The Senate Economic Development Committee has approved two bills to be reported to the full Senate with the recommendation that they pass.
SB 501 would create a Minority Economic Development Advisory Team to assist the Director of the Economic Development Authority in developing and implementing a procedure to address employment and economic development problems of minority populations of West Virginia.
The governor would have to appoint all members of the team not specifically listed, and all members would serve a five-year term.
Senator Ronald Miller, D-Greenbrier, proposed an amendment to decrease the number of board members, ex-officio?
The bill contains a second reference to the Senate Government Organization Committee, which Senator Craig Blair, R-Berkeley, moved for the Chair to waive.
SB 76 would create the West Virginia Second Chance for Employment Act to expand eligibility for criminal expungement to persons convicted of certain nonviolent felonies in order to help them receive certain employment opportunities.
The bill passed the Senate unanimously last year as SB 411, which later died in the House.
The Rev. Matthew Watts spoke in support of the bill and said it would contribute to increasing the state’s labor force participation rate by eliminating federal charges off of nonviolent felons’ records.
“They’re being marginalized for employment,” Watts said. “They’re trapped in the criminal class.”
Watts said the majority of these non-violent felons are younger citizens ages 18-30 who cannot get a job simply because of minor mistakes made when they were younger.
“It’s a lifetime sentence,” Watts said.
Watts informed the committee there will be a rally on the first floor of the Capitol tomorrow, during which the bill will be advocated for.
Several senators voiced their support for the bill’s passage to the committee.
Blair moved that the Chair consult the Judiciary Committee Chair to waive the bill’s second reference to Senate Judiciary.
The bill will be referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee once reported to the floor.
The committee also laid over a bill that they will take up for more discussion and amendments/motions once they come back from being recessed.
The bill, SB 38, would create a five-year tax credit for new businesses locating on post-mine sites.
The fiscal note for the bill indicates that the credit will possibly cost the state $23,000.
Senator Mike Romano, D-Harrison, said he was concerned about the lack of specification for what business expenditures would qualify for the credit. He said the credit could possibly be abused to cost the state more.
The bill will be referred to the Senate Finance Committee once reported to the floor.
The committee will recess until 4:30 p.m., or after adjournment of the Senate Judiciary meeting, today in 208W.
