West Virginia Legislature

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.

The West Virginia Legislature has completed work on a bill that elevates two high-profile state government jobs to cabinet-level positions.

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 has made a major change to a bill that deems strikes by public employees illegal. Lawmakers in the lower chamber adopted an amendment that now would allow extracurricular activities on strike days.

On this West Virginia Morning, health disparities between white communities and Black and Latino communities have existed for years. But the coronavirus has made it even more obvious. Also, in this show, we have the latest statehouse news and an update on West Virginia baseball.

The West Virginia Senate passed a bill Wednesday that would create a new layer in the state court system for civil cases. As lawmakers noted, the push for an intermediate court of appeals has been a perennial issue at the statehouse for years.

A bill that would expand West Virginia’s charter schools saw changes Tuesday evening. HB 2012, as it left the House of Delegates, allowed for up to 10 public charter schools to be established in the state over the next three years. But, on a narrow vote, Senate Education Committee members brought that number back down to three over the next three years. If successful, 10 charters would be allowed every three years after that.

On this West Virginia Morning, spring is just around the corner and this year researchers at West Virginia University are on the lookout for this year’s cicada brood, expected to be among the largest. But more importantly, these cicadas have a fungus that affects their behavior. Also, in this show, we have a story exploring solar expansion, and we have the latest in state education and health news.

After more than an hour of debate, the West Virginia House of Delegates Judiciary Committee advanced a bill that would provide immunity from civil liability for people, businesses and health care providers as it pertains to the coronavirus pandemic.

On this West Virginia Morning, small businesses across the country have been struggling during the coronavirus pandemic, but we hear from one community in southern West Virginia that has banded together to support their own and drive out the problems. Also, in this show, we bring you news updates from around the state and the Capitol.