The Senate passed five bills and adopted one resolution in a brief late morning chamber session.

Prior to the start of session, the West Virginia University Saxophone Quartet performed.

Senate Resolution 26 was adopted, congratulating Cabell Midland High School Boys’ Cross Country team on winning 2010 Class AAA state championship.

Five bills were also passed today, including Senate Bill 376, which would permit unit owners’ associations to institute legal action against a unit owner to collect dues or assessments that are overdue or in arrears to the association and Senate Bill 464, which would amend the procedure for petitioning to regain the right to possess firearms to comply with the minimum criteria to establish qualifying mental health relief from firearms disabilities under the NICS Improvement Act of 2007 and allow the removal of individuals from the federal NICS Index who have been adjudicated in West Virginia to regain their right to possess firearms.

Additionally, eight bills were introduced. A sampling includes Senate Bill 513, relating to workers’ compensation coverage of state government entities and Senate Bill 518, which would revise high-growth business investment tax credits.

The following committees will meet today:
Education – 2 p.m. – 451M
Judiciary – 3 p.m. – 208W

Banking and Insurance – 2 p.m. – 208W
Health and Human Resources – 1 p.m. – 451M

In addition, a joint meeting of the Judiciary and Education committees will commence at 5 p.m. in the Senate Chambers.

The following committees will meet tomorrow:
Labor – 9 a.m. – 208W
Energy, Industry and Mining – 10 a.m. – 208W
Natural Resources – 1 p.m. – 208W

The Senate will reconvene tomorrow at 11 a.m.

Today in the Senate, one resolution was adopted and five bills were passed in a late morning chamber session.

In addition, a quartet of the Senate doorman, known as The Happy Valley Voice, performed.

Senate Resolution 25 was adopted and designated February 14, 2011 “Corrections Day.”

Five bills were also passed today, including Senate Bill 337, which would change the offense of failure to wear a safety belt to a primary offense and House Bill 2537, which would include special rules permitting suppliers of gasoline or other motor fuels to sell product to distributers at a price not to exceed the average of the Oil Price Information Service’s average wholesale rack price for that product at the Montvale/Roanoke, Virginia, Fairfax, Virginia and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania wholesale racks for the previous day during a state of emergency.

Additionally, nine bills were introduced. A sampling includes Senate Bill 503 which would provide that adultery is a bar to receiving alimony in a divorce proceeding and allows an adjustment to be made if a party learns of adultery after entry of divorce decree and Senate Bill 508, which would allow Class A retail licenses, as defined in chapter 60, Article 3A, section 4, or freestanding liquor retail outlets the ability to conduct responsible liquor sampling events on days of the week, other than Sunday.

The following committees will meet today:
Judiciary – 3 p.m. – 208W
Finance – 3 p.m. – 451M
Health and Human Resources – 1 p.m. – 451M
Agriculture – 2 p.m. – 451M
Pensions – 2 p.m. – 208W
Natural Resources – 1 p.m. – 208W

The following committees will meet tomorrow:
Transportation and Infrastructure – 10 a.m. – 451M
Education – 2 p.m. – 451M
Government Organization – 10:15 a.m. – 208W
Economic Development – 9 a.m. – 451M

The Senate will reconvene tomorrow at 11 a.m.

Today the Senate honored the lives of two former colleagues who recently passed this week.

Ralph Williams, a former Senator from Greenbrier County, served 16 years and chaired such committees as Finance, Banking and Insurance and Natural Resources.

Kathy Lark, a former secretary, ran for House of Delegates at one point in time and was affectionately known as “Queen of the Secretaries.”

Several Senators spoke in their honor.

10 bills were also introduced today, including Senate Bill 492, which would maximize federal funding for Medicaid by establishing a hospital Medicaid upper payment level program for a two-year plus period and increase the health care provider tax imposed on gross receipts of providers of certain eligible acute care hospitals. Additionally, Senate Bill 494, which would provide additional protections for state forests and other public lands where timbering operations are conducted

The following committees will meet Monday, February 14:
Military – 10 a.m. – 208W
Natural Resources – 1 p.m. – 208W
Pensions – 2 p.m. – 451M
Agriculture – 2 p.m. – 451M

The Senate will reconvene Monday, February 14 at 11 a.m.

Today, the Senate met in a brief late morning session and passed six bills. They will now be communicated to the House for further consideration.

The tax reform bills passed included Senate Bill 205, which would update the meaning of “federal taxable income” and certain other terms used but not defined in the West Virginia Corporation Net Income Tax Act by bringing them into conformity with their meaning under the Internal Revenue Code for federal income tax purposes and Senate Bill 215, which would update the meaning of “federal adjusted gross income” and certain other terms used but not defined in the West Virginia Personal Income Tax Act by bringing them into conformity with their meanings under the Internal Revenue Code for federal income tax purposes.

Additional bills passed included Senate Bill 196, which would make it a crime to rob or attempt to rob a person under the pretense of having a deadly weapon, Senate Bill 338, which would permit the state to opt out of a federal statute that would otherwise not allow an individual living in the state who has been convicted of a felony involving a controlled substance from receiving certain benefits provided by the Social Security Act and the Food Stamp Act and Senate Bill 385, which would remove an antiquated section of the criminal code that provides for a lower penalty for assault or battery on an athletic official than for assault or battery on a member of the general public.

The Senate also amended Senate Concurrent Resolution 17, which would establish joint rules between the two chambers. The resolution will now be sent to the House.

11 bills were also introduced today, including Senate Bill 488, which would repeal the authority of the Department of Corrections to conduct AIDS related study and provide for AIDS-related testing and confidentiality of records; amend definitions; relate to who may request testing; require confidentiality of records; and provide when disclosure is permitted.

The following committees will meet today:
Finance – 3 p.m. – 451M
Judiciary – 3 p.m. – 208W
Education – 2 p.m. – 451M
Health and Human Resources – 1 p.m. – 451M

The Senate will reconvene tomorrow at 11 a.m.