Governor Jim Justice called the West Virginia Legislature into session on Thursday, June 24, requesting $250 million be allocated throughout the state government, including to education, tourism, and more.
“The special session call requests that the Legislature consider over $250 million in supplementary appropriations that Gov. Justice has divided into over 20 different initiatives, among other considerations. …. A few of those initiatives include upgrades and expansions to several West Virginia State Parks, upgrades to the Elk River Trail, allocating initial funding to the Economic Development Authority’s Closing Fund, upgrades to correctional facilities, replenishing the First Responders’ Death Fund, and many others.”
After the session, Senate Minority Leader and Greenbrier County rep Stephen Baldwin expressed frustration with the spending priorities.
“Frustrating day here at the capital,” Baldwin said. “ … My frustration is out of $250 million, nothing for broadband, nothing for flood mitigation, five years to the week of the great flood, nothing for our police. We are experiencing crises out there right now and we’ve got to get ahead of the curve on flood mitigation. We have a significant portion of our state that has no or very poor internet access, which is completely inadequate in today’s modern society. … Crime is on the rise and our police are having a really difficult time recruiting people and we proposed just spending a tiny bit to get them what they deserve.”
Of the 21 passed bills in under 24 hours, the normal constitutional requirement of three readings suspended, only two bills did not concern appropriations. Instead, these dealt with alcohol sales and the cost of incarceration for counties.
The first updates the State Code of West Virginia (§60-3A-18), allowing retail licensees to sell alcohol at any time except “on Easter Sunday, Christmas Day between the hours of 12:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m.” Previously, the code forbade sales on Sundays until 1 p.m. Senator Jack Woodrum voted in favor, while Baldwin, Delegate Todd Longanacre, and Delegate Barry Bruce voted against.
The second froze the per diem rate counties pay for incarcerated inmates to the regional jails until July 1, 2022. The bill also requires the per diem cost in the future be calculated annually and from the previous three fiscal years of actual costs. All four Greenbrier County representatives voted in favor of its passage.
The legislature also confirmed Greg Thomas and Danielle Waltz to the Educational Broadcasting Authority, the governing body of West Virginia Public Broadcasting, drawing criticism from Baldwin.
“About the only thing we did accomplish also involved some high tension and that was confirming two people to serve on the educational broadcasting authority board that oversees West Virginia Public Broadcasting,” Baldwin said. “They’re political appointees. So we’re further politicizing public broadcasting.”
Of the supplemental appropriations requests made by Justice, both chambers of the legislature passed a handful of bills giving money to parks, emergency management, tourism, the Department of Transportation, education, and more:
– Division of Natural Resources – Capital Outlay – Parks – $42,000,000 (From the above appropriation for Capital Outlay – Parks, $30,000,000 is to be used for state park improvements, $9,500,000 is to be used for state park tram replacement and repair, and $2,500,000 is to be used for the Elk River Trail.) (S.B. 2002)
– Department of Homeland Security (DHS) – Office of the Secretary – WV Fire and EMS Survivor Benefit ® – $1,200,000 (S.B. 2003)
– DHS Division of Emergency Management – SIRN – $5,000,000 (From the above appropriation for SIRN an amount not less than $5,000,000 shall be transferred to the Department of Homeland Security – Division of Emergency Management – West Virginia Interoperable Radio Project) (S.B. 2003)
– DHS Division of Emergency Management – Emergency Response Coordination Grants $795,000 (S.B. 2003)
– DHS Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation – Correctional Units – Current Expenses ® – $9,400,000 (S.B. 2003)
– DHS Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation – Correctional Units – Capital Outlay and Maintenance ® – $22,500,000 (From the above appropriation for Capital Outlay and Maintenance, $15,000,000 shall be used for Anthony Correctional Center.) (S.B. 2003)
– DHS Department of Commerce – West Virginia Development Office – Directed Transfer – $30,000,000 (The above appropriation for Directed Transfer shall be transferred to the Department of Commerce, West Virginia Development Office, Development Office Promotion Fund.) (S.B. 2005)
– DHS Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation – Personal Services and Employee Benefits – $200,000
– DHS Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation – Correctional Units – Huttonsville Correctional Center – $75,000
– DHS Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation – Correctional Units – Salem Correctional Center – $75,000
– DHS Division of Administrative Services – Personal Services and Employee Benefits – $350,000
– Governor’s Office – Civil Contingent Fund – Civil Contingent Fund (R) – $17,250,000 (S.B. 2006)
– Governor’s Office – Civil Contingent Fund – Local Economic Development Assistance – $7,100,000 (S.B. 2006)
– Governor’s Office – Civil Contingent Fund – Local Economic Development Assistance – Surplus – $1,403,161.56 (S.B. 2021)
– Governor’s Office – Civil Contingent Fund – Local Economic Development Assistance – Surplus – $3,247,845.30 (S.B. 2021)
– Department of arts, culture, and history – Division of Culture and History – Capital Outlay and Maintenance – $2,100,000 (The purpose of this supplemental appropriation bill is to increase an existing item of appropriation for the Department of Arts, Culture, and History, Division of Culture and History) (S.B. 2007)
– State Rail Authority (S.B. 2008)
– Department of Transportation (DOT) – State Rail Authority – Personal Services and Employee Benefits – $361,627 (S.B. 2008)
– DOT State Rail Authority – Current Expenses – $3,837,707 (S.B. 2008)
– DOT State Rail Authority – Other Assets – $1,270,019 (S.B. 2008)
– DOT State Rail Authority – BRIM Premium – $201,541 (S.B. 2008)
– DOT State Rail Authority – West Virginia Commuter Rail Access Fund – Current Expenses – $750,000 (S.B. 2019) ($3,550,000 shall be transferred to the State Rail Authority – Commuter Rail Access Fund. (S.B. 2008))
– Department of Education – State Board of Education – State Aid to Schools – $1,752,591,362 This includes funding for Advanced Placement ($670,151), Professional Educators ($869,082,617), Service Personnel ($291,835,429), Transportation ($69,037,827), Professional Student Support Services ($59,608,039), Teacher and Leader Induction ($5,478,876), Total Basic State Aid ($1,158,025,106), Public Employees’ Insurance Matching ($206,938,256), Teachers’ Retirement System ($60,784,000), Retirement Systems – Unfunded Liability – ($302,844,000), and more. (S.B. 2009)
– State Board of Education – School Construction Fund – SBA Construction Grants – $24,000,000 (S.B. 2010)
– Department of Health and Human resources (DHHR) – Division of Human Services – Salary and Benefits of Cabinet Secretary and Agency Heads – $41,500
– DHHR Division of Human Services – James “Tiger” Morton Catastrophic Illness Fund – $41,500
– West Virginia Tourism Office – Tourism – Development Opportunity Fund – $5,000,000 (S.B. 2014)
– Department of Revenue – Tax Division – Capital Outlay and Maintenance- $2,000,000 (S.B. 2015)
– Office of the Secretary – Revenue Shortfall Reserve Fund – Transfer – $50,000,000 (S.B. 2016)
– Governor’s Office – Civil Contingent Fund – Milton Flood Wall – $17,500,000 (S.B. 2017)
– Department of Commerce – West Virginia Tourism Office – Tourism – Brand Promotion – $7,000,000 (S.B. 2017)
– Department of Commerce – West Virginia Development Office – Directed Transfer – $1,000,000 (S.B. 2017)
– West Virginia Council for Community and Technical Education – $3,000,000 (S.B. 2017)
– Mountwest Community and Technical College – $97,340 (S.B. 2017)
– New River Community and Technical College – $87,973 (S.B. 2017)
– Blue Ridge Community and Technical College – $117,463 (S.B. 2017)
– West Virginia University at Parkersburg – $154,789 (S.B. 2017)
– Southern West Virginia Community and Technical College – $123,627 (S.B. 2017)
– West Virginia Northern Community and Technical College – $109,287 (S.B. 2017)
– Eastern West Virginia Community and Technical College – $32,699 (S.B. 2017)
– BridgeValley Community and Technical College – $121,482 (S.B. 2017)
– Higher Education Policy Commission – Administration – Control Account – Workforce Development Initiative – $1,600,000 (S.B. 2017)
– West Virginia University – School of Medicine Medical School Fund – $293,677 (Included … is $33,530 to be used for WVU School of Health Science – Eastern Division; $225,846 to be used for the WVU – School of Health Sciences and $34,301 to be used for the WVU School of Health Sciences – Charleston Division.) (S.B. 2017)
– West Virginia University – General Administrative Fund – $16,600,000 (S.B. 2017)
– Marshall University School of Medicine – $183,526 (S.B. 2017)
– Marshall University – General Administration Fund – $9,700,000 (S.B. 2017)
– West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine – $133,189 (S.B. 2017)
– Bluefield State College – $95,748 (S.B. 2017)
– Concord University – $157,146 (S.B. 2017)
– Glenville State College – $96,704 (S.B. 2017)
– Shepherd University – $190,257 (S.B. 2017)
– West Liberty University – $136,540 (S.B. 2017)
– West Virginia State University – $170,138 (S.B. 2017)
– Office of Technology – Chief Technology Officer Administration Fund – Current Expenses – $2,000,000 (S.B. 2019)
– miscellaneous boards and commissions – National Coal Heritage Area Authority – Personal Services and Employee Benefits – $25,000 (S.B. 2024)
– Senate Bill 2018 amended appropriations in Title II, section 9, [in the budget bill] for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2022, by reducing all appropriations from general revenue fund surplus accrued to $0. (S.B. 2018)
