2009 Interim Committee Meeting Dates Announced
An abbreviated May interim schedule will coincide with the reconvening of the upcoming Extended Budget Session on May 26. Unlike previous years, when meetings were held for 3 days beginning on Sunday – meetings will begin on Mondays or Tuesdays for 2009.
May Interim Schedule
May 26, 3:00 p.m., Post Audits
May 27, 12:00 noon, Commission on Special Investigations
May 28, 12:00 noon, Joint Committee on Government and Finance
2009 Interim Dates
May 26-28 (Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday)
June 15-17 (Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday)
July 14-16 (Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday)
August 10-12 (Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday)
September 14-16 (Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday)
October 13-15 (Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday)
November 17-19 (Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday)
December 7-9 (Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday)
January 10-12, 2010 (Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday)
Legislature Adjourns Until May 26th
Both the House and Senate met briefly after midnight to conclude business before adjourning until late May for the extended budget session.
The House heard and passed Senate Bill 771, Senate Bill 772 and Senate Bill 773 on third reading.
The House also adopted Senate Concurrent Resolution 83 which provides for adjournment of Legislature until May 26, 2009 at noon.
The House and Senate will reconvene at Tuesday, May 26.
House Concludes 60th Night of 2009 Session
The House heard Senate messages concerning 20 bills in the last minutes of the Regular Session. Of these, 16 bills completed legislative action. House Bill 2884, which establishes a Long-Term Care Partnership Program and Senate Bill 256, which provides additional requirements for certain property annexation, are two of the bills that passed in the last minutes of the Regular Session of the 79th Legislature. Several of these were settled through conference committees.
Four bills were communicated to the Senate and only House Bill 3146, which relates to seniority rights for school service personnel, completed legislative action.
The Senate adjourned until 12:01 a.m.
As the Clock Approached Midnight, the Voting Board Lit Green in the Senate
As the Legislators closed business until their return for extended session of the 1st Session of the 79th Legislature, 213 bills had completed legislative action. The Senate introduced 773 bills for the 2009 session. Of those introduced, 107 became completed legislation.
Completing legislation during the night session of the Senate, House Bill 2535 gives tax credit to residents for installing a solar energy system on their property.
House Bill 3195establishes a funding mechanism for state aid for local health departments and that no public health department will experience decreases based on the new funding formula for the next three years.
House Bill 2877 increases the monetary penalties, to remove the possibility of incarceration and to add community service for a minor who misrepresents his or her age when purchasing alcohol.
The Senate is in recess until 12:01 a.m.
Coal Rocks the Chambers
After being adopted by the Senate during the Saturday evening session, House Concurrent Resolution 37 completed legislative action, making bituminous coal the official state rock of West Virginia.
West Virginia is the second largest Bituminous Coal producing state in the United States, producing 157,456 short tons of Bituminous Coal just last year alone. The coal industry has evolved into, and has been for many years, an integral part of the economic and social fabric of West Virginia. It is fitting that a substance critical to the economic well-being of this great State of West Virginia and otherwise steeped in its history as Bituminous Coal be recognized as the official state rock of West Virginia.
This resolution was drafted as a result of a petition started by a young student, Britnee Gibson, from Gilbert High School in Mingo County.
Interns Speak to Attentive House, Video Honors Deceased Former Members
The House met for a thoughtful and reminiscent session to hear interns speak about their experiences at the Capitol and display a commemorative video. Legislative interns Missy Myers, Lindsey Strain, Morgan McMahon and Ashley Crakes spoke warmly of their tenure in the 79th Legislature thanking both lawmakers and staff for the indelible experiences they had serving. Delivered with both gravitas and humor, each intern was given a standing ovation and members moved to have their remarks printed in the House journal.
A video presentation was displayed to a full audience in the House. The video, entitled “Ghosts of this House,” commemorated and honored the lives of many former delegates who have passed away in the recent past. The video was received with tears and a standing ovation. Members spoke warmly of their fallen colleagues following the slideshow and expressed heartfelt thank-you’s for the presentation of the video. The House Majority Leader segued into thanking all the staff members that have served this session.
Eleven bills were also passed and sent to the Senate including Senate Bill 398, which would impose certain restrictions on a graduated driver’s license to increase public safety. Conference committee reports have been run back and forth from both the House and the Senate as the 79th Legislature rapidly approaches its end at midnight.
The House is in recess until 10:15 p.m.
House Back in at 8:30
The House met again at 7:30 p.m. this evening for a brief session in which five bills completed legislative action.
House Bill 2788 protects incapacitated persons and the elderly who, reliant upon the care of others, are extremely vulnerable members of our society from abuse and neglect by caregivers, guardians or custodians, by more clearly defining the offense of abuse or neglect of incapacitated adults or elder persons which result in the death of such persons.
The House is in recess until 8:30 p.m. this evening
Governor Receives 15 More Bills from Senate
In the third Senate session of the day, 15 bills completed legislative action. Senate Bill 461, which extends selenium effluent limits compliance time, was one of the bills that passed to the Governor for his signature. House Bill 3336, which continues early intervention services to families with developmentally delayed infants and toddlers but eliminating the cost-free provision, and House Bill 2931 which removes a severance tax on timber for tax years 2010 through 2013, were sent to the House for concurrence. All of these bills were either communicated from the House or were on third reading in the Senate.
Two bills, Senate Bill 373, which relates to changes in the PROMISE Scholarship, and Senate Bill 249, which relates to the annual school calendar, were not concurred upon and the Senate selected members to take up the bills within a conference committee.
The Senate also considered 22 resolutions presented as unfinished business this evening. Senate Concurrent Resolution 73, Senate Concurrent Resolution 74 and Senate Concurrent Resolution 75 were referred to the Rules Committee. Nineteen House Concurrent Resolutions completed legislative action.
Finally, the Senate requested House Bill 2891, which relates to primary elections and nominating procedures of third-party candidates, from the House in an effort to reconsider the title amendment. It was then sent back to the House for concurrence.
The Senate will reconvene at 8:30 p.m.
House Recesses Until 7:30 p.m.
The House met again at 4 p.m. this afternoon for a brief session in which 10 bills completed legislative action.
House Bill 2968 would require the State Fire Commission to establish safety standards for the design, construction, location, installation, maintenance and operation of liquefied petroleum gas systems as well as establishing training standards and qualifications for persons who install or maintain liquefied petroleum gas systems.
The House is in recess until 7:30 p.m. this evening