The Legislature Today

A bill expanding on West Virginia’s public charter school law is now back, in part, to an earlier version that was passed by the House of Delegates last week.

Senate Education Chair Patricia Rucker, R-Jefferson, and House Education Minority Chair Sean Hornbuckle, D-Cabell, join WVPB’s The Legislature Today from the Capitol building. The lawmakers discuss the Hope Scholarship bill, charter school legislation, and the needs of students following almost a year at home during the COVID-19 pandemic.

On this West Virginia Morning, public education is a major topic at the West Virginia Legislature this year with Republicans and Democrats taking different sides on charter school expansion, work stoppage and education savings accounts. We speak to each side for their perspective. Also, we have the latest news from the statehouse, on vaccine distribution, and this week’s Mountain Stage Song of the Week.

The West Virginia House of Delegates unanimously agreed to advance a bill Wednesday to expand the state’s restorative justice program for juveniles.

A bill that passed the House of Delegates Wednesday creates new misdemeanor and felony charges for anyone who exposes a government employee to a harmful drug or chemical agent.

The House of Delegates is on track to consider a bill that would exempt oil and gas operators closest to intake sites for drinking water from the 2014 Aboveground Storage Tank Act.

The West Virginia House of Delegates will consider a bill reforming laws for shared child custody.

The West Virginia House of Delegates passed a bill relaxing licensing requirements for plumbers and electricians.

On this West Virginia Morning, the ski industry in West Virginia is highly regarded around the country, but it has its roots in simpler times and with just a few people who saw the potential for skiing in West Virginia. In this show, we talk with a skiing legend. Also, we have a conversation with West Virginia House and Senate leadership.

It has been a week of snow, ice and power outages, but the work of the West Virginia Legislature continued at a brisk pace. This week on The Legislature Today, we speak with House and Senate leadership, and we have updates on numerous bills.