Day 28: And things are picking back up
State funding for a battery plant in Weirton is advancing but not everyone is on board
Good morning and welcome back to 60 Days.
Today is Tuesday, February 7th, 2023 — the 27th day of the West Virginia Legislature’s regular session.
This morning’s 60 days newsletter was put to bed in the wee hours this morning. Mondays are my “recovery day” after working overnight all weekend. Once my shift ends, I usually stay up for a while before finally getting some sleep.
I guess I needed a lot of it. By the time I was fully awake and "recovered,” it was already today.
Because Giles is so committed to the success of 60 Days — and because he can empathize with the overnight schedule — he went ahead and put together a great deal of what your reading this morning.
That said, you should buy us a coffee. Me, because I really seem to need it. And Giles, because he saved this morning’s newsletter.
Remember that proposed battery plant that Governor Justice announced in December? The project that’s supposed to bring hundreds of well-paying jobs to the Northern Panhandle and revitalize the once mighty steel town of Weirton?
It’s okay if you don’t. I only had a vague recollection of the announcement but it’s coming back to me.
The project involves a start-up called Form Energy. It’s an energy storage company that has backing from a fund started by Bill Gates. Form Energy is putting at least $350 million toward the project that envisions the development of longer lasting batteries to add to the U.S. electric grid.
The West Virginia Economic Development Authority has already put up $75 million. And on Monday, the House Finance Committee began considering HB 2882, the bill that would deliver another $105 million. All told, the state’s investment in the project would top out at nearly $300 million.
Supporters say it will bring back jobs and prosperity to Weirton and that there are provisions in the bill that would protect the state’s investment.
But there are questions about Form Energy’s links to China and Saudi Arabia.
And although HB 2882 easily passed out of the House Finance Committee on Monday, not everyone was on necessarily on board.
Before the panel sent the bill to the House floor, Delegate Marty Gearheart (R-Mercer) urged his colleagues to a second look at it. He called it an extremely risky investment.
There’s a lot to take in about the Form Energy deal. You can start here with this Bloomberg story on the announcement back in December. There’s also this piece published just this past Friday in The American Conservative.
SB 495 will be among the bills on first reading in the Senate today. The measure amounts to a mea culpa for Senate Judiciary Chairman Charles Trump (R-Morgan).
Trump decided to change course on a bill passed on the legislature’s final night last year after our friends at Mountain State Spotlight reported that it’s “primary effect was to further cloak in secrecy what happens inside the state’s notoriously dangerous jails.”
Trump sponsored last year’s bill. It was sent to the Governor after the House Judiciary Committee amended it effectively allowing “corrections officials to deny requests made under the state’s Freedom of Information Act.”
Trump told Spotlight last month that “we need to make sure that whatever we do doesn’t shrink the accessibility of information from FOIA,” saying family members of those who have died in the state’s jails especially deserve access to jail records.
The Judiciary Committee advanced the bill to the Senate floor on Friday.
Speaking of the Senate floor, the bills getting a reading today can be found on the Senate Calendar. The chamber will gavel in this morning at 11 a.m.
As for what’s happening in committee, here’s a look at the agendas:
9 a.m.: Government Organization (208W)
Com. Sub. for SB 199: Relating to purchase of commodities and services from nonprofit workshops
SB 234: Clarifying uniform statewide deadline for electronically submitted voter registration applications
SB 272: Authorizing use of Reclamation of Abandoned and Dilapidated Properties Program Fund.
Com. Sub. for SB 302: Relating to Law Enforcement Safety Act
Com. Sub. for SB 464: Authorizing locality pay to correctional officers working at facilities having critical staffing shortages
Com. Sub. for SB 509: Requiring that free feminine hygiene products be provided to female prisoners
9 a.m.: Education (451M)
SB 204: Increasing salary for teachers with less than eight years of experience
SB 519: School Personnel Whistle-Blower Law
HB 2602: Reestablishing certain specialized school service personnel classifications
1 p.m.: Health and Human Resources (451M)
SB 195: Creating Ready-to-Use Glucagon Rescue Therapies for Schools Act
SB 290: Relating to dental health care service plans
HB 3061: Relating to updating the authority of the Foster Care Ombudsman
2 p.m.: Finance Subcommittee C – Higher Education/Economic Development (451M)
SB 31: Relating to permissible expenditures by Water Development Authority from Infrastructure Fund
3 p.m.: Judiciary (208W)
Reports by Subcommittees
Referrals to Subcommittees
SB 508: Clarifying reporting and disclosure requirements for grassroots lobbying expenditures
Com. Sub. for SB 516: Relating to requirements for disclosure of donor contributions
Com. Sub. for SB 187: Creating new criminal offenses of sexual contact, intrusion, or abuse of students by school employee
Com. Sub. for SB 409: Authorizing WV Department of Economic Development to promulgate legislative rule relating to Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer Matching Funds Program (Commerce Bundle)
The House of Delegates also gavels in 11 a.m. The House’s agenda shows the following committee meetings.
9 a.m. – the Committee on the Prevention and Treatment of Substance Abuse will meet in the House Education Committee Room, 434M
9 a.m. – the Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources will meet in the East Wing Committee Room, 215E
9 a.m. – the Committee on Banking and Insurance will meet in the Judiciary Committee Meeting Room, 410M
10 a.m. – the Committee on Pensions and Retirement will meet in the Finance Committee Room, 460M
10:45 a.m. – the Committee on Rules will meet behind the House Chamber
1 p.m. – the Energy and Manufacturing Committee will meet at in the Judiciary Committee Room, 410M
1 p.m. – the Committee on Technology and Infrastructure will meet in the Education Committee Room, 434M
2 p.m. – the Committee on Economic Development and Tourism will meet in the Finance Committee Room, 460M
3 p.m. – the Sub-Committee on Small Business Development will meet in the Finance Committee Room, 460M
3 p.m. – the Committee on Health and Human Resources Committee will meet in the East Wing Committee Room, 215E
That does it for me this morning.
For the record, I can’t stand Bon Jovi.
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.