Changes To Unemployment Benefits, Diabetes Costs And Lawmakers Talk Voting Rights

On this week’s episode of The Legislature Today, we explore election reform and the price of insulin, and lawmakers in the House of Delegates have approved a bill that would reduce all personal income tax brackets by 10 percent.

In the Senate, bills that would result in major changes to the state’s unemployment benefits system passed after two hours of sometimes heated remarks. Liz McCormick shares some of the floor debate that took place Tuesday.

On Thursday, Democrats held a press conference calling for the super majority’s support of Democrat-proposed bills, including Paid Family Leave, a decrease in the food tax, and a cost-of-living adjustment for retired state employees.

Also, this week, West Virginia has the highest rate of deaths caused by diabetes. These deaths are preventable when diabetics have access to affordable, life-saving medication and devices. As June Leffler reports, lawmakers are considering legislation that would help reduce these costs.

Finally, Curtis Tate sat down earlier in the week with Sen. Robert Karnes, R-Randolph, and Sen. Richard Lindsay, D-Kanawha, for an in-depth discussion about voter rights and election-related bills.

Having trouble viewing the video? Click here to watch it on YouTube.

Next Friday, we’ll have more news and interviews from the 2022 West Virginia Legislative session. West Virginia Public Broadcasting is also covering the session daily in our radio news program West Virginia Morning and on our website.

WVPB also broadcasts the daily floor sessions of both the House and Senate on The West Virginia Channel and on YouTube.

The Legislature Today is simulcast on both television and radio every Friday night at 6 p.m.