By David Beard, The Dominion Post
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The House Judiciary Committee on Monday approved a resolution to give itself more oversight of the state Board of Education.
And it undid part of a bill it had approved Saturday to give itself more power during a state of emergency.
The state of emergency bill is HB 2003, a result of the frustration with the governor’s sole control of the COVID-19 state of emergency declared last March.
The bill says a state of emergency may last no longer than 60 days unless both houses of the Legislature pass a concurrent resolution to extend it. A state of preparedness may last no longer than 30 days unless extended by resolution.
Because the language of the bill left it unclear – but assumed – that it would apply to the current state of emergency, Delegate Pat McGeehan, R-Brooke, offered an amendment that specified it does apply. It passed 16-8.
If the bill passed into law with that amendment, the current state of emergency would immediately expire and have to be renewed by the Legislature…