BY STEPHANIE TYREE, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, AND TAYLOR BENNETT, POLICY COORDINATOR, THE HUB

In our work at The Hub, we see first-hand how welcoming new ideas, changing positions at the encouragement of our fellow residents, and working to understand one another can guide communities to solutions that make our state stronger.

We know that the work of strengthening our state happens collaboratively. Arriving at strong, and equitable, solutions is the result of a willingness to lean into work happening across the ideological spectrum while maintaining an open mind.

We see this type of collaboration happening every day in the heart of vibrant West Virginian communities. This way of working demands mutual respect and care in the way we interact with one another, and in the way we speak to and about each other.

While we don’t typically use the Legislative Hubbub to advocate for specific bills or comment on individual legislator’s actions, we believe we must make an exception this week.

(This statement originally appeared in our weekly e-newsletter sent during WV’s legislative session, the Legislative Hubbub. Click here to sign up.)

When words are spoken by a legislator that directly denigrate or attack an entire group of people, we know that silence is not enough.

The Hub rejects the statements made this past week by Delegate Eric Porterfield relating to the LGBTQ community – statements that he made first in a committee meeting and later reiterated multiple times to local and state media.

We believe his position does not reflect the values of our state, the actions we see on the ground in communities, or the vision for West Virginia’s future that we see community members building each and every day.

Communities suffer as a result of discrimination and hateful language, and the outcomes go beyond ideological divisions. Divisive language and policies undermine the integrity of our political systems, and they ripple through our communities.

Using this kind of language does not model the type of leadership that will build a brighter future for our state. Further, leading in this manner disrupts the important work that needs to be accomplished during our short, 60-day legislative session.

Delegate Porterfield does not speak for us, and we do not believe he speaks for the hundreds of community leaders we work with across the state every day.

Dark words can lead to positive action when people come together in a response that rejects such divisiveness.

Over the past week, we have seen many examples of West Virginians who are making space for conversation about creating the kind of state that they want to live in, including a vision that builds on principles of true collaboration and respectful discourse. We also see many West Virginians who are deepening their investment to actively participate in shaping a new future for West Virginia.

That’s the West Virginia that we know and believe in.

BY TAYLOR BENNETT, POLICY COORDINATOR, THE HUB

This week we are tracking 35 new house bills and 10 new bills from the Senate. For more information about the legislative deadlines that are causing this wave of introductions, check out our explanation.

This week, to help us keep track of the highlights, I’m organizing our greatest hits into two sections: bills we’ve been tracking, and new ones we’ve picked up this week.

New Bills Before the Senate

SB 500 – Creating the Sewer and Water Infrastructure Replacement and Rehabilitation Act

• This bill would create a pot of money that would be generated from investment of surplus revenue and would be granted to government agencies to complete sewer and water infrastructure projects.
• The bill originated in the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and was reported to the Senate on February 13.

SB 580 – Local Control and Accountability Act

• This bill allows Counties to create a 1% sales tax, provided that a sales tax is not imposed in municipalities in which a 1% sales tax already exists.
• It was introduced on February 12th and was referred to the Committee on Government Organization and then to the Committee on Finance.

New Bills Before the House

HB 2576 – Small business tax credit for new businesses that locate in the state

• This bill would establish a tax credit for small businesses that are located within WV and employ at least 15 full time employees who live in WV. The tax credit would be 10% of “taxpayer qualified investment,” but the bill doesn’t specify a particular dollar amount.
• It was introduced on January 22nd, and was referred to the Committee on Small Business, Entrepreneurship, and Economic Development, where it is waiting to be put on the agenda. It has a second referral to the Finance Committee.

HB 2871 – Increasing the State Minimum Wage

• This bill would increase the state minimum wage incrementally over a period of 4 years. The first increment is an increase to $9.50 per hour during the year of 2019, with the final increment in 2022, bringing the minimum wage to $12.00 per hour.
• It was introduced on February 6th and has a rare triple committee reference. First Small Business, Entrepreneurship, and Economic Development, then Industry and Labor, then Finance.

HB 3062 – Sale of delinquent tax liens

• When a person is trying to acquire real estate by purchasing delinquent tax liens and the original property owner doesn’t pay their debt to reclaim their property, the person who purchased the lien can file for a deed to the property. Usually, the original owner has a certain period of time after that to reclaim their property by paying the debt. This bill would make it so that the original property owner would not be able to pay the debt after the lien purchaser receives the deed.
• The bill was introduced on February 12th, and has been referred to the Judiciary Committee and then the the Finance Committee.

Bills We’ve been Tracking

SB 4 – Relating generally to Municipal Home Rule

• This bill passed the Senate and is still waiting to be put on the House Government Organization Committee agenda.

SB 117 – Incentives for Consolidating Local Governments

• This bill passed the Government Organization Committee on February 1st, was referred to the Committee on Finance and has yet to be put on the agenda.

SB 317 – Authorizing adjacent counties to form a multi-county trail network authority

• SB 317 was passed out of the Senate on February 11th and was introduced in the House the next day. It received a double reference, first to House Agriculture and Natural Resources and then to House Judiciary. It is still waiting to be reviewed.

HB 2157 – Right of first refusal for municipalities at the tax sale

• This bill has not moved since it was introduced on January 9th.

HB 2309 – Allowing municipalities to cancel elections when only one person is running

• This one passed House Political Subdivisions, but has yet to make it onto the House Judiciary agenda.

HB 2728 – Making the Home Rule Pilot Program permanent

• This bill was introduced on January 29th, was referred to Government Organization Committee, but hasn’t been put on the agenda.

BY TAYLOR BENNETT, POLICY COORDINATOR, AND DWAYNE BARTLEY, APC VISTA, THE HUB

Each year, legislative rules dictate deadlines which help keep legislators on track to finish the work that needs to be done in as close to 60 days as possible. There are three deadlines in particular that can change the flow of the process at the Capitol: The 35th Day, the 41st Day, and the 50th Day. Here’s what those deadlines are and what they do for the legislative process:

The 35th Day- Last day to introduce bills in the House of Delegates

• Tuesday, February 12 was the 35th day of the 2019 session. That means that there will be no more bills introduced in the House this year. There are a few exceptions. We might still see bills which originate in committee or House or Senate resolutions or concurrent resolutions, but there will be no more bills introduced on the floor.

The 41st Day- Last day to introduce bills in the Senate

• Senate rules allow bills to be introduced until the 41st day of each year’s session. This year, that’s Monday, February 18. The same exceptions to bills originating in committee, House or Senate resolutions, or concurrent resolutions still apply.  

Both of these deadlines cause a scramble to make sure that everything is introduced in time. That means that a veritable flood of new House bills were introduced on Monday and Tuesday this week, and that we can expect to see a sharp increase in the number of Senate bills introduced as Monday’s deadline looms.

These first two deadlines are set so that bills can meet the next major deadline- Crossover Day.

50th day of the session- Crossover Day

• By this day, this year it will be February 27th, all bills must be passed out of their house of origin. Simply put, if a bill was introduced in the Senate, it must have gone through committee, have been read on the floor 3 times, and have been voted on by the full Senate. Likewise for the House. If a bill passes, it can move on for consideration or “cross over” to the other chamber. If it hasn’t been voted on, the bill is not allowed to continue to be considered this session.

It’s important for all of us to keep a discerning eye on the legislative process as these notable session deadlines approach each year. The flurry of activity surrounding the large number of bills introduced can cause challenges if newly introduced bills go unnoticed. And challenges can arise for citizens who wish to provide feedback to their legislators as bills are rushed through passage.