As the regular session gains momentum, state legislators are engaged in a brimming legislative agenda – one that will likely entail many substantial issues, including the considerable fiscal challenges tied to the budget. West Virginia is projected to have a $120 million shortfall in a budget of $3.2 billion, making this one of the most challenging budgets in recent years. West Virginia is not alone in this plight. Although the national economy seems to be on an upswing, many states are still operating on tight budgets and exploring options to secure monetary stability for the future. To fill West Virginia’s financial void, Governor Wise, during his final State of the State Address, proposed a balanced budget with revenue enhancements and budget cuts for state agencies. Most branches were asked to reduce spending by 9 percent, while higher education’s budget was asked to cut 2.5 percent. The State Police, prisons, senior citizens, children’s healthcare, public schools and scholarships were excluded from these spending reductions in the Address. According to the State Constitution, West Virginia is required to have a balanced budget. As such, lawmakers may adopt the Governor’s tax suggestions, choose to increase revenues, or decline the Governor’s proposals. Unlike the federal government, West Virginia cannot run on a deficit. Although this task is demanding, balancing the state’s budget is imperative to secure and maintain adequate educational programs, increase the availability of healthcare and implement economic development initiatives to attract businesses to West Virginia. The Legislature is currently working on various legislation to bring revenue to the state and enhance the economy. These initiatives include expanding tourism development, establishing a statewide trail coordinator, providing a tax credit to small businesses and creating a tax credit to foster the development of businesses started by West Virginians. In addition to the budget, many other important issues are on lawmakers’ legislative agendas. During the first week of session, the Senate considered and passed a bill allowing for the drunken driving threshold to be lowered from 0.10 blood alcohol content to 0.08. Presently the House is working on its version.
Until a bill goes into effect, West Virginia remains one of only five states that has not made this change since Congress established 0.08 as the national standard in 2000. For states to maintain federal highway funding, Congress required all states to conform to this standard by 2004. With the passage of a bill, West Virginia could regain the $2.62 million in highway funds lost last year. Another focus issue on lawmakers’ calendar is All-Terrain Vehicle (ATV) safety, which has fallen short of legislative approval in past years. This is being addressed through various pieces of legislation currently under consideration. The different versions contain provisions relating solely to younger operators and other basic safety measures relating to any individual driving an ATV. Other issues under close review include tort reform, insurance fraud, prescription drug costs, clean elections, water resource management and gambling advertisements. Comparable to the 2003 session, this year has started off on a rapid pace – with the House introducing more that 600 carryover bills from last year, making the total number of bills being considered by this chamber over 700. While the Senate does not allow bills to carry over from year to year, currently more than 250 bills are being reviewed in committee.
State Lawmakers to Tackle Budget Concerns
