Day 38: The House is set to vote on the library obscenity bill today
Good morning and welcome back to 60 Days, your daily guide to the West Virginia Legislature.
Today is Friday, February 16th, 2024 — the 38th day of the regular session.
When we revived this newsletter last month we included a weather forecast for the Capitol. That fell by the wayside over the past few weeks, but maybe it’s time to again help you make decisions on what to wear in front state lawmakers. After all, we’re trying to be a full-service newsletter over here!
Expect a mild day in Charleston, at least for February. Beneath cloudy skies over the golden dome, highs will be in the upper 40s. However, if you’re thinking of hitting the road out of town, do it early. You’re not going to want to be driving tonight. Up to 6 inches of snow — the heavy, wet variety — are expected to pile up through tomorrow morning.
Today is Adventure Travel Day at the Capitol. An image of reasonably dressed middle-aged lawmakers clinging to temporary climbing walls set up in the Rotunda comes immediately to mind.
I bet Dave would happily scramble up one those things if there were a cup of coffee in it for him.
Today’s Floor Agenda:
H. B. 4654, which has become known as “The Library Obscenity Bill” is finally at the passage today in the House.
After a delay in House Judiciary for a couple of weeks, the panel on Monday sent the measure to the floor on a 21-3 vote.
The bill would remove from state code the exemptions for public and school libraries when it comes to displaying or providing obscene material to minors — in effect, opening them up to felony charges.
Before the committee vote, the bill’s sponsor, Del. Brandon Steele (R-Raleigh), told members of the committee that current law provides a sanctuary for pedophiles.
During the same committee meeting, Del. Evan Hanson (D-Monongalia) said the bill does not technically ban books, but he expressed concern that that’s what it will essentially do.
The measure is on third reading with the right to amend.
Also up for a vote on passage in the House is the committee substitute for H. B. 4867. The proposal would require pornography websites to utilize age verification methods to prevent minors from accessing content.
Yesterday, Dave told you about SCR 28, a resolution sponsored by Sen. Mike Stuart (R-Kanawha) that seeks to keep President Biden off the ballot in West Virginia’s primary and general elections this year. Stuart has another resolution on the Senate floor today:
Stuart is the lead sponsor of SR 42, which would put West Virginia on record as siding with Texas Governor Greg Abbott and his fight with the Biden Administration over the migrant situation at the southern border with Mexico. 22 other Senators have signed onto it as sponsors.
The resolution was introduced yesterday and is listed under “Unfinished Business” on today’s Senate Calendar.
Stuart’s latest resolution is similar to HCR 64, sponsored by Delegate Pat McGeehan (R-Hancock). The House passed McGeehan’s resolution two weeks ago. It’s pending in the Senate Judiciary Committee.
The committee substitute for S. B. 292 is on second reading in the Senate. The measure is Senate Education Chair Amy Grady’s (R-Mason) “Hunger-Free Campus Act.”
The bill directs the Higher Education Policy Commission to establish a program to provide grants to colleges and universities that are designated “hunger-free” campuses. In short, the bill aims to keep college students from going hungry.
The bill was advanced out of Sen. Grady’s committee earlier this week. But not before Sen. Mike Azinger (R-Wood) called it “nanny state stuff.” Azinger said he went hungry while in college and he went on to say, “You go to college, sometimes you don’t have food, sometimes you get hungry. That’s life. It builds character.”
It’s Friday, so the Senate is holding it’s floor session early today — at 9:30 a.m. The full Senate calendar is here.
The House’s active calendar is here and delegates will gather for the floor session at the usual time — at 11 a.m.
Committee schedule:
House Education appears to be the committee to watch today. The panel is meeting at 9:30 a.m. and is set to consider a couple of Senate-passed bills that created a stir earlier in the session.
Com. Sub. for S. B. 152, displaying the official US motto in public schools.
Com. Sub. for S. B. 280, allowing teachers in public schools to discuss scientific theories.
This is the bill that would let teachers go beyond evolution and discuss other ideas about the origins of life on earth. Presumably, that would include intelligent design.
If the Legislature passes the bill, the issue seems likely to end up in court. A federal judge ruled in 2005 that it’s unconstitutional to teach intelligent design as an alternative in public schools because it violates the separation of church and state.
The rest of the committee schedule looks like this:
9:00 a.m. - House Finance
9:15 a.m. - House Judiciary
10:45 a.m. - House Rules will meet behind the chamber
And finally Senate Workforce meets 15 minutes following the end of the floor session.
60 Days links: Reading that’s good for you and good for West Virginia. Click on the links to help support the reporters who work at the state Capitol day in, day out.
Senator Joe Manchin was in Cleveland on Wednesday where he fed into speculation that he may run for president as a third-party candidate. He named a couple of vice-presidential choices — Utah Republican Senator Mitt Romney and former Senator Rob Portman, a Republican from Ohio. Henry Garcia of NBC News covered Manchin’s appearance Thursday at a breakfast sponsored by the City Club of Cleveland.
Some 900 jobs are at stake in Weirton. The Cleveland Cliffs tinplate production plant is being idled indefinitely in April. The company is blaming the layoffs on a decision by the International Trade Commission that reverses the Commerce Department’s move to impose anti-dumping duties on Canada, China, Germany and South Korea. The Wheeling Intelligencer is following the story.
State Corrections Commissioner William Marshall offered lawmakers on Thursday a rosier timeline for a draw down of National Guard members at West Virginia jails. Brad McElhinny of WVMetroNews covered Thursday’s meeting of the House Jails and Prisons Committee.
The Senate on Thursday sent three bills having to do with voter registration to the House. Charles Young outlines them in The State Journal.
Resources:
Know of any bills we should be keeping tabs on? Any events, press conferences, etc., we should know about? Tell us about them in the comments.