The Legislature Today

It is with a heavy heart that I recognize two men that died doing what they did best, fighting fires to ensure the safety of their fellow citizens. Lt. Johnnie Hammons and Timothy Nicholas, of Craigsville, were honorable men who sacrificed everything in the line of duty and for that they should be recognized by the public as heroes. I appreciate everything that the firefighters in our district do to make our lives safe from dangers that they consider the equivalent of a normal day on the job. I commend both the firefighters who have fallen in the past and those who are currently in service. It takes a lot of gumption to do what you do, and for that I admire and commend you.

As of Thursday in the Senate, 396 bills have been introduced. The committees have been busy discussing, amending and sending bills to other committees for more consideration. In the finance committee this week, we have heard from the Department of Military Affairs and Public Safety, the Department of Education and The Arts, the Department of Administration and the WV School Building Authority. All meetings were held mostly in regards to budgetary concerns.

The Education Committee is extremely busy this week because we are working to provide the students of West Virginia a complete 180 day school year. On Thursday, there was a joint committee meeting held to discuss possible plans on how to maintain such a schedule. Of the bills introduced this week, I have cosponsored 13 .

One of these is Senate Bill 301, which would adopt green building standards for the construction and renovation of public buildings over 50,000 square feet. This is an important bill because it is an important step toward saving the environment. It is also a step toward becoming more energy efficient, which can save more money for other projects.

Senate Bill 328 would create the West Virginia Transportation Infrastructure Bank. If passed, the bank would provide loans and other financial assistance for transportation infrastructure. This is such an important bill for the Senate to consider because we need to be more organized in handling the money we use for infrastructure and I believe that this will be the perfect instrument to perform this task.

Here is a list of other bills that I have sponsored so far this week: -Senate Bill 307 would establish an advisory council on maternal risk assessment and calls for the development of a system to provide better evaluation of high-risk pregnancies. -Senate Bill 294 would more concisely define abuse and neglect of the elderly and incapacitated to better provide protection from unnecessary death. -Senate Bill 300 would allow counties and municipalities to enter into energy-saving contracts, because current law only allows the state to do this. -Senate Bill 298 would increase funds from $1 million to $2 million for the Enhanced 911 Wireless Tower Assistance Fund to subsidize the construction of wireless towers.

I also would like to take the chance to invite the students of the district to participate in the Page Program here at the Capitol. It is a wonderful chance to spend a day learning about the state government and I am looking forward to working with any student who would like to take advantage of this program. Please feel free to contact me if you know a student who would be interested in participating.

As always, I encourage anyone with questions, comments or suggestions the people in the 11th district. I can be reached at my office in the Capitol at (304) 357-7906 and through e-mail at randy.white@wvsenate.gov.

The West Virginia Legislature

As of Thursday, 504 bills have been introduced in the Senate. The committees have been busy discussing, amending and sending bills to the House and to other committees for more consideration. Of the bills introduced this week, I have cosponsored 17 . One of the most recent bills I have sponsored is Senate Bill 435, which would establish the Learn and Earn Cooperative Education Program. The program would forge a partnership between some community and technical colleges and participating companies for students enrolled in technical programs. It is a great opportunity for those attending community colleges to gain experience and earn money for it. Once the students graduate, the companies gain valuable and experienced employees that they already have a relationship with. This bill fosters a situation where everyone involved wins. Another bill that I have recently sponsored is Senate Bill 448. We believe it is of extreme importance, as it would create a hunting and fishing license for the severely disabled and terminally ill youth. Under this bill, they could get a hunting and fishing permit for free to hunt any legal game in the state. This is a great bill because it allows these youth an opportunity that otherwise would not be available to them. It is a gift we would like to give to them out of admiration of all of the hurdles they have overcome at such a young age. Here are two other bills that I have sponsored so far this week: -Senate Bill 458 would lift the cap on the number of days that certain retired teachers can work and continue to draw their retirement benefits from the State Teachers Retirement System. Reemployment of a former or retired teacher as a teacher would not impair the teacher's eligibility for a prior service pension or any other benefit provided by this article. -Senate Bill 478 would relate to the production of oil and gas; enacts the Surface Owners Protection Act; creates certain duties owed by oil and gas operators to surface owners; requires notice to the surface owner when oil and gas operations are initiated; provides for an agreement between the surface owners and operators regarding use of the land; and requires a bond or other surety in certain circumstances. Senate Bill 307 passed this week and is now in the House for consideration. This bill would create a maternal risk advisory council to advise in the development of a uniform maternal risk screening tool to screen pregnant women for potential at-risk pregnancies, which gives women in the state more stability in their pregnancy if it is at risk. We are devoted to making sure both mothers and their children are healthy during and after pregnancy, and I believe that this bill is another step toward that goal. You can find more information about the bills I have sponsored and others by going to the Legislature’s Web site, which is www.legis.state.wv.us. You can also contact me anytime with your questions or comments at (304) 357-7906 or randy.white@wvsenate.gov.