House Advances Dozens Of Bills On Crossover Day 

In a marathon floor session Wednesday, the House of Delegates moved more than 50 bills to the Senate on Crossover Day, the last day to consider bills in their chamber of origin. Topics ranged from school funding to taxation of coal and economic development. 

State leaders pledged to pursue an agenda of economic development at this year’s legislative session. House Bill 4001 is a major part of that agenda that seeks to restructure how the state manages its economic development. 

The bill creates TEAM-WV, a not-for-profit corporation formed by the governor to promote economic development, job creation, job retention, job training, and the recruitment of business to this state. 

The bill also triggers a full review of the state’s existing economic development apparatus including the Department of Commerce, the Division of Economic Development, and the West Virginia Economic Development Authority. The secretary of Commerce is directed to identify inefficiencies and recommend consolidation of the entities’ functions and duties by Sept. 15. 

The bill’s lead sponsor, Del. Clay Riley, R-Harrison, said the state’s economic development efforts need to be unconstrained by bureaucratic limitations and political cycles to compete with neighboring states. 

“For decades, our state has relied primarily on a traditional state agency of economic development model housed within government and constrained by limitations and political cycles, a one size fits all approach,” he said 

But Del. Bill Ridenour, R-Jefferson, urged caution. 

“I think we need to potentially look at some changes to this,” he said. “I think we need more oversight into what is going on with economic development and our current economic development entity, as well as with this.” 

The bill passed on a vote of 87 yeas to 8 nays, with four absent and now goes to the Senate for consideration. 

Other notable bills that made the crossover cut include House Bill 5453 which will modify the school aid funding formula to provide block grants of $6,100 per enrolled student to county school districts starting in 2029. Public charter schools will have their per pupil funding increased to $8600 that year to offset their smaller enrollment. All school districts in the state will also receive additional funding through a fund known as the “Supplemental School Aid Fund” for the education of special needs students. 

House Bill 5685 authorizes bonds of no more than $150 million for improvements to the West Virginia Culture Center, which Ridenour categorized as being in dire need of repair and well outside of state building code.