On this episode of The Legislature Today, News Director Eric Douglas speaks with Sen. Joey Garcia, D-Marion, and Sen. Ryan Weld, R-Brooke, to talk about a bill that would remove the ability of cities and towns across the state to set their own rules. It’s called home rule.

On this episode of The Legislature Today, the state budget continues to work its way through the West Virginia Legislature. We recently heard from Sen. Jason Barrett, R-Berkeley, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, and Del. Clay Riley, a Harrison County Republican and vice chairman of the House Finance Committee. This time, News Director Eric Douglas sits down with Sean O’Leary, senior policy analyst at West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy, to discuss the state’s budget from an analyst’s perspective.

On this episode of The Legislature Today, the House of Delegates for more than two hours debated a bill that would require public schools to accept religious vaccine exemptions. But Senate Bill 460 was rejected, 56-42.

On this episode of The Legislature Today, WVPB reporters Jack Walker, Emily Rice and Curtis Tate discuss what legislation their following in this week’s reporter roundtable.

On this episode of The Legislature Today, a number of bills have moved through the West Virginia Legislature this year that make changes to the practice of medicine in the state. A bill to remove the certificate of need for hospitals failed, but bills allowing optometrists and pharmacists to expand their practice are still moving. Sen. Eric Tarr, R-Putnam, has argued against some of these bills so he joined News Director Eric Douglas in our studio to discuss why. 

On this episode of The Legislature Today, News Director Eric Douglas speaks with Sen. Jason Barrett, R-Berkeley, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, and Del. Clay Riley, R-Harrison, vice chairman of the House Finance Committee, to get their take on the budget process so far. 

On this episode of The Legislature Today, Jack Walker talks with Eastern Panhandle lawmakers Dels. Michael Hite, R-Berkeley, and Mike Hornby, R-Berkeley. They discuss lawmakers’ approach to regional issues like infrastructure constraints and a higher local cost of living.

On this episode of The Legislature Today, Curtis Tate speaks with Emmett Pepper of Energy Efficient West Virginia and Lucia Valentine of the West Virginia Environmental Council about energy and environment legislation they’re following, including Senate Bill 592, which would relax safeguards for aboveground storage tanks.

On this episode of The Legislature Today, WVPB reporters Briana Heaney and Curtis Tate are joined by Brad McElhinny of MetroNews for our weekly reporter roundtable.

On this episode of The Legislature Today, News Director Eric Douglas talks with Del. Cathie Hess Crouse, R-Putnam, and Senate Minority Leader Mike Woelfel, D-Cabell, about the issue of child care in the state and how it is a personal and economic development issue.

On this episode of The Legislature Today, News Director Eric Douglas talks with Jim Brown, the executive director of the West Virginia School Board Association. The group represents the school boards in all 55 counties in West Virginia. They discuss pending legislation that will affect school systems and students. 

On this episode of The Legislature Today, Assistant News Director Maria Young turned to the issue of legislation related to foster care and adoption as multiple bills wind their way through the two chambers. She spoke with Jaycie Bias, executive director with the West Virginia Foster, Adoptive & Kinship Parents Network, and Rachel Kinder with Mission West Virginia, a non-profit that advocates and focuses on those same areas. 

On this episode of The Legislature Today, Health Reporter Emily Rice talks with West Virginia’s new secretary of the Department of Human Services, Alex Mayer, to discuss the future of child welfare in a state with more than 6,000 children in its custody.

On this episode of The Legislature Today, WVPB reporters Curtis Tate and Emily Rice are joined by Lori Kersey from West Virginia Watch for our weekly reporter roundtable.

On this episode of The Legislature Today, legislation to outlaw opioid treatment programs that distribute methadone without offering integrated care in West Virginia, Senate Bill 204, is making its way through the West Virginia Legislature. Emily Rice brings us this story. Also, Assistant News Director Maria Young talks with Sens. Eric Tarr, R-Putnam, and Mike Woelfel, D-Cabell, about the bill.

On this episode of The Legislature Today, Curtis Tate talks with Vice Chair of the House Energy and Manufacturing Committee Del. George Street, R-Preston, and Minority Chair of the Energy and Public Works Committee Del. Evan Hansen, D-Monongalia, about energy issues in West Virginia. Among other topics, they discuss rising electricity prices, community solar and data centers.

On this episode of The Legislature Today, News Director Eric Douglas talks with Deak Kersey, the chief deputy secretary of state and the chief of staff for Secretary Kris Warner, about a series of bills working their way through the state legislature that pertain to elections. They touch on topics including removing ineligible voters from the rolls, clarifying eligibility requirements and prohibiting ranked choice voting.

On this episode of The Legislature Today, Curtis Tate talks with Minority Leaders Sen. Mike Woelfel, D-Cabell, and Del. Sean Hornbuckle, D-Cabell, to further discuss their priorities and how they see the session so far.

On this episode of The Legislature Today, Steven Allan Adams, veteran statehouse reporter for Ogden Newspapers, joins our WVPB reporters for our weekly roundtable.

On this episode of The Legislature Today, Curtis Tate caught up with two committee chairs: Del. Adam Burkhammer, R-Lewis, the chair of House Human Services, and Sen. Jason Barrett, R-Berkeley, the chair of Senate Finance. They spoke about the most pressing issues in their committees, including foster care and the state budget.

On this episode of The Legislature Today, News Director Eric Douglas sat down with two physicians – Sen. Tom Takubo, R-Kanawha, and Del. Matt Rohrbach, R-Cabell, to discuss the legislation aimed at providing exemptions to childhood immunizations.

On this episode of The Legislature Today, News Director Eric Douglas talks with the chairs of House and Senate Education, Sen. Amy Grady, R-Mason, and Del. Joe Ellington, R-Mercer. They discuss a wide range of topics including school discipline and ways the state can improve the ongoing teacher shortage.

On this episode of The Legislature Today, News Director Eric Douglas sits down with our host this week Curtis Tate to discuss a conversation he had with House Judiciary Chair Del. JB Akers, R-Kanawha, and Minority Chair of House Health Del. Mike Pushkin, D-Kanawha, about the vaccine exemption bill that passed the Senate and is now before the House Health and Human Resources Committee.

On this episode of The Legislature Today, in the Senate Friday, lawmakers approved a bill that would allow for broad vaccine exemptions. Also, in our weekly roundtable, reporters discuss the biggest news of the week.

On this episode of The Legislature Today, News Director Eric Douglas speaks with House Speaker Roger Hanshaw, R-Clay. They discuss a number of issues including education, flooding in southern West Virginia and the crisis in foster care in the state.

On this episode of The Legislature Today, Health Reporter Emily Rice speaks with Jim Kauffman, president and CEO of the West Virginia Hospital Association, and Jessica Dobrinsky, chief of staff and certificate of need policy expert at the Cardinal Institute for West Virginia Policy, about changes lawmakers are proposing to state code this session.

On this episode of The Legislature Today, News Director Eric Douglas speaks with West Virginia Senate President Randy Smith, R-Preston. Smith was elected to be the Senate President for the 87th legislature that started this year.

On this episode of The Legislature Today, News Director Eric Douglas speaks with Speaker Pro Tempore and Deputy Speaker of the House Del. Matthew Rohrbach, R-Cabell. They discuss plans for legislation, the new process of debating bills in the House and legislation implementing religious exemptions from vaccines. Rohrbach is also a doctor.

On this episode of The Legislature Today, we have a roundtable with our Energy & Environment Reporter Curtis Tate, Health Reporter Emily Rice and Statehouse Reporter Briana Heaney. They discuss the first days of the 2025 state legislative session and look ahead to the remaining weeks.

Gov. Patrick Morrisey delivered his first State of the State address to the West Virginia Legislature Wednesday night. Minority Leaders Sen. Mike Woelfel, D-Cabell, and Del. Sean Hornbuckle, D-Cabell, sat down with News Director Eric Douglas to discuss Morrisey’s State of the State address and about being a minority to a supermajority in the legislature.

On this episode of The Legislature Today, we have our final reporter roundtable of the 2024 state legislative session. WVPB statehouse reporters Randy Yohe and Briana Heaney talk with Leah Willingham from the Associated Press about the past 60 days and the upcoming final hours of the session on Saturday.

On this episode of The Legislature Today, our Senate reporter Briana Heaney talks with Senate Minority Leader Mike Woelfel, D-Cabell, and Sen. Mike Oliverio, R-Monongalia, to discuss where things stand and how that compares to what they planned to do at the beginning of the session.

On this episode of The Legislature Today, when the session began in January, our government reporter Randy Yohe was assigned to cover the House of Delegates and our southern West Virginia reporter Briana Heaney was assigned the Senate. With a budget bill still to be finalized, Yohe and Heaney offer some of their insights into bill proposals, passed and failed, that affect the lives, wallets and communities of West Virginia. 

On this episode of The Legislature Today, much of the debate Tuesday morning in the House of Delegates focused on satisfying a $465 million federal claw back regarding the state’s spending on education. When it came to the budget debate – some promised program funding not education related – fell by the wayside.

On this episode of The Legislature Today, we’ve begun the final week of the 60-day West Virginia Legislative session, and everything wraps up Saturday at midnight. Randy Yohe talks with Del. Mike Pushkin, D-Kanawha, to see how his caucus feels about the session and whether they met their priorities for this year. WVPB invited House Majority Whip Del. Marty Gearheart, R-Mercer, to join the conversation, but he was unable to participate.

On this episode of The Legislature Today, there is just one more week of the 2024 West Virginia Legislative session. These last days of the regular session are usually when state budget issues are debated and resolved. But a surprise notification from the federal government that the state return nearly half a billion dollars in COVID-19 funds has several major legislative funding issues on hold.

On this episode of The Legislature Today, we sit down a day early for our weekly reporter roundtable. Randy Yohe, Emily Rice and our newest reporter Jack Walker discuss some of the legislation that has moved so far this week.

On this episode of The Legislature Today, it was Crossover Day, meaning all bills must be passed out of their chamber of origin if they are to be considered this session. We also have a conversation about the possible future of artificial intelligence in West Virginia.

On this episode of The Legislature Today, there has been a lot of discussion this year about vaccines and whether they should be required in private schools, and there has been spirited debate on the topic in the last few days. Health Reporter Emily Rice spoke with Del. Chris Pritt, R-Kanawha, and Del. Joey Garcia, D-Marion, about this issue.

On this episode of The Legislature Today, West Virginia, like most of the country, is enjoying record setting low unemployment numbers after the coronavirus pandemic. Briana Heaney sat down with Josh Sword, president of West Virginia’s AFL-CIO, and Del. Clay Riley, R-Harrison, to discuss two bills that would reduce unemployment benefits in the state.

On this episode of The Legislature Today, we are in the final stages of the 2024 West Virginia Legislative session, and the pace is picking up with just two more weeks to go. Next Wednesday, Feb. 28, marks what is known as Crossover Day. That is the day all bills must be out of their chamber of origin if they are to be considered for passage this year.

On this episode of The Legislature Today, from staffing to security, West Virginia’s schools are facing a variety of issues. Bills introduced this year have ranged from associate degrees for vocational students to reducing barriers to teacher certification. Chris Schulz spoke with Senate Education Chair Sen. Amy Grady, R-Mason, about legislative action to address the state’s educational problems.

On this episode of The Legislature Today, there was contentious third reading debate in the House of Delegates over the much talked about bill to arm teachers as concealed carry protection officers.

On this episode of The Legislature Today, small and rural schools in West Virginia find it difficult to staff school resource officers and other security personnel, but a bill now making its way through the House of Delegates would allow teachers and other school staff to carry a firearm or other weapon on school grounds. Chris Schulz spoke with Del. Elliot Pritt, R-Fayette, and Del. Anitra Hamilton, D-Monongalia, for their perspective.

On this episode of The Legislature Today, the Legislative Auditor is a department under the West Virginia Legislature tasked with auditing offices under the executive branch. There is a bill making its way through the legislature that some say will “defang” the work done by the department while others say the bill strengthens it.

On this episode of The Legislature Today, we have our weekly reporter roundtable. Brad McElhinny from West Virginia MetroNews joins Randy Yohe and Curtis Tate in the studio to discuss what’s going on in the West Virginia Legislature and what they expect to see in the final weeks.

On this episode of The Legislature Today, the Senate unanimously passed Senate Bill 571, creating an Advanced Energy and Economic Corridor Authority for Corridor H. Curtis Tate spoke with Economic Development Secretary Mitch Carmichael about the importance of Corridor H to the state.

On this episode of The Legislature Today, leaders from both sides of the aisle have declared that childcare for the working men and women of West Virginia is a priority regarding economic and workforce development. So far, there has been plenty of talk but little legislative action. Randy Yohe spoke with Del. Joey Garcia, D-Marion, and Del. Evan Worrell, R-Cabell, to explore the issue.

On this episode of The Legislature Today, the “Women’s Bill of Rights,” or House Bill 5243, would put certain definitions of “man” and “woman” into code and determine who can use single-sex spaces like restrooms and locker rooms. Democrats call it an “anti-trans” bill. We talk with lawmakers and stakeholders to get perspective.

On this episode of The Legislature Today, bills about crime and punishment come before the West Virginia Legislature every year. Often, they adjust punishment or even establish a new section of the state’s criminal code. Randy Yohe spoke with Del. Shawn Fluharty, D-Ohio, and Sen. Mike Stuart, R-Kanawha, and a former U.S. attorney.

On this episode of The Legislature Today, we wrap up another week of the West Virginia Legislative session, and the pace is starting to pick up in both chambers. We also have a story from our student reporters and a history lookback as well.

On this episode of The Legislature Today, higher demand for coal and natural gas, as well as higher prices, produced a severance tax windfall for the state over the past few years. But prices have fallen, and with it, tax revenues. To get a better idea of where things stand, Curtis Tate spoke with Kelly Allen, executive director of the West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy.

On this episode of The Legislature Today, the House of Delegates passed a bill this week that would restrict how data from community air monitors can be used. The state’s industry and mining trade groups support House Bill 5018, while community and environmental groups oppose it. Curtis Tate spoke with Del. Evan Hansen, D-Monongalia, and Lucia Valentine from the West Virginia Environmental Council about the legislation.

On this episode of The Legislature Today, about 20,000 West Virginia children are homeschooled, with that numbers growing every day. Some officials in state education and the West Virginia Legislature help champion school choice. Others worry about the quality of the education and the safety of homeschooled children.  

On this episode of The Legislature Today, 90 bills to-date have been introduced this year between the Senate and the House about election laws. Briana Heaney spoke with Del. Josh Holstein, R-Boone, and Sen. Jack Woodrum, R-Summers, to get their perspective.

On this episode of The Legislature Today, we have our weekly reporter roundtable. Randy Yohe is joined by WVPB reporter Briana Heaney and Ogden Newspapers’ State Government Reporter Steven Allen Adams to recap the week’s action.

On this episode of The Legislature Today, Randy Yohe sits down with Del. Daniel Linville, R-Cabell, and Broadband Consultant Charlie Dennie to broadband connectivity for West Virginians.

On this episode of The Legislature Today, Briana Heaney talks with Sen. Mike Caputo, D-Marion, and Del. Anitra Hamilton, D-Monongalia, about legislation to make it illegal to discriminate against someone based on the texture and style of their hair.

On this episode of The Legislature Today, lawmakers have introduced bills this session that they say protect single-sex spaces. Advocates with LGBTQ rights organizations, though, say the legislation follows a pattern of singling out transgender people for discrimination.

On this episode of The Legislature Today, an ongoing discussion in the legislature is how to staff and fund fire and EMS services around the state. Randy Yohe has been following this issue and sat down with Chris Hall, the executive director of the West Virginia EMS Coalition, and Del. Clay Riley, R-Harrison, the vice chair of the House Fire and EMS Committee.

On this episode of The Legislature Today, lawmakers are mulling over countless tax proposals that would directly affect West Virginians and their wallets. Randy Yohe sat down with Kelly Allen, the executive director at the West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy, and House Speaker Roger Hanshaw, R-Clay, to discuss budgets and taxes.

On this episode of The Legislature Today, our guests discuss the current conversation over recreational marijuana in West Virginia. Also, lawmakers in the House of Delegates debated whether the first amendment protects your DNA, and a House committee spent the better part of two hours discussing a bill that would restrict bathroom use in schools based on sex, and another that would help arm teachers.

On this episode of The Legislature Today, new companies and new jobs are coming to West Virginia. And with those jobs comes the need for workforce development and new sources of energy. Curtis Tate spoke with Bill Bissett, the president of the West Virginia Manufacturers Association, and Dan Conant, founder and CEO of Solar Holler, about these issues.

On this episode of The Legislature Today, a bill to rename the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR) is on its way to the governor for a signature. Also, our guests have a discussion on food insecurity in West Virginia.

On this episode of The Legislature Today, dozens, if not hundreds, of bills have been introduced in the West Virginia Legislature this year that involve education. Randy Yohe spoke with Senate Education Chair Sen. Amy Grady, R-Mason, and teacher Del. Jeff Stephens, R-Marshall, about what some of those bills mean for public education in West Virginia.

On this episode of The Legislature Today, we have a retrospective show as we end the week.

On this episode of The Legislature Today, host Randy Yohe talks with forensic psychologist Dr. David Clayman and Senate Jails and Prison Committee Co-Chair Sen. Jason Barrett, R-Berkeley, to talk about the diversion of certain persons from the criminal justice system.

On this episode of The Legislature Today, Emily Rice sits down with Del. Amy Summers, R-Taylor, and Sen. Charles Trump, R-Morgan, to discuss why the Department of Health and Human Resources was broken up into three separate agencies and how it is going.

On this episode of The Legislature Today, News Director Eric Douglas sits down with Senate President Craig Blair, R-Berkeley, to discuss his goals for the 2024 West Virginia Legislative session.

On this episode of The Legislature Today, Randy Yohe talks with House Speaker Roger Hanshaw, R-Clay, about his hopes for this session. Also, Senate President Craig Blair, R-Berkeley, spoke from his seat on the Senate floor Monday to introduce a resolution calling on the state’s congressional delegation to reform the federal permitting process.

On this episode of The Legislature Today, we have a roundtable with WVPB reporters who recap the first days of the 2024 session and discuss what’s to come over the next eight weeks.

On this episode of The Legislature Today, the 2024 West Virginia Legislative session has kicked off. Chris Schulz brings us an overview of Gov. Jim Justice’s State of the State address, and Randy Yohe brings us the minority response. Yohe speaks with Minority Leader Del. Sean Hornbuckle, D-Cabell, and Sen. Mike Caputo, D-Marion.

On this episode of The Legislature Today, we conclude our daily coverage for the 2023 legislative session with one last reporter roundtable. Randy Yohe, Chris Schulz, Emily Rice and Curtis Tate are all on the set together to discuss bills that have passed and the bills that are left. 

On this episode of The Legislature Today, there was a united reaction from lawmakers to a bill passed yesterday that limits the number of treatment beds a county can have. Government reporter Randy Yohe has more.

On this episode of The Legislature Today, education reporter Chris Schulz sits down with House Education Committee Chairman Joe Ellington, R-Mercer. Just before the start of the session, the state had to come to grips with several reports showing concerning declines in math and reading scores. They discuss what has been done so far to improve student outcomes.

On this episode of The Legislature Today, Gov. Jim Justice signed House Bill 2526 into law today. The bill includes a 21.25 percent tax cut across all six income brackets, with the governor’s office calling it the largest tax cut in state history. Government reporter Randy Yohe has the story.

On this episode of The Legislature Today, we have officially begun the final week of the 2023 West Virginia Legislative session. WVPB’s News Director Eric Douglas talks with reporter Curtis Tate about bills he’s been following this legislative session, including the latest on a bill that would limit gender-affirming health care in West Virginia.

On this episode of The Legislature Today, we have our weekly reporter roundtable to recap the week and explore what’s still to come. WVPB’s Chris Schulz and Emily Rice sit down with Brad McElhinny of WV MetroNews.

On this episode of The Legislature Today, with West Virginia’s abortion ban clarified and solidified in state code by recent legislation, Appalachia Health News Reporter Emily Rice speaks with Sen. Patricia Rucker, R-Jefferson, and Del. Ric Griffith, D-Wayne, on women’s and maternal health in West Virginia.

On this episode of The Legislature Today, it was Crossover Day at the West Virginia Legislature, meaning it was the last day for a bill to be read a third time in its chamber of origin. Chris Schulz talks with Dels. Kayla Young, D-Kanawha, and Evan Hansen, D-Monongalia, about the day’s action.

On this episode of The Legislature Today, Chris Schulz speaks with Fred Albert, president of AFT-WV, and Del. Matthew Rohrbach, R-Cabell, the deputy speaker of the House, about proposed changes to PEIA.

On this episode of The Legislature Today, with West Virginia tourism growing as a four season, nationwide destination, there’s an abundance of legislation to enhance hiking and biking, with rail trails and rest stops along the way.

On this episode of The Legislature Today, we have another Friday reporter roundtable. WVPB reporters Chris Schulz and Randy Yohe are joined this week by Mountain State Spotlight’s Ian Karbal to discuss bills proposed to give more money to charter schools and study alternative school schedules to help districts without enough teachers. 

On this episode of The Legislature Today, heavy rainfall late last week prompted Gov. Jim Justice to declare a state of emergency for all 55 counties in West Virginia. Flooding is common in West Virginia and Assistant News Director Caroline MacGregor brings us this perspective on the problem.

Large budget surpluses, in recent years, have encouraged what to do with that money. One thought is to use a large portion of it for economic development projects — enticing companies to set up shop in West Virginia. Another school of thought is to invest that money in poverty programs and to bring the poorest West Virginians up. Reporter Chris Schulz spoke with Mitch Carmichael, the Secretary of the West Virginia Department of Economic Development, and Rev. Matthew Watts from the Tuesday Morning Group, about possibilities.

On this episode of The Legislature Today, between the Roads to Prosperity and the federal infrastructure law, there is a lot going on when it comes to roads and bridges. Curtis Tate speaks with Transportation Secretary Jimmy Wriston and Sen. Charles Clements, R-Wetzel, the chairman of the Senate Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, to discuss the state’s progress.

On this episode of The Legislature Today, Senate Bill 10 is expected to pass the House of Delegates on Tuesday and head to Gov. Jim Justice for a signature. The bill would allow people with concealed carry permits to carry guns on college and university campuses. West Virginia University and Marshall, among others in the state, have spoken out against it. At a public hearing last week, 38 of the 40 speakers spoke against the bill.

On this episode of The Legislature Today, we have our Friday reporter roundtable where we discuss the big news of the week. WVPB’s Randy Yohe and Chris Schulz are joined this week by veteran TV newsman from WCHS in Charleston, Bob Aaron.

On this episode of The Legislature Today, substance use disorder, sober living homes, homelessness, mental health treatment – the challenges facing West Virginia to help people regain sobriety continue to mount. Government Reporter Randy Yohe speaks with two delegates, Del. Mike Pushkin, D-Kanawha, and Del. Scot Heckert, R-Wood, to discuss what’s working and what needs changed.

On this episode of The Legislature Today, from the Hope Scholarship to charter schools, West Virginia’s educational landscape has changed in the last few years. Education Reporter Chris Schulz sat down with Del. Kathie Hess Crouse, R-Putnam, and Sen. Rollan Roberts, R-Raleigh, to discuss.

On this episode of The Legislature Today, West Virginia often gets poor grades for the health of its citizens. Recently, the American Lung Association rated the state as failing when it comes to several categories relating to smoking cessation. WVPB’s Appalachia Health News Reporter Emily Rice sat down with Del. Matthew Rohrbach, R-Cabell, who is a practicing physician.

On this episode of The Legislature Today, Government Reporter Randy Yohe talks with the House and Senate Judiciary Committee chairmen Sen. Charles Trump, R-Morgan, and Del. Moore Capito, R-Kanawha, to get a better understanding about the judicial redistricting process.

On this episode of The Legislature Today, we have another Friday reporter roundtable. This week, Chris Schulz and WVPB’s Energy and Environment Reporter Curtis Tate are joined by Leah Willingham from the Associated Press.

On this episode of The Legislature Today, energy costs have gone up for West Virginians in the past couple of years. Local governments in the state have been some of the most vocal opponents of utility rate increases. Energy & Environment Reporter Curtis Tate speaks with Emmett Pepper of the Charleston City Council and Kent Carper, president of the Kanawha County Commission, who say they’d like the West Virginia Legislature to get more involved in the effort.

On this episode of The Legislature Today, Appalachia Health News Reporter Emily Rice speaks with the chairs of the House and Senate Health committees – Sen. Mike Maroney, R-Marshall, and Del. Amy Summers, R-Taylor. Both lawmakers have been directly involved with legislation that would restructure the DHHR.

On this episode of The Legislature Today, the House of Delegates last week approved House Bill 2007. The bill would limit gender-affirming medical care for anyone under 18. During two committee hearings on the bill, lawmakers called no expert witnesses. Curtis Tate talks with Del. Danielle Walker, D-Monongalia, and Isabella Cortez, gender policy manager with Fairness West Virginia, to understand the potential impacts.

A debate over a motion to discharge - to move a bill from committee directly to the House floor - delayed the chambers' business for close to two hours due to debates over parliamentary rules and procedures.

House Bill 2205 clarifies the regulation of small nuclear reactors, but does not mandate construction or grid commitments.

Nuclear could come to the state as a result of the legislature’s repeal of a longtime nuclear power moratorium in 2022 and the passage of the Advance Act in Congress last year.

Senate Bill 705 aims to give the Legislature oversight and decision-making authority over the State Board of Education .  ...

The state Senate passed Senate Bill 249 which would expand training and employment requirements to qualify for the Supple...

Under current code, the Department of Human Services is required to reunite siblings if circumstances allow it, but the bill now makes reunification permissive.

EQT chief Toby Rice took part in a presentation by natural gas industry leaders at the state Capitol Wednesday, briefly joined by Gov. Patrick Morrisey.

State research predicts more than 21,000 tourism and hospitality job opportunities will open up annually over the next five years. Stakeholders in this flourishing field include everyone from  stud...

The bill removes the voting rights of board members elected by the faculty, staff and students at all universities and recategorizes those members as “nonvoting, advisory” members.

Monday Gov. Patrick Morrisey signed House Bill 2354, which bans certain food additives from schools in the state starting in August of t...

The bill would change how power plants operate in the state, and Mon Power opposes it. The company said it encouraged Rose to keep his legislative role separate from his job.

The West Virginia House of Delegates has rejected Senate Bill 460, which would have required public schools to accept unv...

Senate Bill 579 would prohibit municipalities from establishing ordinances to protect groups of people that aren’t already protected in state statute. Protected classes in state code include race, religion and national origin but not sexual orientation.

Lawmakers considered multiple changes to the vaccine bill on Friday, one that profoundly changed the legislation.

The results of an April 29 vote on a local camping ordinance in Morgantown could be superseded by a statewide camping ban making its way through the state legislature.

The bill, which would expand the number of microgrids to power data centers in the state, also includes provisions affecting the operation of Mon Power and Appalachian Power’s coal plants.

West Virginia voters are already required to show some form of identification at the polls to prove their voting eligibility. House Bill 3016 would require that to be a state-issued photo ID — namely, a driver’s license, passport or a resident identification card.

West Virginia University could be required to create a new center for “disseminating knowledge about classical western history” if a piece of legislation finds traction in the West Virginia Senate.

House Bill 3164 would require West Virginians convicted of sex offenses to pay state police $250 per year to fund upkeep for the state's sex offender registry.

If approved by the West Virginia Public Service Commission, the company’s proposal would raise the average customer’s bill by $23.74 a month.

It can be hard for rural West Virginians to access resources for health, education and professional development. For Deaf residents, those challenges hit even harder, because existing support may not be inclusive.

Members of the West Virginia House of Delegates are taking steps to address “unethical telemarketing practices,” but have not found consensus over the best approach to the issue.

A House bill that would permit motorcyclists to stand upright in their vehicles passed the chamber Wednesday after an amendment to the bill was shot down the day prior.

Sen. Chris Rose, a Monongalia County Republican, will ask Senate President Randy Smith to recuse himself from Senate Bill 505. The Energy committee approved this bill last week, and Rose is one of its co-sponsors.

Legislative education committees debated bills to address unique regional issues affecting schools across the state.

The West Virginia House of Delegates voted down a bill amendment Tuesday that would have made helmets optional for motorcyclists over age 21.

Monday, the Senate sent two bills nearing completion to their Rules committee, took action on bills related to student safety and heard comments on WVU men's basketball's exclusion from the NCAA tournament.

Several bills being considered by the legislature this year have reignited a long-running debate about who has ultimate control over the state’s schools. 

Members of the West Virginia House of Delegates chose to uphold a state policy that prohibits corporations from contributing funds to political campaigns.

Lawmakers debated requiring judicial candidates in West Virginia to provide their political affiliations on ballots. The legislature removed party affiliation from those same ballots in 2015.

State lawmakers have moved to standardize the state’s process for deciding whether to place residents in mental health institutions by creating a new role to oversee the process.

The House of Delegates passed a Statewide Camping Ban bill. The bill is targeted at homeless encampments throughout the state.  ...

Senate Bill 196, now called Lauren’s Law, increases the penalties for drug trafficking in West Virginia to keep manufacturers from trying to distribute their supply in the state.

The House of Delegates Public Education Subcommittee started the week looking at two ways to help students focus and behave, as well as bills to change accountability for state school entities. 

The Senate passed a bill that would broadly expand the practice of optometry in the state. However, there were disagreements about how much those practices could be expanded.  Proponents of the bill sa...

The Senate had a lively day to start the week, passing 10 bills on issues ranging from optometry to carbon sequestration. Two of those bills deal with the wellbeing of students in the state’s public schools.

Barks spill out of a stone, blue-roofed building on the outskirts of Martinsburg. The sound lingers in its hilltop parking lot for a moment, then gets muffled by cars roaring along the state highway down below. ...

Members of the West Virginia Senate Judiciary Committee have moved two pieces of legislation approaching controversial topics — the death penalty and a repeal of diversity, equity and inclusion programs — one step closer to becoming law.

A bill dubbed the Riley Gaines Act, which puts in state code that men and women will be defined based on the criteria for biological sex, has cleared both chambers. 

Lawmakers are working to solve the child care crisis with three bills to improve staff and accessibility for West Virginia families.

A bill advancing through the West Virginia Senate would reverse a 2015 state law that made judicial elections in the state a nonpartisan process.

Ranked choice voting isn’t practiced in West Virginia elections. But Senate Bill 490 clarifies no state or local elections can adopt the process, which allows voters to rank their candidate preferences instead of picking just one.

Legislation to outlaw opioid treatment programs that distribute methadone without offering integrated care in West Virginia is making its way through the legislature.

Lawmakers in both chambers of the West Virginia Legislature advanced bills Thursday that center around LGBTQ identity in a variety of settings, from the classroom to health facilities to gender-specific emergency shelters.

A bill that would ban foods that contain certain ingredients cleared the Senate this week, and is very close to completing legislation. ...

Education committees on both sides of the Capitol have focused on bills that failed to pass the previous year to start this year’s session.

The House Judiciary Committee considered a statewide camping ban bill. The bill is targeted at homeless encampments throughout the state.  Since a ...

Updated on Tuesday, March. 4, 2025 at 2:53 p.m. A bill to address disciplinary issues in West Virginia schools passed the House of Delegates Monday.  ...

The first of a flurry of bills addressing gender and biological sex has passed the upper chamber. Senate Bill 456 defines...

Democrats in the West Virginia House of Delegates are advocating for reforms to the state's cannabis policies.

Gov. Patrick Morrisey addressed two legislative priorities at a press briefing Friday. He said he maintains hope that both goals will come to fruition this year.

The House of Delegates passed a bill that would ban food that contained butylated hydroxyanisole, propylparaben, FD&C Blue No. 1, FD&C Blue No. 2, FD&C Green No. 3, FD&C Red No. 3, FD&C Red No. 40, FD&C Yellow No. 5, and FD&C Y...

Thursday afternoon, Senators heard testimony on legislation to ban certain food additives from school nutritional programs.

On Monday night, lawmakers held a hearing on controversial legislation that would change West Virginia’s school-entry vaccination requirements to allow for religious and philosophical exemptions.

Members of the West Virginia Legislature moved to raise training standards for board members during last year’s legislative session, and are revisiting the topic at the State Capitol this year.

Advocates for survivors of sexual violence in West Virginia say current state extortion laws do not address forms of sexual extortion explicitly enough. But a bill passing through the West Virginia Leg...

The West Virginia Developmental Disabilities Council says strengthening jobs and funding for behavioral health centers and state health programs would help folks with disabilities live independently and find jobs.

Nearly every day since the West Virginia legislative session began, each of the chamber's finance committees has been hosting hearings from different agencies, organizations, and branches of government. Wednesday the House Finance committee held a hearing...

Members of the West Virginia House of Delegates are considering modifications to the election process, with a particular focus on absentee and mail-in ballots.

School discipline has been a key legislative issue for several years. As part of the new committee hearing process, the House Education committee spent two days discussing ...

One of the most debated and discussed bills of the 2025 legislative session failed to pass its committee by one vote Monday afternoon. ...

Some advocates say reinstating a priority status for West Virginia's state use program would help people with disabilities find jobs and expand the state's workforce.

The House Judiciary committee met Monday morning to discuss a bill that targets trangender West Virginians.  Members of the House Judiciary advanced a bill from Gov. Patrick Morrisey’s office tha...

Democratic members of the West Virginia House of Delegates gathered at the State Capitol Monday afternoon to discuss this year’s legislative session so far, and their priorities for the weeks ahead.

House Bill 2441 would temporarily block unemployment benefits for residents who are fired for failing a drug test.

Beekeepers from across West Virginia visited the State Capitol Thursday to urge lawmakers to protect beekeeping rights in the Mountain State.

The West Virginia Senate passed a bill Friday that would allow for broad exemptions to vaccination requirements for children. Last year, the West Virginia Legislature passed ...

For months, policies for filling vacant seats in the West Virginia Legislature have been a point of partisan contention. Now, the West Virginia Senate has moved to modify the protocol in place.

Discussion on Senate Bill 154 took up most of the 30 minute Senate Education committee meeting Thursday. The bill would prohibit public schools from requiring students to participate in sexual orientation instruction, among other requirements.

After a months-long tug-of-war over a House seat, Berkeley County residents say they want to focus on local issues, no matter who represents them in the West Virginia Legislature.

Gender dysphoria is a feeling of distress that can happen when a person's gender identity differs from the sex assigned at birth. Some, but not all, transgender people have gender dysphoria at some point in their lives.  ...

In the Senate's debate over whether to amend the vaccine exemptions bill, senators talked about polio, live aborted fetus...

A legislative committee heard sobering testimony about West Virginia’s workforce participation rate on Monday afternoon.

House lawmakers voted to oppose Maryland efforts to reclassify parts of the Potomac River to protect cold water aquatic life from climate change.

Much attention has been paid to the state’s teacher shortage, but schools have struggled to staff other positions in recent years as well. Some of the first bills discussed in the Senate Education committee this year are trying to address those ongoing issue.

West Virginia EMS Coalition President Trish Watson says funding issues continue to threaten the state's EMS providers, especially in rural areas.

LGBTQ advocacy groups tabled at the State Capitol rotunda on Monday as part of an annual event known as “Fairness For All Day.”

The House of Delegates has changed its committee process to promote more deliberation on bills, but critics are concerned the changes limit public input in the process.

The 2024 West Virginia legislative sessions may be an indication of what's to come in 2025: contentious debate, bills that unexpectedly die in committee, and others signed into law.

In lawmakers’ first vaccination discussion of the 2025 legislative session, testimonies and questioning took the committee’s time before they could take action.

Some West Virginia corrections officials called for more virtual trials during a House subcommittee meeting Thursday morning.

From the gold-domed State Capitol, in a House chamber packed with lawmakers, justices and department leaders, Gov. Patrick Morrisey delivered his first State of the State address to the West Virginia Legislature Wednesday night.  ...

The legislative session has started, and as constitutionally required, lawmakers approved rules for each chamber.  However, some of those rules sparked vigorous debate in the House of Delegates.&nb...

Gov. Patrick Morrisey will address state lawmakers Wednesday evening to kick off this year's legislative session.

Gov. Patrick Morrisey delivers his first State of the State address for the 2025 West Virginia Legislative session.

The House of Delegates has introduced new rules that change how the chamber processes the thousands of bills that are introduced each year. Just a few days before the legislature comes back into session...

Members of the legislature and state government met with state media to discuss priorities for the upcoming legislative session on Friday. The event, called the “Legislative Lookahead,” sponsored by the West Virginia Press Association, was held at the...

The West Virginia Democratic Party filed a petition in the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia Monday, seeking the court’s intervention in the appointment of a new lawmaker to the West Virginia House of Delegates.

Gov. Patrick Morrisey has named Ian Masters to represent Berkeley County in the House, in a seat won by Joseph de Soto but vacated by lawmakers this month.

As the deadline for Gov. Jim Justice to sign bills into law approaches, there are still numerous bills on the table awaiting his consideration.

Nearly 130 years since the first three women were elected to state legislative offices in the U.S., women remain massively underrepresented in state legislatures. In 10 states, women make up less than 25 percent of their state legislatures, according to Rutgers’ Center for American Women in Politics. West Virginia is at the very bottom of that list, having just 16 women in its 134-member Legislature, or just under 12 percent.

West Virginia's Republican-dominated state Legislature on Saturday concluded a 60-day session marked by budget disputes and controversial social issue bills that advanced but ultimately didn't go anywhere.

Saturday, March 9 marks the 60th and final day of the 2024 West Virginia Legislative regular session. Once the gavel falls at midnight, lawmakers will no longer be able to consider bills introduced during the past 60 days. The only exception is the budget bill. Check back to our live blog throughout the night for the latest updates from the West Virginia Legislature. 

The bill barely slipped through the GOP supermajority House, with dozens of Republicans joining the Democrats to vote against the bill.  It would have been the first bill to be rejected by the Senate this session after it was voted down 16-15. But after it was initially rejected the Senate took a recess.

The House of Delegates started Friday, Day 59 of the 60 day legislative session, with more than 60 bills on third reading. Many of the lighting rod bills were moved to the bottom of the agenda. Bills passed and sent to the governor include posting our national motto in schools, lowering prescription costs, addressing substandard recovery residences and who should help develop Corridor H.

Spouses can now be charged with marital sexual abuse against their partners after a bill to close the loophole in the law passed both chambers Friday.