As of 4 p.m., Wednesday, January 18, 2012, the eighth day of the 80th Legislature’s 2nd Regular Session, 345 bills have been introduced in the Senate. A sampling of bills introduced include:
Senate Bill 19 would prohibit the transmission of political based text messages meant for the purpose of advertising the election of a candidate. The prohibition would not apply to recipients who already have a preexisting relationship with the candidate, or to messages that allow the recipient the option to not receive the message.
Senate Bill 32 would allow liquor retail outlets to host liquor sampling events on any day of the week except Sunday. Appropriate sampling products in West Virginia would include bourbon, brandy, cognac, cordials, gin, grain alcohol, rye, rum, scotch, tequila, vermouth, vodka, whiskey, apertifs, premixed cocktails, fortified wines, spirit blends, marsala, sake, sherry and any other liquor types and classes as approved by the Commissioner of Alcohol Beverage Control Administration, and maintained on the ABCC retail liquor product list.
Senate Bill 42 relates to the penalties of driving under the influence of alcohol, controlled substances, or drugs. Any person convicted of causing serious bodily injury to another person while under the influence could be sentenced to no more than 10 years and fined between $1,000 and $3,000.
Senate Bill 43 states that a robbery or attempted robbery would result in the confinement to a state correction facility for 20 years or less. A person committing robbery or attempted robbery resulting in bodily injury would be sentenced to no more than 60 years of jail time, and any person who commits or attempts to commit robbery with a deadly weapon would be sentenced to 50 years or less.
Senate Bill 47 would ban texting on a wireless device while operating a vehicle. The bill would not ban phone calls, the entering of numbers to make a phone call, voicemail retrieval codes, GPS data entry, and music players. Violating the provisions of this bill would result in a $25 fine.
Senate Bill 49 would enact that any person who fails to return a minor child after visitation in a timely manner will be fined no more than $100 or confined to jail for no more than 10 days. A third offense would result in a felony and, if convicted, a jail sentence of up to one year and a fine of $1,000.
Senate Bill 51 would provide that adultery be a bar for alimony in divorce proceedings, and also allows for adjustments to be made should the party learn of adulterous behavior after a divorce decree is entered.
Senate Bill 54 would make it unlawful for any person under the age of 16 to obtain a tattoo, and would require that a legal parent or guardian be present in the tattoo studio with a proper photo identification at the time of tattooing. The parent must also sign a written consent form and physically hand the form to the tattoo artist in the studio.
Senate Bill 58 would allow a circuit court judge to sentence nonviolent criminals to work camps, in conjunction with boot camps. The work camps would be striving to promote positive work ethic, responsibility, productivity, social skills, education, physical wellness, and self-discipline. Nonviolent offenders must meet a list of eligibility requirements including not having been convicted of murder, incest, or kidnapping.
Senate Bill 113 would make the week of December 7 to be Pearl Harbor and Military Appreciation Week. The week would memorialize the brave West Virginians who fought in WWII and all other military conflicts. The bill would also institute a student-based program, which would recognize military contributions made by West Virginians directed by the State Department of Education.
Senate Bill 139 would consider it a primary offense for any passenger in a car under the age of 18 who fails to be restrained by safety belt meeting applicable federal motor vehicle safety standards, including the driver. The bill does not apply to motorcyclists, or any motor vehicle that is not equipped with a belt system. The fine for violation this provision would be changed from $25 to $15.
Senate Bill 140 would require that the Board of Education to hire the most qualified person for coaching positions in extracurricular activities. The chosen person would be in charge of regulating and supervising the said extracurricular activity.
Senate Bill 142 would involve adding one additional circuit court judge to the 23rd Judicial Circuit. This addition would affect the counties of Berkeley, Jefferson, and Morgan. The bill seeks to change the number of circuit judges in the aforementioned counties from five to six.
Senate Bill 151 would modify the definition of “nontraditional agriculture.” The amendment to the definition removes the existing exception of white-tailed deer.
Senate Bill 327 would grant permission to certain firearm bearing school mascots, such as the Parkersburg South High School Patriot and West Virginia University Mountaineer, to carry a musket on school property. This is an amendment to the bill that prohibits all other students from carrying weapons on school property.
