The Senate met at 11:00 AM today for the third reading of Senate Bill 94, which makes the electronic absentee ballot available for voters with disabilities. The bill was passed and will advance to the House.
Six other bills were read for the first time today and will advance to the amendment stage tomorrow.
Among these bills are SB 46, which would define the term “pepper spray” to be excluded from the category of “deadly weapons”. The bill would allow persons 16 years or older to carry pepper spray for self-defense, and would allow pepper spray to be carried in the Capitol providing that the canister is 1 oz or smaller.
Another bill on first reading is SB 35, which would limit the civil penalty for littering to a fine of $2,000 or lower. The purpose of the fine is to cover expenses for cleanup and investigation of the site.
Also during the floor session, Senate bills 468-505 were introduced and referred to the appropriate committees.
The Senate also approved Resolution 7, which designates January 15th as West Virginia Tourism Day. The Senate held a brief recess to recognize the efforts of the WV Department of Tourism and present the resolution to the Senate.
The Senate is in recess until 11:00 AM tomorrow.
The Senate Committee on Economic Development will meet at 1:00 PM in room 208W.
The Senate Committee on Pensions will meet at 2:00 PM in room 451M.
The Senate Finance Committee will meet at 3:00 PM in room 451M.
The Senate Judiciary Committee will meet at 3:00 PM in room 208W.
