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Numerous bills are moving as the state Legislature works through the last half of its session.
On Monday, the last wave of bills began to be introduced in anticipation of next Monday, March 20, the 41st day of the Legislature. That's also the final date to introduce bills during the session that adjourns at midnight April 8.
Notable during Monday's Senate and House of Delegates floor sessions were:
— Consolidating Boards of Education -- Delegate Ron Walters, R-Kanawha, has created a budget bill that organizes the state into 10 districts in order to minimize the number of boards of education throughout the state.
"Why do we need 55 of everything?" he said, noting that HB3008 is set to be introduced to the West Virginia Legislature today.
The bill also calls for eliminating the eight RESAs, and it allows students to cross county boundaries for schooling. It includes a plan for levees and elections, and consolidates staffing, Walters said.
"This is a needed change," he said during the Senate floor session Monday, in a call for co-sponsors.
— DUI Offenders' Drivers Licenses -- There are people with serious-offense DUIs from years ago who are still driving around because they've never had their license revoked, said Sen. Charles S. Trump, R-Morgan. His proposed legislation, SB212, passed the Senate floor on Monday and is now on its way to the House of Delegates. It eliminates the Office of Administrative Hearings that costs state taxpayers several million dollars per year to operate. Trump says that office stalls the process of getting DUI offenders off the roadways, so it's failed its duty. His bill places that responsibility on magistrate and circuit courts that would be able to suspend and revoke driver's licenses quickly and early in the criminal process, Trump said. "People who have DUIs are still driving around with no action on their licenses." But Sen. Ronald Miller, D-Greenbrier, says the office should have another year to work on its backlogged cases now that a new director is in charge. He said the office helped reduce the DUI death rate since it opened in 2010. Trump disagrees, saying other initiatives, including added felonies for DUI offenses, and technology like Interlock for vehicles that won't start unless the driver passes a breathalyzer, have lowered the rate over the past 30 years in West Virginia, and throughout the country.
— Community and Tech College Scholarships -- Delegate Michael Rowe, D-Kanawha, proposes a scholarship program to help students "get substantial funding" to pay the average $3,200 per year tuition. It's similar to the state's existing $4,700 per year Promise Scholarship for four-year degrees. It helps students realize "'I can (afford to) go to college. All I have to do is keep my grades up,'" Rowe said. It requires students maintain a 2.5 grade point average, and earn an ACT test score of 16.
— Medical Marijuana -- Sen. Mike Woelfel, D-Cabell, called on Senate President Mitch Carmichael to move Senate Bill 386 in committee, so that the Senate can have a debate as the House of Delegates did last week. Introduced on Feb. 21, the bill hasn't been discussed in the Health and Human Resources Committee, its first assignment. It would also have to be considered by the Judiciary Committee, and with the legislative session more than halfway completed, time is running out. "It's time to have the discussion," Woelfel said. "Let's get this thing moving from the health committee, debate it, and see if it's good legislation."