The Senate Committee on the Judiciary met Friday evening to discuss serval different bills there were on the Committee’s agenda.
Senate Bill 348 would raise the legal age for the purchase of tobacco, tobacco products, tobacco derived products, alternative nicotine products and vapor products from 18 to 21. The bill would also add the language of Senate Bill 136 because of how the two bills were closely related. SB 136 would change the definition of “electronic cigarette” to E-Cigarette.” The Committee adopted several different amendments to the proposed legislation. One amendment by Senator Takubo (R – Kanawha, 17) would make it illegal to smoke in car with someone in the car that is the age of 17 or under. The Committee passed the bill, and will be reported to the Senate.
Senate Bill 353 would enact the 2018 recommendations of the Judicial Compensation Commission providing salary increases for magistrates, family court judges, circuit court judges, and Supreme Court justices. Increases would be incremental starting July 1, 2019 with the last pay increase being July 1, 2022. Pay increases for these judges by 2022 would include:
- Supreme Court Justices – $156,215
- Circuit Court Judges – $ 149,070
- Family Court Judges – $113,930
Senate Bill 273 would clarify that evidence and reports of fraud, waste, mismanagement, or other misconduct relating to government money at any level of government must be provided to the Commission on Special Investigations within a prompt period.
The Committee unanimously approved the bill, and will be reported to the Committee on Finance.
Senate Bill 412 would to establish the Katherine Johnson Fair Pay Act of 2019. The proposed legislation would make it an unlawful discriminatory practice for an employer to prohibit an employee from disclosing information about his or her wages, benefits, or other compensation.
Senate Bill 600 would establish procedures for the preservation and disposal of biological evidence.
Senate Bill 657 would provide consumer protection for consumers of self-propelled agricultural equipment.
The Committee approved the other bills, and will be reported to the full Senate to be voted upon.
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