on each chamber’s calendar.
One bill that caught my eye is HB 3061, which is on third reading in the House and will go up for a vote. The measure makes some changes to the authority of the Foster Care Ombudsman. The position was created by the Legislature in 2019 and is tasked with overseeing complaints regarding the foster care system and working to improve it.
Also, HB 2007, which would ban gender-affirming care for minors, will get its first reading in the House. That bill has gained quite a lot of attention and is one of many similar anti-LGBTQ efforts making its way through Republican-controlled legislatures throughout the country.
Other controversial measures that recently cleared the House Judiciary Committee, including HB 2004 (Prevent the use of payment card processing systems for surveillance of Second Amendment activity and discriminatory conduct) and HB 2008 (Requiring local entities to enforce immigration laws) will also get their first reading in the House this morning.
Here’s a look at House Committees that are scheduled to meet today. As always, click on the name of the committee to see the agenda.
9 a.m. – House Committee on Fire Departments and EMS, Room 460-M
9:15 a.m. – House Committee on Political Subdivisions, Room 410-M
10 a.m. – House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs and Homeland Security, Room 215-E
1 p.m. – House Committee on Finance, Room 460-M
1 p.m. – House Committee on the Judiciary, Room 410-M
2 p.m. – House Committee on Education, 432-M
3 p.m. – House Committee on Government Organization, Room 215-E
Over in the Senate, here’s what committees have on their respective dockets:
1 p.m. — Senate Committee on School Choice, Room 208-W
SB 453: Ensuring retirement contributions and delinquency charges of charter school employees be paid upon school closure or by successor
1 p.m.: Senate Committee on Economic Development, Room 451-M
SB 256: Relating to WV Economic Development Authority
2 p.m.: Senate Committee on Outdoor Recreation, Room 208-W
Com. Sub. SB 468: Continuing Cabwaylingo State Forest Trail System
2 p.m.: Senate Committee on Pensions, Room 451-M
Com. Sub. for SB 449: Updating terms for Natural Resources Police Officers Retirement System and retirement systems for charter schools
Com. Sub. for SB 450: Defining medical examination for disability purposes in retirement plans administered by the Consolidated Public Retirement Board (CPRB)
Com. Sub. for SB 475: Modifying examinations for disability pensions
Com. Sub. for SB 451: Relating to Teachers' Retirement System and Teachers Defined Contribution Retirement System
3 p.m.: Senate Committee on the Judiciary, Room 208-W
Reports by Subcommittees
Referrals to Subcommittees
Com. Sub. for SB 361 (Misc. Bundle): Authorizing Board of Accountancy to promulgate legislative rule relating to board rules of professional conduct
Yesterday, the House and Senate each passed a slew of bills. Of note in the upper chamber was SB 444, which would sunset the Future Fund. The brainchild of former Senate President Jeff Kessler, the idea was to set aside money from severance taxes on the most recent oil and gas boom. But, as reporter Steven Allen Adams pointed out, there was never any funding sent its way.
SB 444 passed the upper chamber on a 31-0 vote and now heads to the House of Delegates.
Yesterday was also WVU Day at the Capitol.
Drew Ross, who runs the Legislature’s Office of Reference and Information — a WVU grad who’s generally just a great guy with excellent taste in music — snagged a photo with the Mountaineer.
That does it for me for this morning.
Tomorrow is “Groundhog Day.” If you’re like me, you’re already planning to throw on the 1993 film starring Bill Murray and directed by the late Harold Ramis. (If you don’t know already, I’m a giant Ghostbusters fan. So, the Murray-Ramis combo is the next best thing.)
If you want to get in touch, you can email us at 60daysgilesdave@gmail.com.
I’m on Twitter at @davemistich and Giles is @GilesSnyder.