A bill which passed the House with a 99-0 vote was rejected by the Senate finance committee Friday morning.
House Bill 2703, which relates to refunds of exercise taxes collected from petroleum dealers, came before the committee and received minimal recognition from members. In discussion from counsel, the committee learned the bill would have account for a fiscal loss of less than $50,000 annually following implementation in 2020.
After the bill was rejected, committee Chair, Sen. Craig Blair, R-Berkeley, stated that members would be more than welcome to revive the legislation if members of the House sought reconsideration.
Also reviewed by the committee was legislation intended to create a new category of the Innovation in Education grant program.
Associate Superintendent of Schools, Clayton Burch, came before the committee to answer questions concerning House Bill 2009 which showcases a fiscal impact of $125,000 for implementation. According to the Superintendent, the House Bill help to strengthen the state’s higher education system in conjunction with Senate Bill 1.
“If this (bill) is passed, mastery based education would become a situation where people can move faster in getting an education,” Burch explained. “We think this meshes well with Senate Bill 1 in order to benefit those who want to jump start their college education.”
Following consideration from the committee, members unanimously voted to adopt a strike and insert amendment after being amended by Sen. Corey Palumbo, D-Kanawha. The bill has been reported to the full Senate with the recommendation of passage.
