Rotunda Roundup
West Virginia’s 2026 Regular Session is in full sprint. The House moved a major EMS funding bill, while Senate Judiciary continued to tee up child-welfare reforms—both via committee action and public testimony. Federal courts in West Virginia also weighed in sharply on immigration enforcement tactics, and winter weather drove advisories, warnings, and county office closures across parts of the state. Today, the House of Delegates will debate its version of the Governor’s 2027 proposed budget during the 11:00 a.m. floor session.
Legislature
House Minority Leader Sean Hornbuckle led a moment of silence on the House floor for two Huntington murder victims. Adrian Phillips (26) and his brother Derious Johnson (39) were fatally shot around 2:30 a.m. Friday; a suspect, Kevante White (27) of Akron, was arrested Sunday in Ohio and charged with 2 counts of first-degree murder.
Source: WV MetroNews
Why it Matters: Puts public safety and violent crime squarely into the legislative conversation, shaping the political runway for enforcement, prevention, and community-response policy moves.
WV Freedom Caucus members announced opposition to SB 250 (Senate budget), citing spending-growth concerns alongside tax cuts. WVDN reported they argued the plan pairs an income-tax reduction with roughly $300 million in increased spending (including supplementals) and called for “real spending discipline” to phase out the income tax.
Source: WVDN
Why it Matters: Adds organized intra-party pressure that can move budget negotiations, amendment strategy, and “must-have” tradeoffs (including Hope Scholarship funding debates).
West Virginia Government & Agencies
Secretary of State Kris Warner announced ballot position drawings for primary election candidates statewide on Feb. 24. WVDN reported county clerks will conduct random drawings at 9:00 AM across all 55 counties; Warner’s office certified candidate lists on Feb. 20, with nearly 2,700 candidates participating in the May 12 primary.
Source: WVDN
Why it Matters: A procedural milestone that matters for campaigns, ballot production timelines, and election administration readiness.
Health Care
WVU Hospitals East will require adult visitors to check in and wear visible photo badges at Berkeley Medical Center and Jefferson Medical Center starting Monday, February 23, 2026. Visitors 18+ must present photo ID to receive a one-day badge (photo/name/destination), re-register each day, and the process is expected to take about three minutes.
Source: WV MetroNews
Why it Matters: This tightens access control and improves emergency accountability at two key Eastern Panhandle hospitals amid rising national concerns about violence and security in healthcare settings.
Child Welfare
Senate Judiciary advanced SB 399 to create the governor’s “Bring Them Home Fund” aimed at reducing out-of-state foster placements. MetroNews reported 5,905 total child welfare placements with 546 out-of-state; the bill would establish a DHS-administered trust fund and reinvest savings from reduced out-of-state placements.
Source: WV MetroNews
Why it Matters: Sets up a financing mechanism that could redirect operational savings into capital/program expansion—raising governance, oversight, and provider-payment questions.
Public testimony to Senate Judiciary highlighted systemic breakdowns in child welfare capacity, including hotel placements and lost treatment beds. WVPB reported speakers citing ~6,000 children in state custody at times, 15–25sleeping in hotels, and ~150 residential treatment beds lost over five years.
Source: WVPB
Why it Matters: Puts hard operational metrics on the record as Judiciary evaluates reforms—useful for fiscal notes, workforce pipeline planning, and provider contracting.
Sen. Tom Willis’ committee issued formal logistics for public participation on child welfare reform. WV StateWire reported the Judiciary listening session ran 9:00–11:00 AM in Room 208W, with speaker sign-ups 8:00–8:45 AM (first-come), plus livestream availability.
Source: WV StateWire
Why it Matters: Useful operational intel for stakeholders planning testimony, coordination, and rapid-response messaging.
Criminal Justice
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia reported collecting over $6.6 million in FY 2025 criminal and civil debts. The office collected $4,322,154.61 directly and secured $2,339,409.44 in joint cases, including recoveries tied to COVID relief fraud, 2016 flood funds, employment taxes, EEOC action, and $1,264,871 in asset forfeiture.
Source: WV News
Why it Matters: Signals an aggressive federal enforcement posture in WV around grant/disaster/relief dollars—raising compliance and audit risk for organizations touching federal funds.
A newly introduced Senate bill (SB 1068) would reinstate the death penalty in limited cases involving minors. Lootpress reported the bill targets first-degree murder of a victim 16 or younger and first-degree sexual assault involving a victim 16 or younger, requiring unanimous jury findings on aggravators and a separate sentencing phase.
Source: Lootpress
Why it Matters: Opens a high-stakes constitutional, fiscal, and corrections-management debate likely to generate heavy stakeholder traffic and amendments.
Education
House Education debated HB 4587, which would align state higher-ed funding with new federal loan-eligibility earnings thresholds. The sponsor framed it as ROI discipline; committee members raised questions on methodology, degree comparability across institutions, and how graduate degrees factor in; the committee planned a second day of consideration.
Source: WVPB
Why it Matters: Signals a potential structural shift in state funding incentives that could materially affect program offerings, institutional strategy, and workforce supply.
First Responders
The House passed HB 5168 to dedicate $12 million in annual lottery profits to EMS support statewide. The bill passed 95–0 and sets up $6M for salary enhancement/crisis response/mental health supports plus $3M + $3M for county EMS funds, administered via the Office of Emergency Management.
Source: WV MetroNews
Why it Matters: Creates a permanent statewide EMS funding stream with material budget impact and potential downstream effects on county levies/fees.
Federal Watch
WV Superintendent Michele L. Blatt will testify before a U.S. House education subcommittee on K–12 artificial intelligence. She is scheduled for Feb. 24 at 2:00 p.m. in Rayburn HOB Room 2175 for the hearing “Building an AI-Ready America: Teaching in the AI Age,” highlighting WVDE guidance (AI use since 2019; classroom guidance launched 2023 and updated annually).
Source: WV News
Why it Matters: Congressional AI policy discussions can drive new guardrails on training, safety, and student privacy—potentially shaping WV district practices, vendor contracts, and compliance expectations.
A federal judge in West Virginia ruled masked ICE arrests using unmarked vehicles violate Fourth Amendment accountability expectations in civil detention contexts. WV MetroNews reported U.S. District Judge Joseph Goodwin (S.D.W.Va.) criticized anonymity as eliminating accountability and ordered relief in a case involving a West Virginia traffic stop and civil immigration detention.
Source: WV MetroNews
Why it Matters: Signals heightened judicial scrutiny for federal enforcement tactics inside WV, with potential operational and litigation implications.
WV Congressman Riley M. Moore issued a statement responding to a Supreme Court tariffs decision and urged passage of a Reciprocal Trade Act.
Source: WVDN
Why it Matters: WV delegation positioning on trade policy can affect manufacturing, energy inputs, and supply-chain exposure for WV employers.
Business & Industry
A state-run site readiness funding program is out of money, and its next chapter now depends on the FY budget and potential statutory expansion. WVDN reported the governor’s proposed budget lacks a site-readiness line item, while Del. Jordan Maynor proposed raising grants from $75,000 to $100,000 or $250,000 (by site size), and the governor requested a $40 million Commerce appropriation for site selection and related initiatives.
Source: WVDN
Why it Matters: Site-readiness is a gating factor for recruitment; funding choices here directly shape WV’s competitiveness for industrial and data-center siting.
The Grid (Energy/Utilities/Regulatory)
EQT is upsizing its planned Clarington Connector to move more Appalachian gas into Ohio/Midwest markets as regional demand tightens. EQT’s materials describe a 400 MMcf/d pipeline (upsized +100 MMcf/d from the prior plan) with ~$100 million spend, targeting in-service by year-end 2026 to move gas from M2 to a REX receipt point in Clarington, Ohio.
Source: EQT (Q4 2025 Earnings Presentation)
Why it Matters: More takeaway to Ohio/Midwest can narrow Appalachian basis discounts, support data-center/power load, and raise the stakes in WV/OH permitting and pipeline/compression investments.
Legislative Info Desk — Official Daybook (Committee Schedule + Floor)
It’s the 42nd Day of the Session, 18 to go… 8 days until Crossover Day
Today on the House side:
8:30 a.m. – the Revenue Subcommittee will meet in Room 460M
9:00 a.m. – the Finance Committee will meet in Room 460M
9:00 a.m. – the Judiciary Committee will meet in Room 410M
9:00 a.m. – the Subcommittee on Government Administration will meet in 215E
10:45 a.m. – the Rules Committee will meet in the Speaker’s Conference Room 218M
11 a.m. – the House will convene in the Chamber
House Calendar (inactive)
House Special Calendar (active)
1:00 p.m. – the Subcommittee on Banking and Insurance will meet in Room 460M
1:00 p.m. – the Education Committee will meet in Room 434M
1:00 p.m. – the Government Organization Committee will meet in the East Wing committee meeting room, 215E
3:00 p.m. – the Committee on Energy and Public Works will meet in Room 410M
3:30 p.m. – the Health and Human Resources Committee will meet in Room 215E
…and on the Senate side
9:30 a.m.: Education (451M)
- SB 1048: Transferring responsibility of school position eliminations to WV Board of Education
- SB 1004: Adding voter approval requirement to close or consolidate schools
- SB 929: Requiring State Auditor issue notice of noncompliance to county boards for untimely reports
- SB 1020: Allowing up to five educational leave days within definition of “excused absence”
9:30 a.m.: Government Organization (208W)
- Com. Sub. for SB 587: Adjusting salary schedule for elected county officials
- Com. Sub. for SB 1006: Providing equal share of funds from fire and casualty premium tax to all departments
- Com. Sub. for SB 651: Relating to sale of certain properties subject to delinquent tax liens
- SB 1015: Establishing Drainage Relief Fund
- Com. Sub. for SB 762: Relating to comprehensive reform of state’s water infrastructure systems
- Com. Sub. for SB 701: Relating to authority of sheriff’s commission for collection of taxes
10:30 a.m.: Health and Human Resources Subcommittee (215M)
SB 114, Paid Parental Leave Act
11:00 a.m. Senate will convene in the Chamber
1 p.m.: Health and Human Resources (451M)
- SB 1036: Creating Sustainable Child-Serving Workforce and Foster Care Modernization Act
- SB 44: Relating to sale of homemade food items
- SB 619: Creating Stop the Bleed Act
- SB 906: Permitting lawful prescription of crystalline polymorph psilocybin under FDA recommendations
- SB 993: Providing requirements for midwife licensure
- SB 1003: Improving access to medical services in rural areas
- SB 1055: Conducting rate study for substance use disorder
- SB 744: Relating to Critical Incident Review Team
- SB 897: Relating to licensure and certification of alcohol and drug counselors
1 p.m.: Economic Development (208W)
- Com. Sub. for SB 939: Creating WV Reshoring Manufacturing Act
- SB 893: Providing tax credits for expenditures and activities related to biochar manufacturing
- Com. Sub. for SB 1062: Creating TEAM-WV
3 p.m.: Finance (451M)
- Com. Sub. for SB 676: Allowing certain Capitol police officers to participate in WV State Police Retirement System
- Com. Sub. for SB 977: Creating benefit for duty-related partial disability
- Com. Sub. for SB 978: Authorizing certain municipalities to become members of Municipal Police Officers and Firefighters Retirement System
- Com. Sub. for SB 657: Creating Cohen Craddock Student Athlete Safety Act
- Com. Sub. for SB 697: Relating to state road system
3 p.m.: Judiciary (208W)
- SB 901: Creating truancy pre-trial diversion program
- SB 541: Requiring circuit courts make certain findings fact and conclusions of law as it relates to court’s order
- SB 523: Increase circumstances where Department of Human Services is required to seek termination of parental rights
- Com. Sub. for HB 4022: CPS Allocation
- SJR 8: Sheriff’s Succession Amendment
- SJR 21: Taxpayers’ Bill of Rights Amendment
Official schedule: https://www.wvlegislature.gov/committees/senate/senate_schedule.cfm
Committee times and agendas are subject to change |
