The last few years have seen a new wave of indie rock music emerging from the Mountain South. It’s distinguished by a Southern rock sound, and lyrics drawn from observations about living in the region. We’re talking about acts like Wednesday and MJ Lenderman — and Fust, a group that’s based in Durham, North Carolina with deep Appalachian roots. Fust has a new album. It’s called “Big Ugly.” Inside Appalachia Host Mason Adams recently spoke with Fust singer and songwriter Aaron Dowdy.
These were the only two completed bills to include fiscal notes. The childcare tax credit has an estimated $4.2 million loss in revenue, which covers this entire fiscal year, with eligibility starting from July; and the 2 percent personal income tax cut, effective Jan. 1, 2025, has an estimated $18.4 million loss in revenue this fiscal year and $46 million in the next full fiscal year.
The other major goal of the session was to move money to state programs. In all, 26 bills classified as new “supplemental appropriations” passed both chambers, amounting to a total $498,315,838.
A table of the supplemental appropriations that passed both chambers during the second special session of the 2024 West Virginia Legislature. *Note: SB 2009 and SB 2010 are “inadvertently” listed twice, but the Total Supplemental Appropriations value is accurate. Credit: West Virginia Legislature;
Outside of supplemental appropriations, one bill also increased an existing appropriation to the maintenance for the State Road Fund by $150 million.
In all, legislators considered 47 unique bill topics. Most had counterparts in the other chamber — with the exception of one Senate bill to appropriate $15 million to university repairs, which passed; and four House bills aimed at additional childcare programs, which did not pass.
Each day a special session is called outside of interim meetings, it costs an estimated $35,000 per day, according to West Virginia Senate Director of Communications Jacque Bland. The session began on Sept, 30, then adjourned until the three previously scheduled interim meetings days Oct. 6 to Oct. 8, with floor sessions and committee meetings scheduled between.
Justice signed 20 bills on Oct. 10, with the remaining 17 awaiting his signature.
Incomplete Legislation
Del. Kayla Young, D-Kanawha, was the sponsor on four childcare bills, along with other House Democrats. The first proposed appropriating $4.6 million to the Department of Human Services’ Office of Child Care Development. The second outlined a $1,000 refundable child tax credit for all who qualify for a federal child tax credit; the bill would have cost an estimated $287.5 million per year. The third would have created a refundable tax credit at 50 percent of the federal child and dependent care tax credit. The fourth would have made all child care program employees who work at least 20 hours a week eligible for the DHS child care subsidy program. All stalled in committees.
A bill that would appropriate $300,000 towards four new rotunda statues failed to progress during the special session. One sticking point was it would have removed the statue of U.S. Sen. Robert C. Byrd. The legislature did, however, pass a resolution to send a Hershel “Woody” Williams statue to the U.S. Capitol.
On this episode of The Legislature Today, the House of Delegates passed a bill Tuesday that would allow data centers to establish microgrids — self-contained sites that generate their own power. The bill is one of Gov. Patrick Morrisey’s legislative priorities. It is also of interest to Chris Hamilton, president of the West Virginia Coal Association. Our Energy & Environment Reporter Curtis Tate speaks with Hamilton about issues the coal industry is facing at home and abroad.
The Senate Education committee took up two bills Tuesday to try to improve school security, a legislative focus for years.
Schools have been required in code to provide their updated floor plans to fi...
On this West Virginia Morning, we discuss the role education has played in this year's legislative session, from proposed teacher pay bumps to bills addressing student discipline.
On this episode of The Legislature Today, education related topics from teacher pay, to curriculum and school discipline are all issues before the West Virginia Legislature this session. News Director Eric Douglas talks with Dale Lee, president of the West Virginia Education Association, in our studio about some of the proposed legislation this session and how it affects teachers. The WVEA and the American Federation of Teachers plan to merge this summer to become a single teacher’s union in the state.