Early each year, there’s a lot of hype about the legislative session. In general, the “regular session” takes place during January, February, and parts of March, and lasts 60 days.

Soon, new laws will make their way from the Capitol to your community. There is a role for citizen lobbyists to play in implementing the policy changes they care about within their communities.

Taking an active role in supporting specific bills is one of many strategies that citizen lobbyists use to influence the policymaking process.

Understanding factors that influence the policymaking process can come in handy for any citizen lobbyist, and supermajorities are one such factor.

Despite removing their obligation to conduct public hearings, public pressure prompted the House of Delegates to hold their first public hearing on a virtual platform (Microsoft Teams) this past Monday.

Citizen lobbyists are faced each year with the task of “cutting through the noise” of the legislative process.

As all seasoned citizen lobbyists will tell you, finding a legislative champion – a legislator who understands the issue you’re working on and who is willing to advocate on behalf of it – is key to being successful.

The air in the Capitol halls is quite different than it was at the beginning of January. The legislative machine is picking up speed and legislators, staff, and lobbyists are hustling to get bills drafted, introduced, advocated for or against, and moved through the committee process.

As a bill works its way through the legislative process, it encounters a number of turning points at which its supporters need to make tough calls.

That’s got many citizen lobbyists wondering: what happens if one chamber amends a bill, but the other doesn’t agree with how it was amended?

With the thousands of bills introduced in the legislature each year, it’s a fair bet that some of those bills propose similar policy solutions. So, what happens when more than one bill addresses the same topic?

As West Virginia’s 60-day legislative session moves toward its conclusion, we’re beginning to see parliamentary actions happen on the floor that aren’t often part of the process in the early days of the session.

Every legislator at the Capitol is tasked with representing the interests of the citizens in their districts, but did you know that many legislators also have additional roles to play in the policymaking process?

During every session, legislative deadlines help keep the policymaking process on track.

I find that more often when a legislator offers to discuss their concerns about a bill or an issue in general, they are doing a few things that can be incredibly helpful.

Here are some tips and tricks that seasoned citizen lobbyists use once the wheeling and dealing begins.

In a democratic form of government like the West Virginia Legislature, the ability of each representative to have an uncompromised voice in the legislative process equals our ability as citizens to have a voice in the legislative process.

When it comes to making state-level policies, the WV Legislature is tasked with finding policy solutions that will impact everyone in the state.

2020 is an election year, and this sometimes leads to changes in behavior at the legislature.

At the Capitol, there are two brave souls whose job it is to bring order to this chaos: the Clerks of the House and Senate.

With hundreds of bills introduced during West Virginia’s annual 60-day legislative session, there isn’t enough time for legislators to thoroughly review each policy.

Moving forward a policy change that’s in the best interest of your community has the potential to move the needle in a big way.

We talk a lot about local policy decisions, but what does that really mean?

One of the major victories won on behalf of WV communities this session was the passage of SB 4 – a bill that makes the Municipal Home Rule Program permanent and opens it up to all municipalities in the state.

As the legislative session comes down to the wire, citizens in the gallery and at home will notice that there are a few things that function a little bit differently during floor sessions.

As the final hours of the 2019 legislative session approach, the climate underneath the golden dome feels a bit different than it has in previous weeks.

Sometimes it’s tough to get action on an issue, particularly if legislators have only heard one person’s opinion.

We’ve talked before about the incredible amount of influence committees have in the legislative process.

Each year, legislative rules dictate deadlines which help make sure legislators are able to finish the work that needs to be done in as close to 60 days as possible.

Have you ever wondered how legislators make informed decisions about bills that they are reviewing, even when they may not be familiar about the subject matter?

It’s the third week of Session and the Legislative machine is picking up steam. Hundreds of bills have been introduced so far, and hundreds more will be considered before the session’s final day.

If you’re anything like me, you know that it’s easy to become overwhelmed by how much there is to learn when it comes to engaging with legislators and the policy-making process.

If you’ve never sat in the gallery during a floor session of the Senate or House of Delegates before, the proceedings can be a bit overwhelming.

This week there is an air of calm attentiveness at the Capitol building as legislators, staff, citizens, and lobbyists get to work and watch for the issues that will become the center of focus for this legislative session.

In the coming weeks, The Hub’s policy team will highlight bills that stand to impact WV communities.

Once a bill makes it through both houses of the Legislature, it’s got one final hurdle to jump before officially making it across the finish line — a trip across the Governor’s desk.

In addition to evaluating and voting on changes to state law, the Legislature is constitutionally required to do one major thing during the Legislative Session: pass a budget.

With HB 4145 passed on Tuesday, and schools back in session on Wednesday, there can be no doubt – this week has seen a huge victory for teachers and public workers in WV.

The Speaker has a unique power with the potential to radically shape discussions on the floor – the power to determine what is germane.

Each year, legislative rules dictate deadlines which help make sure legislators are able to finish the work that needs to be done in as close to 60 days as possible.

In the midst of this historic moment for teachers, public workers, and for labor rights in West Virginia, we’re asking: How does the Legislature function when it’s been taken over by a single issue?

Here’s what you need to know about how and when a public hearing is called and how to participate in this method of letting your Legislators know what you think.

Right now, perhaps more than at any moment before in this session, I find myself with serious questions about citizen access to and the transparency of our legislative process.

While both Houses can pass joint resolutions calling for additions or changes to the state Constitution, there’s a much larger process required before West Virginia’s Constitution can actually be amended.

This week, perhaps more than others this session, the Capitol has been the site of a number of hard fought battles, both those seen on the news and those behind the scenes.

Sometimes it’s tough to get action on an issue, particularly if legislators have only heard one person’s opinion.

So, there’s an issue that’s getting you fired up and you’re ready to do something about it. What now?

If you find the language used to construct legislation confusing and inaccessible, you’re not alone.

This week, deeper discussion around what will likely become the biggest issues this session began in earnest. Until now, issues like logging in state forests, redistricting, and free community and technical college were just part of a laundry list of proposed bills.

If you’re anything like me, you’ve probably spent some time grappling with one of the central questions about policymaking: what are the long term impacts of this bill?

Last year, 1802 bills were introduced during the session. 1802 is a big number. Want to be able to keep track of those that interest you? We’ve got you covered.

There’s a lot happening under that gold and blue capitol dome this year, and we want you to have access to the best information.

How does the sale of property tax debt impact everyday life in West Virginia’s communities? A new report aims to find out.