Day 45: Today is the day Dave should begin his Oscar campaign
But seriously, the bill expanding work requirements for food assistance is up for a passage vote
Good morning and welcome back to 60 Days, your daily guide to the West Virginia Legislature.
Today is Friday, February 23, 2024 — the 45th day of the regular session.
Heading to the Capitol today?
You may notice some clouds over the dome this morning, but don’t let them fool you. Charleston is done with rain for the moment. Expect some sunshine in the afternoon with highs in the upper 50s.
If you’re into fast cars, today is your day.
It’s Motorsports Day at the Legislature. In fact, it’s the first ever lobby day devoted to racing. Representatives from West Virginia racing venues and the businesses that depend on them will be mingling with lawmakers. And if you want to check out some of the vehicles used on both dirt and asphalt tracks, head over to the east and west entrances to the main capitol building.
If you want a real thrill, be at the west entrance at 10 a.m. Charleston native Ritchie Boggs plans to fire up his Dad’s 1967 AHRA World Championship “Hundley and Boggs” Top Fuel Dragster. The thing runs on nitromethane, a potent fuel that hod rodders use to get their motors REALLY running.
Here at 60 Days, the editorial board is fueled by good ole, run-of-the-mill coffee. Anything stronger and we might hurt ourselves.
Today’s Floor Agenda:
The head spinning (Dave’s description) and now engrossed committee substitute for the committee substitute for SB 562 (say that three times fast) will be up for passage today in the state Senate.
The bill would impose new work or employment training requirements on adults without dependents in order receive food assistance from the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known as SNAP.
It’s supported by a conservative lobby group known as the Foundation for Government Accountability. While it was in committee, the group’s deputy policy director said it’s about getting people “to achieve the American dream through self-sufficiency.”
The FGA also supported the House-passed bill that would eliminate work permit requirements for 14 and 15 year olds. It’s now in the hands of the Senate.
Rather than expanding work requirements, opponents say lawmakers would be better off if they looked toward investing in job training and child care and transportation.
The House-passed engrossed committee substitute HB 4850 is also at the passage stage in the state Senate today. The measure would remove the sunset clause from oil and gas personal property tax.
You can find the rest of today’s Senate Calendar here.
The Senate floor session begins at 10 a.m.
On the other side of the Capitol, the House will gavel in at the usual time, at 11 a.m. The House’s active calendar has a slew of bills up for a passage vote including:
The committee substitute for HB 5180. The measure would ease requirements on parents overseeing home-schooled kids. This bill will be on third reading with the right to amend.
Del. Mike Pushkin (D-Kanawha) tried to amend the bill while it was in committee. He wanted it to include a provision that would bar parents facing a child abuse investigation from homeschooling their children. His amendment was based on a proposal known as “Raylee’s Law,” named for an eight-year-old girl who suffered abuse and neglect. She died after her parents withdrew her from public schools. Pushkin’s amendment was rejected. “Raylee’s Law” has been proposed for the past several sessions. You might see a version of it on the floor today.
The committee substitute for HB 4191 will also be on third reading.
The bill would impose requirements on social media companies to prevent corruption and provide transparency of election-related content made available on social media websites.
Committee schedule:
If we had to single out one committee meeting for special notice, it would be House Judiciary. The panel is meeting at 9:30 a.m. and has HB 5358 on its agenda.
The bill would create an ombudsman program within the state Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation
The ombudsman would be tasked with reviewing inmate complaints of abuse in West Virginia’s troubled system of lockups.
The ombudsman bill is coming up in House Judiciary as attorneys for the family of a man who died at the Southern Regional Jail are making new allegations as WVNS-TV in Beckley reports.
The rest of the committee schedule shakes out like this:
10:45 a.m. - House Rules
9:00 a.m. - House Finance
9:00 a.m. - House Government Organization
Time TBA - Senate Judiciary
By the way, someone should tell Dave that if he wants that obscure bridge out in the sticks named for him, he should turn up at the Capitol today. The subcommittee on HONORARY NAMING RESOLUTIONS is meeting five minutes after the end of the House floor session. You can’t win the Oscar without the Oscar campaign, right?
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.
The bill that would phase out the remaining state income taxes on Social Security benefits is heading to the state Senate. Brad McElhinny, the respected statehouse reporter for WVMetroNews, reports on the overwhelming House vote to pass the measure.
Roger Adkins of the Charleston Gazette-Mail has the latest on opposition to what’s being called the “Library Obscenity Bill.” The measure is now in the hands of the state Senate after House passage.
Amelia Ferrell Knisely of West Virginia Watch reports on an effort to create a “high risk population” charter school.
And change is coming to the state high school football championships. After 30 years in Wheeling, the Super Six is returning to Charleston. Here’s how The Wheeling Intelligencer covered the move.
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.
It looks like there is a new attempt to pass the "anti-racism act" (aka the anti-teaching about racism act) that fell short the last few years.. It is SB 870, the "Restoring Sanity Act." It contains some other copy and pasted right wing priorities like banning preferred pronouns and DEI offices. Might be worth seeing if it gains any traction.