By Steven Allen Adams, The Journal
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The West Virginia House of Delegates met for nearly four hours Wednesday, debating multiple bills dealing with classification of gig workers, COVID-19 liability protections and exempting some aboveground storage tanks from certain regulations.
The House started its Wednesday floor session at 11 a.m. and adjourned at 2:41 p.m. in one of its lengthiest floor debates as the 2021 legislative session hits the halfway mark today. The House passed four House bills and five state Senate bills.
Much of Wednesday’s debates centered around three bills: Senate Bill 272, creating the West Virginia Employment Law Worker Classification Act; Senate Bill 277, creating the COVID-19 Jobs Protection Act; and House Bill 2598, altering the definition of an aboveground storage tank.
SB 272 changes how state code defines independent contractors and creates criteria for determining the difference between contract employees and hourly or salary employees. The bill passed 77-23 along party lines…
