On Tuesday, May 20th, 2008 the West Virginia Legislature concluded its first full schedule of monthly interim meetings. Interim meetings occur once a month for three days, usually taking place in Charleston, WV at the state Capitol. These meetings are usually joint committees consisting of members of both the Senate and the House of Delegates. The purpose of these meetings is to provide opportunites for continual study of issues facing the state relevant to the future of West Virginia. Members discuss a myriad of issues covering a wide range of topics, hear presentations from experts in their respective fields and listen to public comments regarding issues being considered, many of which will later be addressed in a future regular or special session of the Legislature. The joint nature of these interim committees allows members of the Senate and House of Delegates to consider issues and legislation which may affect both bodies in a similar manner. Many times, bills to be introduced during the next regular session are drafted, studied and rewritten long before the session begins and this arduous work often has its nexus in an interim committee. Also, bills that did not pass during the previous session may be revisited during the interim period for reworking.
The 2008 Interim Committee study assignments are available online, as are committee schedules and agendas. The next round of legislative meetings will take place June 22-24 in Charleston.
