The Senate Judiciary Committee has approved two bills and an originating resolution to be reported to the full Senate with the recommendation that they pass.
SB 386 would authorize medical cannabis in West Virginia.
The West Virginia Medical Cannabis Act passed the committee with a 13-3 vote in favor of the bill.
Senator Ryan Weld, R-Brooke, expressed doubts about certain liabilities that could arise from the bill’s enaction and inequalities between federal and state law.
Former West Virginia senator Lisa Smith spoke before the committee in support of the bill.
Smith said her parents’ ailments would have been able to be alleviated if medical marijuana were available in West Virginia. Her father died of Parkinson’s disease and her mother currently suffers from multiple painful symptoms from nursing home injuries.
The committee approved a strike-and-insert amendment developed by committee counsel.
The bill was previously reported out of Senate Health and Human Resources with the recommendation that it do pass.
SJR 8 would enact a Fair and Simple Tax Reform (or FASTR) amendment to the state Constitution.
Among other specific provisions, the bill would repeal the personal property tax, authorize new classes of real property for the purpose of taxation, create a State infrastructure and equalization fund, provide for block grants to local schools and governments for education and infrastructure and establish exemptions to the real property tax.
Mike Carl, special advisor to The Senate Select Committee on Tax Reform, said the resolution would “replace a convoluted, internally complicated property tax structure” that the state has been trying to move away from for several years.
Senators were concerned with the resolution’s possibly negative effects on tax increment financing (TIF) measures, among other aspects of the resolution’s intent.
The resolution originated from The Senate Select Committee on Tax Reform.
Originating Concurrent Resolution 1 would urge Congress to reschedule marijuana to an alternative drug schedule.
Committee counsel said the resolution was created, since marijuana is currently categorized with much more dangerous and harmful drugs.
HB 2329 would make it unlawful to produce, manufacture or possess fentanyl.
The committee approved a strike-and-insert amendment developed by committee counsel.
