The 79th West Virginia Legislature will reconvene Wednesday, February 11 at noon to initiate its Regular 60-day Session. Following orders of business of each chamber, the House of Delegates and the Senate are expected to recess until 7 p.m. at which time a Joint Assembly will be conducted so that lawmakers may hear from the governor during the State of the State address.
79th Legislature Set to Reconvene
Final Interim Meetings Wrap Up At State Capitol
Members of the Joint Committee on Government and Finance heard reports from a variety of state agencies and federal spokesmen.
Consisting of the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House, as well as legislative committee leadership, the Joint Committee closed the 2008 interim committee meetings.
Interim Meetings Lead Into 2009 Regular Session
Members of the West Virginia Legislature met today for the final round of interim meetings of the 2008-2009 interim session, during which members study issues which often are addressed during the legislative session. Meetings continue Monday and Tuesday before the 2009 Regular Session reconvenes on Wednesday, February 11th at 12:00 p.m.
Snow Blankets the Capitol
Looking West from the intersection of Kanawha Boulevard and California Avenue the Capitol Dome glistens with midday sun following a break in snow showers. The Statue of Stonewall Jackson sits in the foreground on the Capitol grounds. Snow has blanketed the state recently including here in Charleston as the Legislature readies for the upcoming 2009 Regular Session of the 79th Legislature.
Legislature’s 2009 Information Packet
The West Virginia Legislature’s Information Packet has been updated for the 79th Legislature and is now available online. This packet is a comprehensive reference tool for any citizen or Capitol visitor interested in state government and contains maps of the Capitol which include room numbers for all legislators; seating charts for the Senate and House Chambers; Senate, House and Congressional district maps; members photographs, contact information and committee assignments for all members of the Legislature; and, phone numbers and addresses for Congressional representatives. Also included are helpful toll-free telephone numbers and website addresses for state agencies, colleges and universities.
This publication is one of many the Legislature’s Office of Reference and Information produces for the goal of furthering civic education and fostering collaboration between elected officials and the citizenry. As Thomas Jefferson is quoted as saying, “the best defense of Democracy is an informed electorate”.
Chronology of Women in the West Virginia Legislature
The Chronology of Women in the West Virginia Legislature has been updated with members of the 79th Legislature and is available online. The publication lists all women who have served in the Legislature since 1922 when the first female, Anna Gates (D) Kanawha County, was elected to the House of Delegates.
There are now 20 women serving in the House of Delegates and two women serving in the Senate.
Joint Assembly Receives General Election Results
The Senate arrived in the House Chamber for a joint assembly to receive, open and publish the statewide general election results from the Nov. 4, 2008 election. The House Clerk submitted the election returns to the members and they will be issued a certificate of election. Session will reconvene Feb. 11 at Noon.
79th Legislature Convenes
The 1st Regular Session of the 79th Legislature convened today for opening day to swear in the newly elected members of the Senate and House of Delegates. Members of the Senate were sworn in by the Honorable West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals Justice Robin Jean Davis. Members of the House were sworn in by the Honorable Circuit Judge Robert Chafin from Wayne County.
The House and Senate re-elected House Speaker Richard Thompson and Senate President Earl Ray Tomblin, respectively. House and Senate officers were also re-elected.
House members took a moment of silence to remember the late Delegate Proudfoot and his dedicated service to the state of West Virginia.
The House also adopted House Resolution 1 , which make changes to various standing committees.
Both the West Virginia House of Delegates and Senate have adjourned until Wednesday, February 11th, 2009 at 12:00 p.m.
House Finance has announced a meeting for February 11th at 9:30 a.m. in the House Chamber.
Legislative Interns begin work for 2009 Regular Session
The Legislative Internship program started this week with interns representing a variety of state universities and colleges taking part in orientation and learning what committees or lawmakers they would be working with throughout the session.
The West Virginia Legislature each year offers a number of internship opportunities for college students from in-state institutions wishing to further their knowledge and understanding of the political process on a state level.
The McManus Fellowship, Rollins-Burk Interns, Herndon Fellowship, Fraisure-Singleton Internship and the Legislative Information Journalism Internship offer varying degrees of involvement and students wishing to apply must meet requirements specific to the program they wish to enter.
While positions are filled for the 2009 Legislative Session, interested students are urged to look over the information on the Legislative Internship webpage and consider applying in the future.
State Capitol Hosts 11th Annual Pumpkin Drop
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Overcast and dreary skies did nothing to dampen the enthusiasm for the 11th Annual Capital City Pumpkin Drop held Thursday at the State Capitol Building.
The Pumpkin Drop is organized by the Education Alliance, a nonprofit organization working to create conditions of learning that benefit all children. They created the Pumpkin Drop in 1998 as an innovative way to directly engage West Virginia public school students in the learning process.
This event helps students K-12 develop team building skills and master concepts in mathematics and physics by putting their knowledge to use. The goal is to build an apparatus that will allow the pumpkin to withstand its fall from the top of the building and stay whole while landing as close to a designated target as possible. In the 10 year history of this event, thousands of pumpkins have been dropped off the State Capitol Building and more than 10,000 students have teamed to build successful apparatuses.
The competition provides a unique opportunity for elementary schools to compete in an academic setting with both middle schools and high schools. Pumpkins are judged by a team of engineering faculty from the Community and Technical College at Institute of Technology WVU, based on whether they stay intact and how close they land to the target.
A trophy and prizes are awarded for first, second and third-place schools with $100 going to the winning school and $50 and $25 going out to the second and third place schools respectively.
Past and present governors, legislators and other state employees enjoy this annual event and typically venture down to the capitol grounds to meet student participants. Bayer CropScience and Waste Management serve as sponsors for the event.