The purpose of the legislative session is for priority bills to become law. Thousands of bills are introduced; this year, 293 bills became law. It’s hard to keep up with them all, so here’s a brief rundown of major bills that became law…and bills that did not.
BILLS THAT PASSED. 2023 budget, DHHR split in two, creation of microschools, abortion restrictions for unborn children with disabilities (such as down syndrome), creation of a new suicide hotline, film tax credit, an 5 percent average pay raise for all public employees, a $10,000 raise for state troopers, a 20 percent raise for all DHHR social services employees, tuition credits for students who complete AmeriCorps/VISTA, putting one person in charge of substance use disorder response statewide, studying creation of a veterinarian school in West Virginia, 50/50 custody law changes, forced pooling of mineral rights owners, and giving legislature control over all education policies (if the voters approve it on the 2022 ballot).
BILLS THAT DIED. Foster care, insulin price cap of $35/month, “anti-racism” history, unemployment benefit cuts, restoring voting rights for formerly incarcerated individuals, and rare earth mineral tax credits.
I now want to spend some time focusing on a few particular/thorny issues which resolved themselves, one way or another, in the final days of the session.
STATE PARKS. My first stop when I came home from the legislative session was taking my son to the Greenbrier River Trail, which is technically a state park. I love our state parks and promote them at every chance! HB4088 did end up passing, and I received more calls/email/messages about it than any other bill this session. It began as a bill allowing privatization of state parks. I adamantly opposed that, because it could’ve led to ATVs on the river trail or private companies taking over entire parks. The final version of the bill only allows privatization of new recreation or lodging at state parks. I still voted no due to concerns this could set a precedent in the future. But I am hopeful the effect of the bill will be limited in scope.
FOSTER CARE. The most important bill of the entire session–foster care reform–was tabled on the final day of session. This was after most of the key provisions had already been removed. Frankly, the legislature should be ashamed. They talk about making kids a priority all the time, but their actions spoke loud and clear in failing to make it a priority. DHHR lobbied behind the scenes to defeat the bill, for it would’ve demanded their transparency and accountability. This is not over; I will continue to fight for our foster children.
CHILD ABUSE HOTLINE. Related, when they tabled the foster care bill, they tabled the changes to the child abuse hotline I proposed in response to the death of five children in Williamsburg. It is an absolute disgrace that DHHR refuses to take responsibility and make changes.
UNEMPLOYMENT CUTS. On the final night, I employed a procedural tactic to defeat the bills cutting unemployment benefits for seasonal workers. Those bills would have devastated workers at The Greenbrier and in the fields of hospitality, tourism, and construction. It’s a shame so much time is spent defeating bad bills, but I am proud to stand up for our workers any day (or night, as was the case this time).
BUDGET ITEMS. The final budget includes funding to repair the Monroe County Courthouse and to build the full veteran’s nursing home in Beckley. Many thanks to Governor Justice’s support for making these local issues a priority!
Please feel free to reach out with any questions. I’ll be hosting legislative recaps across the region in the coming weeks at civic group meetings. That’s the view from the back pew, where it is my privilege to serve you.
Senator Stephen Baldwin is the Minority Leader and a local pastor. Reach him at 304-357-7959 or stephen.baldwin@wvsenate.gov. Follow him on Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, or Instagram @BaldwinForWV.
This page is available to subscribers. Click here to sign in or get access.