Today, both the House of Delegates and state Senate met briefly to officialy adjourn the 1st Extraorinary Session of 2017 Sine Die, or, “without day”. Before they adjourned, both bodies received a veto message from the Governor regarding HB 113, selling of the Jackie Withrow state hospital by the DHHR.
The House of Delegates and state Senate are asjourned Sine Die.
This evening, both the House of Delegates and state Senate combined to pass the FY 2018 Budget Bill and a package of bills to fund road improvement projects.
Senate Bill 1013, the Budget Bill, passed both bodies today with strike and insert amendment for the budget that limits cuts to Medicaid and higher education through use of transfers and expected surpluses. The bill was an agreed to version with the Senate and House of Delegates which includes $4.225 billion budget for general revenue. The bill goes to the governor for his consideration.
Also, the Legislature passed SB 1006, increasing funding for the road fund, and, SB 1003, relating generally to WV Parkways Authority. These measures will also go to the Governor for his consideration.
The Legislature also adopted HCR 2, providing for an adjournment of the Legislature until June 26, 2017.
Both the Senate and House of Delegates will reconvene at 11:00 a.m. on June 26th, 2017.
The Senate met today and took up Senate Bill 1013, the Budget Bill, which had been passed by the House earlier in the week. The Senate did a strike and insert amendment for the budget that limits cuts to Medicaid and higher education through use of transfers and expected surpluses. Chairman Hall told the Senate that the bill was an agreed to version with the House of Delegates which includes $4.225 billion budget for general revenue. The bill returns to the House for their concurrence.
Also, the Senate passed SB 1006, increasing funding for the road fund. The House had adopted a House Finance ‘strike and insert’ amendment and passed the bill and the Senate amended it further and sent it back to the House.
The Senate also considered two similar measures relating to the sale of state owned hospitals. SB 1011, selling Hopemont Hospital, was rejected on concurrence and, HB 113, relating to the sale of Jackie Withrow Hospital by the DHHR, was passed and completed legislation.
The House of Delegates met this morning to discuss Senate Bill 1017, the Tax Reform Act of 2017. The bill was passed by the Senate late last night. Delegates rejected a motion to reject the bill on first reading, suspended the constitutional rule requiring a bill be read on three seperate days and amended it to reflect the work of the Conference Committee on HB 107. The bill was passed overwhelming with bipartisan support.
Also, the House of Delegates had SB 1006, increasing funding for the road fund. The House adopted a House Finance ‘strike and insert’ amendment on 3rd Reading, and passed the bill.
Both bills now head to the Senate for their concurrance.
After a recess, the House of Delegates passed two similar measures relating to the sale of state owned hospitals. SB 1011, selling Hopemont Hospital and, HB 113, relating to the sale of Jackie Withrow Hospital by the DHHR, both were passed and now head to the Senate for their consideration.
The House is in recess until 7:30 p.m.
House Finance will meet at 5:45 p.m. in 460M.
The Conference Committee on HB 106 will meet at 3 p.m. in 208W.
The Senate overwhelmingly passed its latest versions of the Tax Reform Act of 2017 and the Budget Bill during a floor session Thursday evening.
Senate Bill 1017 raises the consumer sales tax from 6 to 6.5 percent with the provision that it will go down to 6.25 percent when the state’s personal income tax is reduced by 20 percent. The legislation reduces the personal income tax by 5 percent starting Jan. 1, 2018 and then by an additional five percent each of the next three years if certain economic triggers are met. This results in a potential 20 percent cut in income taxes over the four-year period.
The bill includes a graduated severance tax that has our energy sectors paying more when prices are high and less when prices are low. The legislation gets rid of certain tax exemptions such as telecommunications, communications, transportation and digital downloads, while also providing a $150 tax rebate for those making $10,000 or less per year and a $100 rebate for those making between $10,000-$25,000 per year. Under the latest plan, wages over $150,000 would not be subject to a tax cut.
In total, the bill provides for roughly $82 million in new revenue.
The current Senate budget, laid out in Senate Bill 1018, uses figures and revenue estimates from this latest tax reform bill described above. The result is a $4.35 billion budget that includes Medicaid funding without cuts, lesser cuts to higher education, money for the Governor’s Save our State fund and an average 2 percent teacher pay raise.
The Senate also adopted SCR104, which extends the conference committee for HB106, the public employee furlough bill.
The Senate is adjourned until tomorrow at 2 p.m.
The Conference Committee for the public employee furlough bill will meet tomorrow at Noon in 208W
The House of Delegates convened in a brief session at 10 a.m. on June 15.
House Finance met immediately following the floor session.
The House is in recess until 2 p.m.
The House convened briefly again around 2:30 p.m.
The House read two bills a first time Senate Bill 1011 – Selling Hopemont Hospital and House Bill 113 – Relating to the sale of Jackie Withrow Hospital by the DHHR.
The House tabled its Budget Bill, House Bill 115, and postponed action one day on Senate Bill 1006 – Increasing funding for State Road Fund. The bill remains on third reading.
The House is adjourned until 10 a.m. tomorrow.
House Finance will meet at 9 a.m. tomorrow in 460M.
The House of Delegates convened around noon on June 14 to pass a version of the budget bill.
The House passed Senate Bill 1013 – the budget bill- with a strike and insert amendment that essentially put the House budget into the bill. During debate, Delegate Barbara Fleischauer (D-Monongalia) offered an amendment to restore funding to West Virginia University and Marshall University. The amendment was rejected.
According to House leadership, its version of the budget restores more funding to higher education than the Senate version.
The budget bill passed by a vote of 69-30.
The House adjourned until 10 a.m. tomorrow.
House Finance will meet at 4:30 p.m. in 460M and again at 9 a.m. tomorrow.
The Senate introduced Senate Bill 1016, which would create a license tax on successful bidders for road construction contracts, during a very brief morning floor session.
The Senate is in recess until 5:30 p.m.
UPDATE:
The Senate convened briefly this evening as the body continues to review the House version of the Budget Bill.
The Senate has adjourned until Noon tomorrow.
The Senate passed its version of the Budget Bill during a Tuesday evening floor session.
After receiving an updated revenue estimate from the Governor, the Senate passed a budget that spends the $4.225 billion the state is projected to take in and does not increase taxes.
The bill includes a $34.1 million cut to Medicaid, which equates to a $136 million cut in terms of federal matching dollars lost. The budget measure also cuts higher education by $33 million, an amount that is spread across most of the state’s public colleges and universities.
The legislation does not include a teacher pay raise and provides no money for the Governor’s SOS fund.
The bill now heads to the House of Delegates for consideration.
Also, on Tuesday, the Senate assigned conferees to work out the differences in the public employee furlough bill (HB106). The House version provides for back pay when the furloughed employees return, while the Senate version does not.
The Senate has adjourned until tomorrow at 11 a.m.
The House of Delegates gaveled in session to explain budget negotiations.
The Conference Committee on House Bill 107 will meet at 1 p.m. in 451M.
House Finance will meet at 2 p.m. in 460M.
The House is in recess until 4 p.m.
UPDATE:
The House read House Bill 115 – the budget bill – a first time in a session that convened around 5:30 p.m.
The House also read Senate Bill 1006 – Increasing funding for State Road Fund – a first time.
The House also refused to concur in the Senate amendments to House Bill 106 – Relating generally to the furlough of public employees during declared fiscal emergency.
The House is in recess until 8:30 p.m.
UPDATE:
The House reconvened to assign a conference committee for House Bill 106 – the furlough of public employees. The House also read Senate Bill 1013 a first time.
The House is adjourned until 11 a.m. tomorrow.
