Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin signs SB469, providing a funding mechanism for West Virginia’s $5 billion OPEB debt. (Photo/Steven Allen Adams)
By Steven Allen Adams | West Virginia Watchdog
CHARLESTON — With the stroke of a pen, Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin signed a bill making West Virginia the first state to deal with its multi-billion dollar retiree health [...]

By Steven Allen Adams | West Virginia Watchdog
CHARLESTON — A bill introduced nearly two weeks ago would close a loophole allowing retired state employees to return to work as contractors while still receiving pension check.
State Sen. Mike Green (D-Raleigh) introduced SB545 on Feb. 08. Green is the only sponsor for the bill, which would close [...]

By Steven Allen Adams | West Virginia Watchdog
CHARLESTON — Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin‘s substance abuse bill passed one committee today on the West Virginia Senate side, but still has two more committees to go through.
The Senate Health and Human Resources Committee passed SB437, Tomblin’s proposal that would create a regulatory framework in place to monitor [...]

By Steven Allen Adams | West Virginia Watchdog
CHARLESTON — One scrap yard owner told lawmakers that their proposal to curb copper theft had good parts, but it also had bad sections.
The Senate Judiciary Committee heard this morning from Tony Coffman, owner of Coffman’s Metals in Birch River, W.Va. Senators are looking at SB528, which has [...]

By Steven Allen Adams | West Virginia Watchdog
CHARLESTON — Teachers’ unions and other interest groups crammed into the office of the Senate Education Committee Chairman to hammer out language for a committee substitute to Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin’s proposal for teacher evaluations and a mentoring program.
A Senate Education subcommittee chaired by state Sen. Richard Browning [...]

By Steven Allen Adams | West Virginia Watchdog
CHARLESTON — A bill designed to curb copper theft in West Virginia could do harm to the scrap metal industry despite its good intentions.
Last Tuesday 16 Senators introduced SB528: Senate President Jeff Kessler (D-Marshall), Majority Leader John Unger (D-Berkeley), Herb Snyder (D-Jefferson), Richard Browning (D-Wyoming), Corey Palumbo (D-Kanawha), [...]

By Steven Allen Adams | West Virginia Watchdog
CHARLESTON — Other than a few criticisms, the Performance Evaluation and Research Division of the West Virginia Legislative Auditor’s office received praise from the National State Auditors Association.
Yesterday, the Legislative Auditor’s office released a peer review study by the NSAA of the Performance Evaluation and Research Division (PERD). [...]

By Steven Allen Adams | West Virginia Watchdog
CHARLESTON — If senators agree with changes to the legislation, Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin can add finding funding for the state’s multi-billion dollar retiree health care debt to his list of successes since officially becoming Governor in November.
The West Virginia House of Delegates passed SB469, Gov. Tomblin’s proposal [...]

By Steven Allen Adams | West Virginia Watchdog
CHARLESTON — Republicans in the West Virginia House of Delegates tried to amend Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin‘s legislation to pay down the state’s retiree health care debt after raising concerns about the bill’s specifics.
House Republicans offered five amendments to SB469, with all five failing. Two failed by voice [...]

By Steven Allen Adams | West Virginia Watchdog
CHARLESTON — Supporters of two anti-discrimination bills in the West Virginia Legislature have some new allies.
Fairness West Virginia held a press conference this morning promoting two bills that would amend the state Human Rights Act by adding sexual orientation to the list of protections.
“This is an issue of [...]