Senate approves a string of bills and supplemental appropriations; confirmations completed

The West Virginia Senate during a floor session considered and recorded votes on a batch of bills, concurred with several House amendments, and approved supplemental appropriations and nominations.

Senators approved or acted on a series of bills that the clerk reported from the House, including measures on drug-penalty changes, display of the U.S. motto in schools, pharmacist prescribing authority, racing authorizations, contracting thresholds, retirement code references, equal-opportunity office changes, student-assessment rules, private-school testing and attendance, dam authority clarifications and diesel-powered mining equipment rules. The chamber also considered several House-passed supplemental appropriations for the HOPE scholarship and other funds.

Many of the concurrence motions and final passages were made by the senator from Lewis, state senator. The chamber recorded roll-call tallies for most measures; summaries and vote totals are below.

Votes and motions at a glance

- Executive nominations (committee report): The Committee on Confirmations recommended advise and consent to the slate. The Senate voted to confirm all nominations in that report except nominee number 29 by a recorded vote on the first motion (34 yays, 0 nays, 0 absent). The subsequent motion to confirm nominee number 29 passed with 33 yays and 1 excused (the senior senator from 13th was excused from voting on that nominee). (Action:…