Tag: 2016 Legislature

Greenbrier Owner to State: Remove Sponsorship of Tournament

In disgust over the West Virginia Legislature’s delays to implement a budget, Democratic nominee for governor Jim Justice has asked the state to remove its $1.75 million sponsorship of the PGA Tour’s Greenbrier Classic.

The billionaire owner of The Greenbrier resort made the comments Monday in a statement released by his campaign.

A $270 million gap remains in the state budget for the fiscal year starting July 1. Lawmakers began meeting in special session Monday. Justice’s opponent in November is Republican Senate President Bill Cole.

Justice says he doesn’t want the state’s support for the tournament “to be used as a political football.”

Justice also said this year’s tournament in July would be free and open to the public, although concerts normally held during the tournament won’t occur this year.

West Virginia Lawmakers Resume Work on Long-Delayed Budget

West Virginia lawmakers have returned to negotiate a long-delayed 2017 budget hampered by the coal industry’s downfall and low natural gas prices.

The Republican-led Legislature reconvened Monday, per Democratic Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin’s call.

Tomblin has proposed options of tax increases on sales, tobacco, e-cigarettes and cellphone and landline use.

Tomblin suggested using $29 million from the Rainy Day Fund and millions from other funds to backfill the 2016 budget. He requested authority to furlough state employees in fiscal emergencies.

The 2017 fiscal year starts July 1. A $270 million budget gap remains.

The Senate previously passed tobacco and sales tax hikes. The House didn’t. The cellphone and landline tax went unconsidered.

The sales tax increase could be at most 1 percent.

House Speaker Tim Armstead says it’s disappointing Tomblin placed the burden on taxpayers.

West Virginia Repeal of State Prevailing Wage Takes Effect

West Virginia has eliminated its prevailing wage for new public construction projects.

The repeal passed this winter by the Republican-led Legislature took effect Thursday. Lawmakers overrode a veto by Democratic Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin, which required a simple majority of the Legislature.

Republicans believe the wage is inflated and said repealing it will save taxpayer money. Democrats said the repeal won’t produce savings, but will reduce pay and benefit out-of-state contractors.

Unions starkly opposed the repeal, though the wage applies to union and non-union contracts.

The repeal applies to new public construction contracts from Thursday onward. Existing contracts aren’t affected.

A 2015 law eliminated the prevailing wage for projects costing $500,000 or less and let Tomblin’s administration change how the wage was calculated. GOP leaders weren’t happy with the recalculation.

Tomblin Faces Deadline to Sign, Veto Bills

Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin is hitting a deadline to sign or veto bills from this year's legislative session.Friday is the last day that Tomblin can act on the…

Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin is hitting a deadline to sign or veto bills from this year’s legislative session.

Friday is the last day that Tomblin can act on the few bills still in limbo after this year’s 60-day legislative session.

One bill would both require voters to show ID at the polls, with some exceptions, and would automatically register people to vote when they get driver’s licenses or IDs.

Another would let lottery winners stay anonymous.

An education measure would give let schools be in session for the equivalent of 180 days, instead of 180 separate days.

A standardized test aligned with the Common Core standards would be nixed in another pending bill.

The governor can sign bills into law, veto them or let them become law without his signature.

Tomblin Signs Bill Giving Nurse Practitioners More Freedom to Practice

Governor Earl Ray Tomblin signed a bill this week giving the more than 1,700 nurse practitioners in West Virginia the ability to diagnose and treat patients without physician oversight.

Nurse practitioners in West Virginia are required to work under the guidance of a physician. But in the past, advanced practice nurses couldn’t always find physicians to sign off on their work, sometimes leaving patients without care.  House Bill 4334 attempts to address that problem.

Advocates of the recently passed bill said physician oversight limited the ability of nurse practitioners – who are nurses with master’s level or doctorate training – to practice to the full scope of their ability.

The hope is that the bill will also help expand access to care in rural areas and alleviate West Virginia’s provider shortage.

Nurse practitioners will still need a physician signature when prescribing opioids and other heavy duty narcotics.

The bill takes effect in June with the requirement of a legislative review of the system in two years.

Appalachia Health News is a project of West Virginia Public Broadcasting, with support from the Benedum Foundation.

State Won't Penalize Lawmaker Who Gave Out Raw Milk

West Virginia health officials won’t penalize a state lawmaker who illegally handed out raw milk at the Capitol.

A letter from the Bureau for Public Health last week says Del. Scott Cadle clearly violated state law by offering raw milk to the public on March 3. But the bureau recognized it was a first-time offense.

The letter says one other House delegate and several others became sick around the time they drank the raw milk. There also had been a stomach illness circulating at the Capitol. An investigation into whether people got sick because of raw milk continues.

Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin recently signed a bill letting people share milk-producing animals and drink raw milk. Selling and distributing raw milk will remain prohibited, still punishable by $50 to $500 in fines.

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