The Legislature Today

On this episode of The Legislature Today, WVPB reporters Curtis Tate and Briana Heaney are joined by Caity Coyne, a reporter for the nonprofit news organization West Virginia Watch.

Also, lawmakers in the House of Delegates took on a novel source of power for West Virginia Thursday morning. Chris Schulz has more.

The Senate approved Senate Bill 505 Thursday. The bill changes how power plants operate in the state.

And a bill that would expand the employment and training requirements necessary for SNAP food benefits has passed the Senate and has been moved to the House Finance Committee. Those backing Senate Bill 249 see possible gains in increasing the state’s dismal workforce participation rate. Opponents say passage could hurt needy families and increase government bureaucracy. Randy Yohe has our story.

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The Legislature Today is West Virginia’s only television/radio simulcast devoted to covering the state’s 60-day regular legislative session.

Watch or listen to new episodes Monday through Friday at 6 p.m. on West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

On this episode of The Legislature Today, News Director Eric Douglas speaks with Sen. Joey Garcia, D-Marion, and Sen. Ryan Weld, R-Brooke, to talk about a bill that would remove the ability of cities and towns across the state to set their own rules. It’s called home rule.

Gov. Patrick Morrisey joined a meeting of gas and oil industry leaders at the Capitol Wednesday. He spoke to them about House Bill 2014, his plan to bring more microgrids and data centers to the state. Morrisey talked about keeping more of the profits from this resource-rich state here and how the microgrid legislation would do that.

In the Senate, lawmakers passed several bills on topics ranging from food stamps to DEI. Briana Heaney has more.

In the House, delegates got off to an emotional start debating a foster care bill. Chris Schulz has more.

And a bill that would expand the employment and training requirements necessary for SNAP food benefits has passed the Senate and is now under consideration in the House of Delegates. Randy Yohe has our story.

Having trouble viewing the video below? Click here to watch it on YouTube.

The Legislature Today is West Virginia’s only television/radio simulcast devoted to covering the state’s 60-day regular legislative session.

Watch or listen to new episodes Monday through Friday at 6 p.m. on West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

On this episode of The Legislature Today, the state budget continues to work its way through the West Virginia Legislature. We recently heard from Sen. Jason Barrett, R-Berkeley, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, and Del. Clay Riley, a Harrison County Republican and vice chairman of the House Finance Committee. This time, News Director Eric Douglas sits down with Sean O’Leary, senior policy analyst at West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy, to discuss the state’s budget from an analyst’s perspective.

Also, the Senate advanced several bills Tuesday, including a bill that would allow pharmacists to prescribe medicine. Briana Heaney has more.

Gov. Patrick Morrisey on Monday signed House Bill 2354. It bans certain additives from schools starting in August. It also bans those same additives from being sold statewide in 2028. Briana Heaney also has this story. 

And Monday afternoon, the House Education Committee discussed a bill that would change the structure of the Boards of Governors at the state’s 19 public colleges and universities.

Having trouble viewing the video below? Click here to watch it on YouTube.

The Legislature Today is West Virginia’s only television/radio simulcast devoted to covering the state’s 60-day regular legislative session.

Watch or listen to new episodes Monday through Friday at 6 p.m. on West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

On this episode of The Legislature Today, the House of Delegates for more than two hours debated a bill that would require public schools to accept religious vaccine exemptions. But Senate Bill 460 was rejected, 56-42. Briana Heaney has the story.

After the defeat of the vaccine bill in the House, News Director Eric Douglas sat down and discussed the results with Dr. Cathy Slemp, former state health officer for the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources, and now co-chair of the West Virginia Hope in Action Alliance, and House Minority Leader Del. Sean Hornbuckle, D-Cabell.

Also, parental rights took center stage on the Senate floor, as lawmakers held a lengthy debate over local control. Chris Schulz has more.

Having trouble viewing the video below? Click here to watch it on YouTube.

The Legislature Today is West Virginia’s only television/radio simulcast devoted to covering the state’s 60-day regular legislative session.

Watch or listen to new episodes Monday through Friday at 6 p.m. on West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

On this episode of The Legislature Today, WVPB reporters Jack Walker, Emily Rice and Curtis Tate discuss what legislation their following in this week's reporter roundtable.

Also, over the past year, camping bans have started popping up at both the local and state level. As Chris Schulz reports, a camping ban bill making its way through the West Virginia Legislature has some Morgantown residents feeling frustrated.

The House of Delegates worked through multiple amendments and nearly three hours of debate on a bill that would provide exemptions to the state’s current childhood vaccine laws. Briana Heaney was there and brings us this story.

Some members of the House want to tighten identification laws for voters. Jack Walker brings us this report.

Finally, for our weekly feature with our student reporters, Malia Saar and Emma Browning, they take a closer look at bills making their way through the legislature that lift restrictions.

Having trouble viewing the video below? Click here to watch it on YouTube.

The Legislature Today is West Virginia’s only television/radio simulcast devoted to covering the state’s 60-day regular legislative session.

Watch or listen to new episodes Monday through Friday at 6 p.m. on West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

On this episode of The Legislature Today, a number of bills have moved through the West Virginia Legislature this year that make changes to the practice of medicine in the state. A bill to remove the certificate of need for hospitals failed, but bills allowing optometrists and pharmacists to expand their practice are still moving. Sen. Eric Tarr, R-Putnam, has argued against some of these bills so he joined News Director Eric Douglas in our studio to discuss why. 

Also, some state lawmakers say the cost of maintaining the state’s sex offender registry should fall on the shoulders of registrants themselves. Jack Walker brings us this report.

And Appalachian Power electricity customers protested a proposed rate increase on the Capitol steps Thursday. Curtis Tate brings us the latest.

Having trouble viewing the episode below? Click here to watch it on YouTube.

The Legislature Today is West Virginia’s only television/radio simulcast devoted to covering the state’s 60-day regular legislative session.

Watch or listen to new episodes Monday through Friday at 6 p.m. on West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

On this episode of The Legislature Today, News Director Eric Douglas speaks with Sen. Jason Barrett, R-Berkeley, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, and Del. Clay Riley, R-Harrison, vice chairman of the House Finance Committee, to get their take on the budget process so far. 

In the Senate, lawmakers passed seven bills Wednesday and sent two other bills to the governor's desk for consideration. Briana Heaney has more. 

The House of Delegates passed bills to legalize standing on a moving motorcycle with both feet on its petals; and to allow retired state police officers to assist Child Protective Services in child abuse and neglect cases. Both bills will be sent to the state Senate for further review.

Also, deaf community members of all ages visited Charleston to talk with lawmakers and resource groups. Jack Walker stopped by and brings us this report.

Having trouble viewing the video below? Click here to watch it on YouTube.

The Legislature Today is West Virginia’s only television/radio simulcast devoted to covering the state’s 60-day regular legislative session.

Watch or listen to new episodes Monday through Friday at 6 p.m. on West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

On this episode of The Legislature Today, Jack Walker talks with Eastern Panhandle lawmakers Dels. Michael Hite, R-Berkeley, and Mike Hornby, R-Berkeley. They discuss lawmakers’ approach to regional issues like infrastructure constraints and a higher local cost of living.

Also, Tuesday marked the last day for new bills to be introduced in the House of Delegates. The state Senate has until next Monday for the same milestone.

In the Senate, the chamber passed the Safety and Violence Education for Students Act. Senate Bill 548 would provide training for public school students on violence and self-harm.

In the House, helmet requirements for West Virginia motorcyclists were the subject of spirited discussion on the floor. As Jack Walker reports, the debate centers around safety and personal choice.

And from the Eastern Panhandle to the southern mountain counties, West Virginia contains great variety. As Chris Schulz reports, both education committees debated bills intending to address unique regional issues.

Having trouble viewing the video below? Click here to watch it on YouTube.

The Legislature Today is West Virginia’s only television/radio simulcast devoted to covering the state’s 60-day regular legislative session.

Watch or listen to new episodes Monday through Friday at 6 p.m. on West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

On this episode of The Legislature Today, Curtis Tate speaks with Emmett Pepper of Energy Efficient West Virginia and Lucia Valentine of the West Virginia Environmental Council about energy and environment legislation they’re following, including Senate Bill 592, which would relax safeguards for aboveground storage tanks.

Monday was also Environment Day at the Capitol. Groups held a public hearing outside the House chamber in opposition to Senate Bill 592. An aboveground storage tank leak in 2014 contaminated the drinking water supply for 300,000 residents in the Charleston area.

In the Senate, rules committees don’t meet very often, and bills assigned to them are often considered shelved for the session. As Chris Schulz reports, two bills nearing completion in the Senate were sent to the chamber's Rules Committee.

In the House, the chamber reviewed several bills for their final reading, touching on topics like voter registration and reading education. Jack Walker brings us the rundown.

Having trouble viewing the video below? Click here to watch it on YouTube.

The Legislature Today is West Virginia’s only television/radio simulcast devoted to covering the state’s 60-day regular legislative session.

Watch or listen to new episodes Monday through Friday at 6 p.m. on West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

On this episode of The Legislature Today, WVPB reporters Briana Heaney and Curtis Tate are joined by Brad McElhinny of MetroNews for our weekly reporter roundtable.

Also, West Virginia is the first state to ban a list of food dyes, including Red 40. The legislation got bipartisan support, with only a few no votes. Briana Heaney has that story.

A bill that would loosen regulations on above ground storage tanks cleared the Senate. A leaking tank prompted the West Virginia water crisis in 2014, where more than 300,000 West Virginians lost access to safe drinking water for a week or more. Heaney also has this story.

And we have our weekly feature with two West Virginia high school students. Our student reporters, Malia Saar and Emma Browning, take a close look at some bills that affect education and career opportunities.

Having trouble viewing the video below? Click here to watch it on YouTube.

The Legislature Today is West Virginia’s only television/radio simulcast devoted to covering the state’s 60-day regular legislative session.

Watch or listen to new episodes Monday through Friday at 6 p.m. on West Virginia Public Broadcasting.