At the center of the West Virginia state capitol is an area known as “The Well.” It is the informal gathering place for lobbyists, reporters, constituents and lawmakers. Centrally located between the chambers of the House of Delegates and Senate, The Well is often where information is shared, alliances are formed and deals are made.
By Brian J. Skinner, Esq. Gov. Jim Justice recently announced the state is accepting applications of candidates interested in serving as judges on the newly created Intermediate Court of Appeals. During the 2021 regular session, the West Virginia Legislature enacted Senate Bill 275, or the West Virginia Appellate Reorganization Act of 2021. Legislators debated an …Read More
By Brian J. Skinner, Esq. Recently you may have read about a series of meetings around the state designed to share information with the public about how state lawmakers should redraw congressional and legislative boundaries. Under the West Virginia Constitution, the state Legislature is required to redraw the lines every 10 years, using U.S. Census …Read More
By Brian Skinner, Esq. The National Council of Nonprofits has issued a report on how state and local governments can partner with nonprofit organizations in their communities to use relief funds distributed through the American Rescue Plan Act (“ARPA”) by expanding existing programs or creating new ones. Congress expressly declared in the ARPA that state, local, Tribal, and territorial governments may use their allocations of the $350 billion in Coronavirus …Read More
By Brian Skinner, Esq. State governments, including West Virginia, are beginning to receive the first allocations from $193.5 billion in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds. The ARPA, signed into law by President Biden on March 11, 2021, establishes the Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Fund. The Fiscal Recovery Funds are intended to provide support to …Read More
By Brian Skinner, Esq. After months of discussion, the legislature enacted H.B. 2002, creating a statutory framework to support, encourage, and expedite the expansion of broadband throughout the state. The bill, passed the Senate unanimously and the House with just one dissenting vote, was signed by the Governor on April 28, 2021, and becomes effective …Read More
By Brian Skinner, Esq. Oil and gas issues were not at the top of the 85th West Virginia Legislature’s agenda during its first regular session. Only one bill directly related to the industry was enacted. Senate Bill 404 amends the Natural Gas Horizontal Well Control Act by authorizing the state Department of Environmental Protection to …Read More
By Brian Skinner, Esq. The 2021 regular session of the West Virginia Legislature saw a continuation Republican supermajority’s efforts to transform the state’s labor laws by passing legislation on the classification of workers, the regulation of contractors, the manner in which public employee union dues may be collected and clarifying that work stoppages by public …Read More
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