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 — 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 — 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 [...]

By Steven Allen Adams | West Virginia Watchdog
CHARLESTON — The lead sponsor of right-to-work legislation in the West Virginia Senate encouraged her fellow lawmakers to discuss the issue, while a union-employed senator said such legislation would be harmful to labor.
SB508, sponsored by state Sen. Karen Facemyer (R-Jackson) and introduced last Friday, would allow workers to [...]

By Steven Allen Adams | West Virginia Watchdog
CHARLESTON — A bill making texting while driving a primary offense is now on its way to the West Virginia House of Delegates after passing the state Senate.
Senators passed SB211 unanimously today, after the penalties in the bill were changed. SB211 would make it a primary offense to [...]

By Steven Allen Adams | West Virginia Watchdog
CHARLESTON — Another week has gone by, inching us closer to the halfway mark of the West Virginia Legislature’s 2012 general session. Feb. 9 will be the 30 day mark of the 60-day session.
As of today 1,608 bills have been introduced between the House of Delegates and the [...]

By Steven Allen Adams | West Virginia Watchdog
CHARLESTON — The West Virginia Senate put Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin’s public retiree health care funding proposal on the fast track to full passage by the Legislature later this week.
The state Senate suspended the rules requiring a bill be read on three separate days before passage and sent [...]

By Steven Allen Adams | West Virginia Watchdog
CHARLESTON — This could be the year that West Virginia finally deals with its multi-billion dollar retiree health care debt.
A bill proposed by Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin during his State of the State address, SB 469, was introduced in the West Virginia Senate this morning and passed out [...]

By Steven Allen Adams | West Virginia Watchdog
CHARLESTON — Tax incentives to lure a natural gas manufacturing facility to West Virginia is set to go before the West Virginia Senate tomorrow.
The Senate Finance Committee passed HB 4086 today a day after the House of Delegates passed the legislation. The bill will go to the full [...]

By Steven Allen Adams | West Virginia Watchdog
CHARLESTON — A bill that will make using a cell phone in a moving vehicle illegal, either by talking on it or texting, passed its first committee today.
SB 211 would make it a secondary offense to text or talk on a cell phone when driving. It would make [...]