Right to Work, Tax Reform & Water Quality: Lawmakers Work Through Controversial Legislative Issues

On The Legislature Today, the governor releases an alternative plan to balance the 2018 budget– one legislative leaders seem more open to considering.

In the Senate, a bill to clarify the state’s right to work law gets a passing vote and in the House, delegates hold a public hearing to address changed to the state’s water quality standards.

The Senate’s Select Committee on Tax Reform is beginning its work revising a bill to overhaul West Virginia’s tax code and repeal the personal income tax, a revenue source that generates nearly $2 billion each year.

When it comes to education, members of the House are looking for ways to give both public schools and higher education institutions more flexibility. Though a bill to do just that caused sparked a major debate in the chamber.

Newly elected Commissioner of Agriculture Kent Leonhardt discusses the legislation he’s backing this session, including one to expand the state’s industrial hemp program.