West Virginia Legislature Story Archives - Page 114 of 126

Changes to West Virginia Prevailing Wage Take Effect Monday

A law changing West Virginia’s prevailing wage for construction projects is taking effect.

The law that rolls back parts of the state prevailing wage became effective Monday.

With the changes, the prevailing wage no longer applies to projects using $500,000 or less in public money.

Other requirements in the law aren’t as immediate.

The law removes the wage’s calculation from the state Division of Labor. Workforce West Virginia and West Virginia University and Marshall University economists will help calculate it.

There won’t be a prevailing wage if it’s not calculated by July, or Sept. 30, if the deadline is extended.

Lawmakers can approve the methodology.

Monongalia County Ballpark Opens to Sell-Out Crowd

Baseball is finally being played at the Monongalia County Ballpark.

Three years in the making, the new stadium opened Friday, April 10. A capacity crowd of more than 2,500 people watched the West Virginia Mountaineers beat the Butler Bulldogs, 6-5, in 13 innings.

WVU football team walk-on and Parkersburg High School alum D.J. Carozza came out to support his fellow Mountaineers.

“It’s an awesome view to start, that’s for sure,” he said.

Fans file into the new Monongalia County Ballpark for opening day on Friday, April 10, in Granville.

The stands offer a sweeping vista of the Monongahela River Valley and the Morgantown area below.

“I’d say it’s got to be up there with some of the best facilities not only in the Big 12, but in the whole country,” Carozza said.

The $25 million ballpark is the result of a tax increment financing project approved by the state Legislature.

Senator Bob Beach was among the guests on the diamond for the opening ceremony. He said the ballpark’s opening was the highlight of his fifteen years in the Legislature.

“I’ve worked on a lot of good pieces of legislation, but this is one that really stands out — the community’s going to always see and always being able to participate if they wish. And it’s just a wonderful, truly a wonderful experience,” he said.

A new Interstate 79 interchange, between the Star City and Westover exits outside Morgantown, is being built as part of the project. The interchange will allow 800 acres of land on the western side of the interstate to be developed.

Besides being home field for the WVU baseball team, the stadium is also home to a newly formed minor-league team, the West Virginia Black Bears. Their season begins June 19.

Gov. Tomblin Vetoes 10 Bills, from Home-Schooling to Raw Milk

Saying no to raw milk is just one of a wave of recent vetoes made by Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin.

The Democrat nixed 10 bills Wednesday, including the proposal that would have let people drink raw milk through herd-sharing agreements.

Another vetoed bill would have let home-schooled students get PROMISE scholarships without a general equivalency degree.

Some vetoes were based on technical errors, including an anti-human trafficking bill.

Another bill would have loosened reporting of instruction plans for home-schooled students, among other requirements.

He disapproved of allowing four fewer in-school instructional days annually. A push to offer four days of early childhood education, instead of the current five, was nixed.

Tomblin also declined to let the state’s schools for the deaf and blind be eligible for School Building Authority money.

Tomblin Approves Two Minor Education Bills

Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin signed two education bills Thursday, one meant to give some teachers a pay raise and another to put some restrictions on the state…

Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin signed two education bills Thursday, one meant to give some teachers a pay raise and another to put some restrictions on the state Board of Education when they take over a county school system.

House Bill 2381 gives pay raises to about 135 teachers across West Virginia. The bill affects educators who are certified by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, a rigorous national training program.

Those teachers must also teach at a low-performing school in West Virginia and serve as mentors for fellow educators.

The bill gives the small group of teachers a one-time $2,000 pay raise beginning in July of this year. When fully implemented, the raises will cost the state about $272,000.

Tomblin also signed House Bill 2140 which is specific to take over counties, or county school systems in which the state Board of Education intervenes because of low student performance, poor finances, or a variety of other deficiencies.

The bill requires any county board of education taken over by the state establish goals and an action plan to improve performance within five years, subject to the state Board of Education’s approval.

The state Office of Education and Performance Audits is required under the bill to review the county board’s progress each year and report back to the state Board. After five years, the state must hold a public hearing on the county’s progress and if they remain in the county, must hold a public hearing every three years.

“Much of the work laid out in HB 2140 is occurring at some level,” West Virginia Superintendent of Schools Michael Martirano said in a written statement. “We look forward to continuing the progress. Ultimately, the students of intervention counties are the benefactors.”

Currently, the state Board of Education is in full control of Fayette County Schools, which it took over in February 2010. The state has also been in control of Gilmer County Schools since June 2011, but returned partial control in December 2013.

The bill goes into effect on June 11.

With Takeover, W.Va. GOP Saw Fizzle-Outs and Compromises

In their first shot at leading the Legislature since the 1930s, Republicans considered ideas that Democrats hadn’t given much play.

They suggested allowing charter schools, repealing Common Core educational standards, drug testing welfare recipients and introducing a right-to-work law.

Those proposals and others met resistance and fell flat. Other bills, including a prevailing wage rollback, hit a happy medium so some Democrats could stomach them.

Republican House Speaker Tim Armstead said there were different ideas how to approach the bills that died or were scaled back.

Democratic Senate Minority Leader Jeff Kessler said the GOP rightfully received blowback for what they proposed.

Republicans passed reforms peeling back parts of state law, including a variety of legal protections.

Tomblin Vetoes Bill that Removed Concealed Weapon Permit

In a press release Friday, Governor Tomblin announced his veto of Senate Bill 347, the Firearms Act of 2015.

The bill, as approved by lawmakers on the final day of the regular legislative session, would have removed the requirement for any person 21 and older to obtain a permit to carry a concealed weapon. Rescinding the permit requirement would have also discontinued the need for the safety course attached to the permitting process.

In his veto message, Tomblin cited concerns shared with him from law enforcement officers and public safety.

“Throughout my career, I have strongly supported the Second Amendment, as demonstrated by my repeated endorsements and high grades from the National Rifle Association. However, I must also be responsive to the apprehension of law enforcement officers from across the state, who have concerns about the bill as it relates to the safety of their fellow officers. It also would eliminate the required gun safety training courses for those applying for a concealed carry permit. In light of these concerns and in the interest of public safety for all West Virginians, I have vetoed Senate Bill 347.”

Supporters of the bill argued during the session carrying concealed without a permit is a Constitutional right and the $100 fee that comes with the permit is restrictive.

U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin had previously spoken out against the signing of the bill, calling it irresponsible and dangerous.