Special Session Story Archives - Page 2 of 10 - West Virginia Public Broadcasting

Special Session, County Fairs And KY Small Businesses, This West Virginia Morning

On this West Virginia Morning, the West Virginia Legislature returned for its special session after introducing 44 bills in each chamber on Sunday. Several bills were sent to the Finance and Judiciary committees for further consideration. Briana Heaney has more.

On this West Virginia Morning, the West Virginia Legislature returned for its special session after introducing 44 bills in each chamber on Sunday. Several bills were sent to the Finance and Judiciary committees for further consideration. Briana Heaney has more.

Also, in this show, much needed federal dollars could be headed towards small businesses across rural Eastern Kentucky soon through a new technical assistance grant. Shepherd Snyder has more.

And county fairs bring out the cooks and the crafters hoping to take home the coveted blue ribbon. Few have been as successful as Linda Skeens from Russell County, Virginia. She’s won hundreds, which has made her a social media sensation and a cookbook author. Inside Appalachia Bill Lynch spoke with her about county fair contests and collecting recipes.

West Virginia Morning is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting which is solely responsible for its content.

Support for our news bureaus comes from Concord University and Shepherd University.

Eric Douglas is our news director and produced this episode.

Chuck Anziulewicz is our host.

Listen to West Virginia Morning weekdays at 7:43 a.m. on WVPB Radio or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. #WVMorning

House And Senate Make Quick Work Of Special Session Bills

The West Virginia Legislature returned to its special session Monday after introducing 44 bills in each chamber on Sunday. Both bodies sent a number of bills to their respective Finance and Judiciary committees for further consideration.

The House Finance Committee rejected an amendment to House Bill 122 from Del. Joe Statler, R-Monongalia, to include $6 million for the state’s Emergency Management Services coalition. He was told the governor’s call for $12 million was for fire departments only, and his amendment was not germane. Statler disagreed.

“How is it not germane when it’s an emergency services fund that we’re putting it in?” he said. “And EMS gets money out of the emergency services? Normally throughout the whole section, not this particular section, but to code and law.”

HB 122 was sent to the House floor.

House Bill 130 appropriates $2 million to the state Office of Technology for upgrades. Heather Abbott, information officer for the department, told the committee the upgrade highlights cybersecurity including hacker disaster recovery.

“The ability to make sure that if a hacker does get in, that all of our data is secure and we can get it back up and running as quickly as possible, is part of cybersecurity but not something that people think about because it’s not quite as flashy and shiny,” she said.

HB 130 was sent to the House floor.

The Senate Judiciary Committee took up several bills relating to the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Senate Bill 1006 allows jails to provide inmates a state-issued identification upon release if the inmate’s own ID has expired or is set to expire within 30 days of release.

Sen. David Stover, R-Wyoming, noted that he had seen the problems arise when a recently released inmate didn’t have an ID.

“I spent 16 years as the circuit clerk in Wyoming County and I can recall at least eight or 10 instances when someone would be getting out, had a job opportunity waiting on them and didn’t have an ID,” he said. “We would scramble every way we could to help them get one. Sometimes we failed, and they simply didn’t get that job.”

Senate Bill 1007 and Senate Bill 1008 looked at the costs cities have to pay for incarceration and the conditions of pre-trial release respectively. All three bills were reported to the full Senate with the recommendation that they do pass.

The Senate Finance Committee looked at a number of bills as well including Senate Bill 1005 that includes pay raises for Division of Correction and Rehabilitation employees. Currently, the agency has 700 vacancies in corrections employees.

The West Virginia National Guard is currently filling in nearly 400 slots. The proposed pay raises would actually cost the less than filling the slots with the guard soldiers according to Corrections Commissioner Billy Marshall.

The full Senate suspended rules and passed all but seven of the pending bills still before the body. Each of those passed bills must still be approved by the House of Delegates and both chambers must agree to any changes.

The House of Delegates returned to work at 6:30 p.m. Monday evening.

Legislature Begins Special Session And Making Crimes Stick, This West Virginia Morning

On this West Virginia Morning, Gov. Jim Justice called the legislature into special session Sunday afternoon, and News Director Eric Douglas speaks with WVU researchers about their work to analyze duct tape and make it even stronger evidence in court.

On this West Virginia Morning, Gov. Jim Justice called the legislature into special session Sunday afternoon to address the state’s corrections employment crisis, to help fund first responders and to clarify the vehicle tax rebate. Those are just 3 of 44 items on the governor’s call and Randy Yohe has our story.

News Director Eric Douglas spoke with Tatiana Trejos, an associate professor at the WVU Department of Forensic and investigative sciences to find out more about their work to analyze duct tape and make it even stronger evidence in court.

Also, Curtis Tate has the story of a transgender student in Harrison County that can continue to participate on her school’s track team after a federal court ruling, and Randy Yohe reports on a West Virginia communications workers union has agreed not to strike and continue contract negotiations.

West Virginia Morning is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting, which is solely responsible for its content.

Support for our news bureaus comes from Concord University and Shepherd University.

Listen to West Virginia Morning weekdays at 7:43 a.m. on WVPB Radio or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. #WVMorning

Governor Considers Special Session Request

Gov. Jim Justice has addressed a request from the House of Delegates Democratic Caucus to call a special session of the legislature next month.

Last week, the House of Delegates Democratic Caucus delivered a letter to Gov. Jim Justice urging him to call a Special Legislative Session during the upcoming interim meetings Aug. 6 – Aug. 8.

In the letter the caucus suggests the session focus on the state’s corrections and foster care employment shortfalls as well as what they call a higher education funding crisis.

During an administrative briefing Wednesday afternoon, Justice gave his position on the three issues, saying he supports doing any and everything to improve foster care. He also said the state needs to help out its universities, but the economics of the situation need to be better understood.

“The shortfall in regard to corrections, I’ve sent it up twice,” Justice said. “Really, and truly, this should have been done a long, long, long time ago. So don’t anybody now ask me from the legislature side, as to ‘We really want you to send us and send this off” and everything. For God’s sakes, alive! It should have already been done.”

The governor did not rule out the possibility of calling a special session and says he will evaluate it more seriously when his chief of staff is back in Charleston.

In response to a question, Justice said that the August interim session would be the right time to call a special session.

“The August interim is the time that we should do this. We ought to do it right now,” he said. “That’s just all there is to it.”

Democrats Renew Call For Gas Tax Holiday

West Virginia Democrats responded to Justice’s statement from Monday that he’s considering a one-month gas tax holiday. He said he was also considering calling a special session next week.

Democrats are urging Gov. Jim Justice to expedite a gas tax holiday.

West Virginia Democrats responded to Justice’s statement from Monday that he’s considering a one-month gas tax holiday. He said he was also considering calling a special session next week.

Justice said the gas tax suspension could help West Virginia families with summer travel.

“They are thinking about going on vacations and things like that,” Justice said. “If there’s a way to help a little bit and take a one-month holiday, I don’t think it would be detrimental to us.”

Justice had expressed concerns that funding a gas tax holiday would cut into state road bond funding. He said on Monday that federal dollars and a $300 million state surplus may allow the gas tax pause.

Senate Minority Leader Stephen Baldwin, D-Greenbrier, said that Democrats proposed the gas tax holiday back in April.

He and other Democrats pointed out the gas struggles of low income West Virginians. They noted that some neighboring states like Maryland have implemented a gas tax holiday.

Baldwin and other Democrats repeated state tourism concerns. They believe with high gas prices, many might not drive to state parks or take part in gas-consuming adventures on the Hatfield-McCoy ATV trail.

“Tourism is big in the state right now, and we want to keep it that way,” Baldwin said. “If gas prices are higher here, that’s going to impact that. If gas prices are lower here than in surrounding states, then more people are going to be more likely to come to West Virginia.”

Democrats said another option would be a rebate for registered motorists and motor? carriers. It’s estimated that 600,000 West Virginia drivers getting a $50 rebate would cost the state $30 million per month. A $100 rebate would cost $60 million a month.

The Democrats preferred plan is starting with a one-month gas tax holiday, and leaving options open to extend it month by month.

According to AAA, a gallon of regular gas averaged $4.73 in West Virginia on Tuesday, up from $2.99 a year ago.

All Senate and House Democrats back the gas tax holiday. No word from any Republicans, except Justice.

Senate President Craig Blair, R-Berkeley, and House Speaker Roger Hanshaw, R-Clay, stand by their joint March statement on the issue.

They said then they support tax reductions, but a multitude of legal and finincial reasons exist to not suspend the gas tax.

They said a 30 day suspension of the 35.7 cent a gallon tax offered no guarantee retailers would lower prices by the same amount. And, they said a gas tax cut could put bond funding for the Roads to Prosperity projects at risk.

Justice hinted he would have details on a possible gas tax holiday and special session in his COVID-19 briefing scheduled for Wednesday

W.Va. Special Session Will Extend At Least One Day

Day one of the legislative special session saw some bills passed, others still under consideration

Day one of the legislative special session saw some bills passed, others still under consideration.

Gov. Jim Justice added one more last minute item to his special session call on 16 various issues. House Bill 217 allocates $250 million from the Coronavirus Recovery Fund to be used by local governments, state agencies and nonprofits for infrastructure upgrades. This completed legislation is effective from passage.

Other completed legislation includes:

– House Bill 210, allowing hunting with an air rifle during small and big game hunting season

– House Bill 214, removing some prescriptive limitations on physicians assistants and registered nurses

– House Bill 215, establishing a military expenditure fund that expands eligibility of an active-duty service member’s child or spouse for certain benefits.

– Senate Bill 205, authorizes the Commissioner of WorkForce West Virginia to create an Unemployment Compensation Insurance Fraud Unit. The bill establishes duties, training and experience requirements, and authorities needed for investigations.

Still under consideration is a bill that establishes an economic development fund to provide more than half a billion dollars for development and transportation projects.