Associated Press Published

Raft of New Laws to Take Effect Friday

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West Virginia will make life easier for craft brewers, many chemical tank owners and people who want to teach without a formal education background under laws taking effect this week.

Many bills that passed on the final night of the legislative session in March were to take effect 60 days later, making Friday, June 11, the trigger date for 47 laws.

One new law lets programs such as Teach for America enter the neediest parts of West Virginia. Another peels back some regulations against leaky chemical tanks that were passed after a January 2014 spill, which contaminated 300,000 people’s drinking water.

Another high-profile law lowers fees and makes other changes to help craft brewers.

Lawmakers passed 262 bills last session to become law, though 18 were vetoed by Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin.