WV House, Senate leaders provide update at session’s halfway point
By Charles Young, The Exponent Telegram
CHARLESTON — On Thursday, the 30th day of the legislative session, leaders from the House of Delegates and state Senate provided an update on progress on key issues and outlined what they think can be accomplished by session’s end at midnight March 7.
Senate President Mitch Carmichael, R-Jackson, House Speaker Roger Hanshaw, R-Clay, House Minority Leader Tim Miley, D-Harrison, and Sen. Ron Stollings, D-Boone, who was representing Senate Minority Leader Roman Prezioso, D-Marion, each delivered remarks at an event hosted by the West Virginia Press Association. …
Delegates have prioritized criminal justice reforms this session, Hanshaw said.
“We know that the county jail bills are plaguing all our counties in West Virginia — our small counties feel that very acutely, but no more or less painfully than the larger counties and major municipalities,” he said. “We know that when individuals spend their time in incarceration, they are not being productive members of our society. They are not accruing skills that make them marketable in their communities. They’re not providing for their families and building a life here in West Virginia as we want them to do.”
The biggest priority of the second half of the session will be finalizing the state budget for fiscal year 2021, Hanshaw said.
“From here on in, the big question will be, ‘How do we structure our budget?” he said. “We’ll be working together with our Senate colleagues, our colleagues from both parties and the governor’s administration as we move forward to draft the budget and have it our the door by Day 60. …