The Senate Finance Committee reviewed three bills and two budget presentations, 3 p.m. Monday, Jan. 28.
Representatives from the West Virginia Bureau of Senior Services and the West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History came before committee members to present their budget proposals for fiscal year 2020.
Robert Roswell, commissioner for the West Virginia Bureau of Senior Services, requested a total of $29,950,955 towards their general revenue for the upcoming fiscal year, the exact amount of their fiscal year 2019 budget.
Following the bureau’s presentation, Randal Reed Smith, commissioner of the West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History, requested a total of $5.1 million prior to acknowledging the many successes of the department. According to Smith, the state’s museums were named among the top 25 in the nation despite receiving a cut to grant funding.
“As the economy of the state gets better, we hope to receive more money for appropriations to get grant funding where it once was,” Smith said.
The committee also reviewed Senate Bills 100, 103 and 264, and unanimously voted to send each of the bills to the full Senate with the recommendation that they each pass.
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Senate Bill 100 would increase court fees to fund law enforcement standards training and expenses.
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Senate Bill 103 relates generally to Public Defender Services.
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Senate Bill 264 would require courts to order restitution to crime victims where economically practicable.
