By Caity Coyne, Charleston Gazette-Mail
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — After nearly five hours of questions, debate and discussion, the House Committee on Health and Human Resources voted down a bill Tuesday that aimed to eliminate West Virginia’s certificate-of-need process.
With three members absent, the final vote was 12-10, with seven Republicans — including Delegate Matthew Rohrbach, R-Cabell, a doctor and chairman of House Health — joining Democrats to keep the law.
Bills to eliminate the certificate-of-need process have been introduced in the Legislature annually since at least 2017. Tuesday was the first time one made it onto a committee agenda.
House Majority Leader Amy Summers, R-Taylor, who has sponsored the bill for several years and who sits on the committee, said in a statement Wednesday that she was “very pleased” with the lengthy debate, even though the bill failed to pass…
