By Steven Allen Adams, The Parkersburg News and Sentinel
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Despite the crash-and-burn of the personal income tax phase-out bill, Gov. Jim Justice and leaders of the West Virginia Senate and House of Delegates called the 2021 legislative session a success.
The Legislature adjourned Saturday night at midnight, ending 60 days operating under unusual circumstances as both bodies instituted rules to ensure COVID-19 didn’t spread to lawmakers and staff.
According to the Legislature’s website, out of the 2,039 bills introduced since the start of session on Feb. 10, 281 bills completed the legislative process, nearly 14 percent of the total bills. As of Sunday, Justice had signed 78 bills and only vetoed one bill, which the Legislature corrected and sent back.
Speaking after Saturday night’s floor session, Senate President Craig Blair, R-Berkeley, and House Speaker Roger Hanshaw, R-Clay, said the 2021 session had many successes for the first session with Republican supermajorities. Those successes were possible due to good communication and aggressively working to move legislation early in case of a COVID-19 outbreak…
