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West Virginia Senate advances a slate of committee substitutes in brief session, adjourns until 10 a.m. tomorrow
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Summary
In a short floor session, the West Virginia Senate received multiple committee reports, read numerous committee substitutes for the first time and advanced them for further consideration, then adjourned until 10 a.m. the following day.
The West Virginia Senate convened for a brief floor session in which senators received committee reports and advanced a long list of committee substitutes and bills to the next stage of consideration before adjourning until 10 a.m. tomorrow.
Committee reports dominated the session. The Finance Committee reported committee substitutes recommending passage for several measures, including Senate Bill 29, which would provide pay increases for members of the judiciary; Senate Bill 985 concerning registration and enforcement of kratom products; Senate Bill 1036, described as the Sustainable Child-Serving Workforce and Foster Care Modernization Act; and Senate Bill 1074, allowing newly hired emergency medical vehicle operators to participate in the EMS retirement system. Jason Barrett was named in the finance report as committee chair.
The Clerk read a long sequence of other committee substitutes and first readings that were advanced on the floor. Those included, among others: SB67 (public charter schools); SB182 (annexation by minor boundary adjustment); SB420 (West Virginia First Energy Act); SB481 (elections-related measure); SB499 (requiring certain auto-accident toxicology tests); SB540 (audio recording during CPS investigations); SB583 (emeritus physician license); SB649 (coverage of home blood pressure monitoring devices for certain Medicaid recipients); SB701 (authority of sheriff's commission for tax collection); SB897 (licensure and certification of alcohol and drug counselors); SB587 (adjusting salary schedules for elected county officials); SB641 (altering the definition of above-ground storage tank); SB686 (Coal Code Tenancy Modernization and Miners Protection Act); SB894 (reforming certain boards and commissions); SB963 (protecting due process and firearm confiscation); SB982 (creating a neighborhood access road program); and SB986 (creating criminal penalties for child torture). Each of these was described on the floor as a committee substitute, read for the first time, and advanced for further consideration; no final passage votes were recorded in the transcript excerpt.
The session included routine floor procedure: senators repeatedly requested unanimous consent for immediate consideration and first reading of bills; the presiding officer asked for objections and, when none were recorded for many items, ordered the readings and advancements. The Clerk consistently announced the committee substitute titles and that the bills were read the first time and advanced.
Near the end of the session a senator said, “I move the Senate stand adjourn until tomorrow at 10AM,” and the presiding officer put the question by voice vote, announcing that the ayes had it and declaring the Senate adjourned. The senator also announced that the committee on rules would meet the following morning at 10:45 a.m. in the Senate President’s Conference Room.
What the record does and does not show: the transcript records committee reports, first readings and the advancement of many committee substitutes but does not include committee debate on the merits of those measures, recorded roll-call vote tallies, or named sponsors for each bill in the floor transcript excerpt. Where the transcript lists only titles or committee substitutes, the article notes that detail and marks sponsor or vote counts as not specified in the record.
The Senate is scheduled to meet at 10 a.m. tomorrow, and the rules committee is scheduled to convene at 10:45 a.m. that morning.
