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Senate roundup: appointments, resolutions, tax and resiliency bills advance; Hancock County schools update
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Summary
The Senate received an executive appointment, adopted multiple resolutions, passed tax-definition and resiliency bills, confirmed Potomac State College's program eligibility change, and heard a lengthy update on Hancock County Schools' financial emergency.
During its Jan. 29 session, the West Virginia Senate handled a range of procedural and policy items alongside the debated bills.
Appointment: The chamber received a gubernatorial letter appointing Trenton Barnhart of Pleasants County to fill the vacancy in the 3rd Senate District created by Donna Boley’s resignation; the communication was noted and the Senate recorded that the appointee had previously qualified.
Resolutions: The Senate received and adopted a House concurrent resolution instructing the Division of Highways to name specified infrastructure (House Concurrent Resolution 3) and adopted Senate Resolution 21 designating Jan. 29, 2026 as Jan Lilly Stewart Disability Advocacy Day after sponsor remarks on Stewart’s history in the independent living movement. The chamber also adopted Senate Resolution 22 honoring Charlie Kirk with a recorded vote (machine tally reflected in the minutes).
Tax and finance measures: A committee substitute for SB400 updating personal income tax definitions and preserving West Virginia’s 100% offset for gambling losses passed on the floor (33–1). Sponsors urged the measure as an annual tax-code alignment with federal law while retaining the state's more generous offset.
Resiliency and education: SB390, which broadens the resiliency officer’s authority to disburse flood-resiliency trust funds and supports an advanced-warning pilot stream-gauge program, was described as lifesaving for flood-prone areas and passed unanimously. The Senate also approved SB443 (municipal fire marshals assisting law enforcement) and SB445 (making Potomac State College permanently eligible for the Learn and Earn program), the latter with an effective date set for July 1, 2026.
Hancock County: The senator from Brooke reported that Hancock County Schools remain under state control after a fiscal emergency, cited an $8 million shortfall tied to earlier shortfalls and a potential $33 million payroll exposure for July and August, and urged a deliberate legislative solution to provide temporary assistance without incentivizing poor fiscal management.
Committee business and adjournment: The chamber announced committee meeting times and standing-committee assignment changes (appointment of the senator from Pleasant to multiple committees) before adjourning to reconvene the next day at 10 a.m.
Sources: Senate floor record, Jan. 29, 2026.
