It’s over, but is it?
More importantly, was it productive? The 60-day, second session of the 86th legislature has ended. By the time this article is published, both the House and Senate will have adjourned sine die (pronounced signee dye in West Virginia). Sorry Latin scholars.
What the Legislature accomplished will be decided in a few days. Going into Saturday, there were 11 bills and two resolutions on the Senate’s calendar, and similarly, there were fewer than 10 bills on the House’s special (active) calendar this morning. Senate Bill 841 was moving from the House (inactive) calendar to the special calendar on which it would get its day for a vote.
Sounds like an easy day, right? That would not be correct. Changes happen up and until they can happen no more.
So, to determine what has been accomplished, the changes need to be reviewed to make sure each of them has completed all legislative action. Still, the Governor and his team will review each piece of legislation that has passed both chambers for his signature, for him to veto, or for him to let become law without his signature.
During this session, 23 Senate bills were signed, 15 House bills have been signed into law, and 12 bills that were passed between March 5 and March 7 are awaiting signature. There have been no bills vetoed nor have there been any bills which has become law without the Governor’s signature.
This has been an unusual year.
Not only due to a change of vantage point but also because of the legislative priorities and what working those priorities looked like in practical application. On Day 60, at 6 pm, the House dealt with one of the Senate’s priorities, unemployment reform. It is understandable how this could cause heartburn for legislators.
In late January, Cleveland Cliffs announced it was planning on idling its Weirton Tinplate Facility, following an unfavorable ruling of the International Trade Commission in April 2024. WARN notices, federally required, were issued to nine hundred impacted employees. Nine hundred. Nine hundred displaced people looking for work or seeking to be re-trained to continue their lives in Weirton.
In late February, Bruceton Mills Allegheny Wood Products, which operates approximately eight locations around the state facility, was closing its doors later that week. More than 800 workers across the state are out of work. Approximately half of these are direct employees of the company, and the other displaced employees are contractors.
At approximately 10:30 pm on the 60th day, the House received the final budget compromise from the Senate. These 134 members of the Legislature have the requirement to pass a balanced budget. The Governor has issued the constitutionally, three-day extension of session because they had not passed a budget by the 57th day. At 11:11 pm, on Day 60, debate was stopped when the Gentleman from the 50th district called the previous question on a motion to concur with the Senate amendments to the budget.
Tempers are short and time is shorter, but this year, the legislature is also dealing with the news, recently released the state could potentially face a $465 million clawback of Covid relief aid by the United States Department of Education. At 11:30 pm, with a short 30 minutes to go in this session, the question on passing the bill was again called, and the budget bill passed.
This will not be the last this Legislature sees of this budget.
Popcorn? Anyone?
