Day 41: The latest raw milk bill amuses me
Day 41: The latest raw milk bill amuses me
It's up for a passage vote in the House today
Good morning and welcome back to 60 Days, your daily guide to the West Virginia Legislature.
Apologies.
Hate to be the first one to say it out loud, but today is MONDAY — February 19th, 2024, the 41st day of the regular session.
If you’re heading to the state Capitol today, leave the long johns in the dresser. You’re not going to need them. The sun will be shining on the golden dome with highs near 50.
Today is Girl Scout Day at the legislature. It’s an opportunity for members of the Black Diamond Council to learn about state government, meet lawmakers, and receive a state Capitol fun patch!
Advocates for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and members of the pro-gun West Virginia Citizens Defense League will also be on hand to lobby lawmakers.
Quite an eclectic day.
By the way, I discovered matcha tea last week. It’s said to boost brain function, so if today’s newsletter seems more organized than usual, you know why.
Today’s Floor Agenda:
If you’re trying to decide which floor session to watch today, I’d go with the House.
Here’s the House’s YouTube channel. And you can find the chamber’s active calendar for the session that starts at 11 a.m. here.
The committee substitute for H. B. 4850 is among the bills on third reading, the passage stage of the process. The measure is an industry backed bill that would remove a sunset clause from oil and gas personal property tax. It was the subject of a public hearing that drew six speakers to the House Chamber last week.
The bill supported by the West Virginia Oil and Gas Association and the state Chamber of Commerce would get rid of a sunset clause on oil and gas well valuations that’s to take effect July 1, 2025. Supporters say removing the sunset would provide certainty for producers.
Landowners at the public hearing opposed the bill and so did Wetzel County Assessor Scott Lemley. He told lawmakers that current the methodology results in mistakes. His county was one of eight that have reportedly lost millions due to a State Tax Division error.
A similar bill, S. B. 395, is also at the passage stage in the state Senate today.
Eyes glazing over yet? Mike Tony of the Charleston Gazette-Mail has a better explanation of what’s going on here.
H.B. 4850 is at the passage stage in the House and so is that bill that would allow sales of raw milk.
The committee substitute for H. B. 4911 would allow raw milk to be sold in West Virginia as long as containers are clearly labeled. It would also give raw milk producers immunity from civil liability.
The bill amuses me because of what happened in 2016 when several lawmakers fell ill after drinking unpasteurized milk in a celebratory gesture following the legislature’s move to legalize its consumption. It’s not clear if raw milk was the culprit, though. A stomach bug was apparently going around the Capitol at the time. An investigation by state health officials was inconclusive.
A couple of notable measures are among the bills on second reading in the House.
H. B. 4299 would allow teachers in K-12 schools to be authorized to carry concealed firearms as a designated school protection officer.
The committee substitute for H. B. 5159 would loosen West Virginia’s child labor laws.
A bill we told you about on Friday will be up for a passage vote in the state Senate today. The committee substitute for S. B. 292 — The Hunger Free Campus Act — would address hunger among students on college campuses around the state.
The bill would require the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission to establish a grant program to provide funding to state higher education institutions that meet the requirements of a “Hunger-Free Campus.”
According to the advocacy group Swipe Out Hunger, several states have established similar programs, including neighboring Maryland and also California, New York and Massachusetts.
Efforts to address student hunger gained momentum during the coronavirus pandemic when students and their families lost income when many businesses were forced to close their doors or curtail operations.
A couple of interesting resolutions are on the Senate’s calendar today:
S. C. R. 30 would honor Hershel "Woody" Williams. Williams was a Marine Corps veteran of World War Two who was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions during the Battle of Iwo Jima. The resolution calls for statue of Williams be placed in the U.S. Capitol’s National Statuary Hall.
S. R. 43 - would memorializing the life of John Patton Fanning whose career in the state Senate spanned decades. Fanning passed away last month, on January 7, 2024.
You can find the full Senate Calendar here.
Committee schedule:
10 a.m. Senate Government Organization
1 p.m. Senate Military
1 p.m. Senate Transportation and Infrastructure
1 p.m. House Finance
1:00 p.m. House Judiciary
2 p.m. Senate Agriculture and Natural Resources
2 p.m. Senate Banking and Insurance
2:30 p.m. House Education
3 p.m. Senate Judiciary
3:00 p.m House Government Organization
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.
ICYMI — NPR’s Ari Shapiro traveled to the Mineral County seat of Keyser to report this story on wind energy. It was on All Things Considered on Friday.
In Charleston last week, West Virginia lawmakers advanced a wind energy bill that the industry says could harm wind development. The Charleston Gazette-Mail’s Mike Tony has that story.
Caity Coyne of West Virginia Watch reports on House passage of a bill that would create felonies for secondhand fentanyl exposure.
Mountain State Spotlight’s P.R. Lockhart reports on the reaction of state lawmakers to word that the Cleveland Cliffs tinplate plant in Weirton is shutting down indefinitely, throwing some 900 employees out of work.
Here’s Phil Kabler’s Statehouse Beat column for the Charleston Gazette-Mail.
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.