On Day 30, Finance Chairs Talk Budget Plans

On The Legislature Today, lawmaker have reacted the halfway point of this legislative session and Gov. Jim Justice is pressuring Republican leaders to release their spending plan. 

After some harsh words from the governor during a press conference Friday aimed at the caucus, House Finance Chair Eric Nelson and Senate Finance Chair Mike Hall pushback, defending the legislative process they say is defined in the state’s Constitution. 

So far this legislative session, two bills have been introduced in both the House and Senate to legalize medical marijuana in the state. One has bipartisan support, but neither have been placed on a committee agenda. So, Democrats in the House attempted to change the scheduling of marijuana so it could be prescribed by doctors in an attempt to get around the committee process.

Senators also spent an extended period of time on the floor in part due to a bill that had members crossing party lines to vote for a proposed amendment, but Senators dont’ just vote on legislation. Members of the Senate are also tasked with confirming gubernatorial appointments.

While Gov. Jim Justice has sent plenty of names to the chamber, this morning Senators debated two sent by former Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin, two names Jesse Wright reports have deep ties to the state’s Democratic Party.