Day 58: With questions about the state budget looming large, West Virginia lawmakers face packed floor sessions today
Good morning and welcome back to 60 Days, your daily guide to the West Virginia Legislature.
Today is Thursday, March 7, 2024 — Day 58 of the regular session.
There are just a few more days of lawmaking to go before we wrap up the session — and this newsletter, but that doesn’t mean we’re going away and neither are lawmakers, frankly, but that’s another post.
If you read us daily, then you’re probably already aware that we plan to transition to The West Virginia Weakly almost immediately after the end of the session. But don’t expect us to turn up in your inbox daily. As our new moniker suggests, we’ll be weekly.
To start, we’re planning to send you a Saturday rundown of news from the week that you might have missed or could use a refresher on — call it the Weakly Weekend Wrap-up, or something. We’re still hashing things out, but we’ve got other ideas, including giving you options for things to do on any given weekend and maybe a bit of West Virginia history now and then. And of course, we’ll try to find the humor as we explore what it means to be from around here. The sky’s the limit.
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We’ll keep our plan to turn on paid subscriptions front and center for now in the hope that plenty of warning will be enough to keep the pitchforks from our front door.
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Today is Recovery Day at the Capitol. It’s also Substance Abuse Awareness Day.
Heavy stuff.
As Dave said yesterday, take care of yourself.
Today’s Floor Agenda:
Keep in mind the state budget is looming large over lawmakers as the clock ticks toward the end of the session at midnight Saturday. And yet, there is a whole slew of bills for lawmakers to work through as well. From individual measures funding state agencies to culture war bills that grab attention, lawmakers are facing packed floor calendars. Here are a few highlights for today:
Governor Jim Justice’s proposal to completely eliminate income tax collections on Social Security benefits is up for a passage vote in the Senate. The engrossed committee substitute for HB 4880 is on third reading on the Senate floor. Justice’s initial proposal to eliminate the remaining tax in one fell swoop was changed to a phase out over three years. Bills also up for passage in the Senate today include:
The engrossed committee substitute for H. B. 4851. It would allow public and private schools in West Virginia to employ security personnel.
Eng. Com. Sub. for H. B. 4867 would require pornography websites to utilize age verification methods to prevent minors from accessing content.
S. B. 378 is moving closer to Governor Justice’s desk. The measure to ban smoking in vehicles when kids under age 16 are present is on third reading in the House. Supporters have been spent years trying to get this bill passed.
The committee substitute for S. B. 152 is back on the House’s active calendar. The bill that would require public schools in West Virginia to display the official US motto — “In God We Trust” — is on second reading. Other bills at the amendment stage include:
The committee substitute for S. B. 280. This is the bill that could lead to the teaching of intelligent design alongside evolution in science classrooms.
The so-called “Women’s Bill of Rights.” The initial version of this bill — S. B. 601 — was unveiled with much fanfare. Opponents say it doesn’t really do much for women but does target transgender people.
The committee substitute for SB 614 — the bill addresses school discipline at the elementary level. It would make it easier for teachers to remove disruptive students. The measure saw a lot of debate in House Education this week.
Both chambers are getting an early start today. The House meets at 9:30 a.m. Senators will be on the floor at 10:00 a.m.
House Active Calendar / Senate Active Calendar
Committee schedule:
This late in the session, committee meetings are few and far between. But lawmakers who control what you see on the floors of the House and Senate are getting together today. After all, the floor calendars still need to be managed.
House Rules will meet at 9:15 a.m.
Senate Rules at 9:45 a.m.
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.
Henry Culvyhouse of Mountain State Spotlight reports on where things stand with the state budget with the potential federal “clawback” of $465-million hanging over the process.
Mountain State Spotlight’s Sarah Elbeshbishi reports that Governor Justice’s request for $50 million to help make West Virginia more resilient to flooding hangs in the balance as lawmakers work out the state budget.
With time running out in the regular legislative session, Governor Justice is pushing the state Senate to act on pay raises and the tax break on Social Security benefits — Brad McElhinny of WVMetroNews.
Brad also has this story on Senate Finance adding wrinkle to a pay raise bill for public employees.
Another take on Gov. Justice’s Wednesday press briefing. Reporter Charles Young in the Charleston Gazette-Mail leads with Justice seemingly resigned to a special legislative session this May.
Quote of the week so far: “What they send us. A bill about changing a poopy diaper at a rest area is a metaphor,” Woelfel said. “I’m sorry, Mr. President, but it’s a pretty good metaphor for how they do business down the hall.” — West Virginia Public Broadcasting’s Briana Heaney quoting Senate Minority Leader Mike Woelfel (D-Cabell) for a story about tensions between the House and Senate as the end of the session looms this weekend.
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.