Day Two: Fully Underway
The West Virginia Weakly legislative daybook for February 13, 2025
Today is Thursday, February 13, 2025, the second day of the West Virginia Legislature’s regular session.
Today is Fairmont State University Day at the Capitol. It’s also Mineral County Day.
Highlights (all times and agendas subject to change)
9:00 a.m. House Finance will hold its first budget hearing.
9:30 a.m. — Senate Finance Committee will also begin considering the budget. Revenue Secretary Eric Nelson is scheduled to appear.
1:00 p.m. — Watch the Senate Health and Human Resources Committee. The panel could take up a bill today that would follow up on Governor Morrisey’s executive order for a religious or moral exemption to the state’s school vaccine requirements. It would also revise the process for requesting a medical exemption. The text has yet to be published on the legislature’s website, but the committee’s agenda says it will be introduced during the Senate’s floor session at 11 a.m.
1:00 p.m. The House Education Committee will get an update from the state Treasurer’s Office on the Hope Scholarship program. Enacted by the state legislature in 2021, the Hope program is wrapped up in the school choice movement. Critics say it siphons money away from public schools. Supporters argue that it helps parents provide their kids with an alternative to public education. One of the executive orders President Trump signed last month expands school choice.
This is where we would normally provide links to the House and Senate calendars for the floor sessions that begin at 11 a.m., but it’s far too early for much floor action, so perhaps the list of bills to be introduced today would be more helpful. However, as Dave warned yesterday, it’s a long list and it doesn’t make much sense to get too worked up until a bill is taken up in committee.
Senate bills to be introduced Full Senate Committee Schedule
House bills to be introduced Full House Committee Schedule
If we missed anything, let us know in our subscriber chat. It’s for paid subscribers and it’s a good place to let us know about upcoming events during the session and to ask questions. If we don’t have a good answer, maybe another Weakly reader will.
Weakly Whatnot (legislative news and opinion from around West Virginia)
Morrisey says his administration will meet $400 million gap in ‘Mountain State Comeback Budget’ ~ Brad McElhinny, WVMetroNews
West Virginia lawmakers and leaders react to Governor Morrisey’s State of the State address ~ Aaron Parker, WVMetroNews
A tech future powered by coal: five takeaways from Gov. Morrisey’s State of the State address ~ Henry Culvyhouse, Mountain State Spotlight
Jim Justice says he turned West Virginia’s budget from cow dung to gold. Gov. Morrisey disagrees ~ Leah Willingham, Associated Press
WV House adopts new rules ending public hearings, rejects amendments for notice requirements, more ~ Caity Coyne, West Virginia Watch
Disagreements on WV budget an early concern ~ Editorial, Charleston Gazette-Mail