April 12th, 2025 by WCBC Radio
If the halls of the Capitol could talk, they’d have plenty of stories to tell after this final week of the 2025 legislative session. Things got hectic, to say the least. Tempers ran high. Bills that seemed like sure bets fizzled out, while others came back from the brink. There was a lot of pacing, last-minute negotiating, and more than a few furrowed brows.
To be honest, this session has been one of the stranger ones I’ve been part of. Nothing seemed to follow the usual script. It’s a good reminder that in this building, you can never take anything for granted—not even the things that seem like a done deal.
I wasn’t in Charleston for Monday’s floor session, as I was attending the funeral of Tim Dantzic—a solemn moment to honor a life well lived. While I was away, the House took up a bill worth highlighting: Committee Substitute for Senate Bill 50. This legislation takes a smart step forward by requiring municipal elections to be held on the same day as statewide elections.
Turnout in city elections across West Virginia has consistently been low, and running them separately creates unnecessary costs. This bill tackles both problems by giving cities two options: hold their elections during the primary or general election. By syncing up with the state schedule, counties and municipalities can now share election expenses—just as we did a few years ago with levy elections, which saw both cost savings and a bump in participation.
The bill passed with strong bipartisan support, 96 to 2. Had I been on the floor that day, I would have proudly added my ‘yes’ vote to the tally. I’ve since recorded my intended vote with the House Clerk.
Among the legislation that carried a deeper meaning this session was Committee Substitute for Senate Bill 464, which creates a special license plate to honor recipients of the West Virginia Medal of Valor. This medal—our state’s highest award—is reserved for those in law enforcement, the military, or first responder roles who show extraordinary courage, often in life-threatening situations.
When we first created the Medal of Valor, we knew it would only be awarded in the most exceptional cases. Since then, only a few have been presented—some, heartbreakingly, to families whose loved one died while saving others. This new bill provides a lasting tribute: a distinctive license plate available exclusively to Medal of Valor recipients or their surviving spouses. It’s a small gesture, but one that reminds us of the bravery and sacrifice behind the stories.
One of the quirks of our state Constitution is the rule that allows any legislator to demand a bill be read aloud in full. This made sense in an era when literacy wasn’t widespread, but today, it’s mostly used as a procedural tactic to slow things down. Rather than letting a bill be explained briefly, an objection triggers a full reading—something that can easily eat up hours of floor time.
That’s exactly what happened on Wednesday. Members of the minority began requesting full readings of every bill as a form of protest over a committee decision they disagreed with. It didn’t just slow the process—it brought it nearly to a crawl. To avoid overworking our reading clerks, we’ve turned to AI to handle the readings, which adds a bit of technological irony to an old rule.
The frustrating part is this tactic doesn’t just block controversial bills—it can also stall or sink good legislation that West Virginia desperately needs. With time running out in the session, every delay puts important progress at risk.
Thursday brought a rare moment on the House floor—a tie vote. House Concurrent Resolution 102 called on Congress to convene a Convention of States under Article V of the U.S. Constitution, with the goal of proposing amendments focused on enforcing fiscal responsibility at the federal level.
Debate was strong on both sides, and when the vote was tallied, the result was a 49-49 deadlock. Under House rules, a tie means the resolution fails and no change is made. So, while the idea sparked plenty of discussion, HCR 102 ultimately did not move forward.
House Bill 2026, the final version of the state budget, brings several noteworthy benefits to Mineral County for Fiscal Year 2026. One highlight is the increased base funding for West Virginia University – Potomac State College, which will receive $5,307,402—a 3.3% increase over last year’s funding, or $169,356 more. This additional investment reinforces the state’s commitment to higher education and helps ensure Potomac State remains a strong engine for workforce development and economic opportunity in our region.
The budget also continues to support the cultural and civic fabric of Mineral County through the Fairs and Festivals program. Events such as the Burlington Apple Harvest, Piedmont’s Back Street Festival, the Keg and Barrel Fest, the West Virginia Peach Festival, and others will receive funding to help them grow and thrive. These celebrations are more than just gatherings—they’re traditions that bring our communities together, support local volunteers, and showcase the spirit of Mineral County. Together, these investments reflect a balanced focus on both education and community in the year ahead.
Whether you’re having trouble navigating a state agency or have an idea that could improve life here in West Virginia, I’m here to help. Feel free to reach out by email at Gary.Howell@WVHouse.gov or call my office at (304) 340-3191. I always welcome your input and look forward to working together to make our state even better.
April 6th, 2025 by WCBC Radio
This week marked one of the most important milestones of the legislative session—Crossover Day. Unlike the U.S. Congress, the West Virginia Legislature meets for just 60 days each year, and Crossover Day always falls on Day 50 of the session, which is a Wednesday. This is the deadline for all bills to be passed out of their chamber of origin. In other words, for a House bill to continue moving forward, it must be approved by the House and sent to the Senate by that day—and vice versa. From that point on, the House only works on Senate bills, and the Senate only considers House bills. The only exceptions are appropriations-related bills, such as the state budget, which are not bound by this deadline. As expected, Wednesday was one of the busiest days of the session.
One of the challenges facing economic development and housing projects in West Virginia is the delay in obtaining highway entrance permits, which are issued by the Division of Highways. To help address this issue and make the state more welcoming to new businesses and residential development, I introduced House Bill 2156—commonly referred to as the “shot clock” bill. This legislation sets firm deadlines for the Division of Highways to act on permit requests: 30 days to approve or deny an initial application, and 15 days to respond if changes are requested after a denial. Only one round of revisions is allowed, and if the Division fails to respond within the required timeframe, the permit is automatically approved. During the drafting process, we heard accounts of projects being delayed for as long as 18 months simply because an entrance permit was never acted upon. While most permits are approved in a timely manner, this bill ensures accountability and provides certainty for developers, all while setting a standard the Division should have no trouble meeting.
One of the more debated bills on the House floor this week was House Bill 2894, which establishes human smuggling as a distinct felony offense in West Virginia law. This separates it from human trafficking and brings our state code more in line with federal immigration enforcement efforts. During debate, House Democrats raised a number of concerns, focusing heavily on the penalties outlined in the bill—including lengthy prison terms, limits on parole, and property forfeiture. Much of their attention centered on whether the law could impact individuals known as “Dreamers” and posed questions like whether someone could be charged simply for giving a ride to an undocumented immigrant. My view is straightforward: if you do not transport illegal aliens, you have nothing to worry about. What was especially noteworthy is that after all the debate and pushback, the bill passed with overwhelming bipartisan support—96 to 1—with only Delegate Hansen voting against it.
It’s not often that a bill fails to pass on the House floor, but House Bill 3154 was one of those rare cases—and it was a close vote. The bill generated a lot of debate. Its purpose was to allow licensed limited video lottery (LVL) retailers and operators to advertise, just as the state’s casinos are currently permitted to do. For context, West Virginia refers to slot machines as limited video lottery, or LVL. The state has five casinos—only one, The Greenbrier, is owned by a West Virginia-based company. The other four are owned by out-of-state corporations, with Delaware North and Penn National among the largest operators. In committee, we heard that casinos pay a 15% tax rate on their slot revenues and are free to advertise to draw in customers. In contrast, small LVL establishments, which are required by law to be West Virginia-owned, are taxed at a much higher rate—51%—and are not allowed to advertise. Many who opposed the bill did so for religious or moral reasons, due to its connection to gambling. But for me, this was about fairness. The bill didn’t expand gambling or create new opportunities to gamble. It simply asked whether we should continue treating small, West Virginia-owned businesses worse than large, out-of-state corporations. That’s a question worth debating.
House Bill 2551 generated significant debate on the House floor. The bill increases fines and extends the time frame for repeat offenses under the General Stock Law, imposing tougher penalties on livestock owners who negligently allow their animals to trespass onto someone else’s property. My concern centered on the term "negligent," which wasn’t clearly defined or well-defended in testimony. In fact, we heard that only one case related to this law has ever made it to the West Virginia Supreme Court in over a century. Much of the debate focused on how rarely the law is used and the fear that it could be weaponized—particularly by out-of-state landowners—against small, local farmers. Despite these concerns, the bill passed on a 70 to 30 vote. Personally, I believe most West Virginians, when a neighbor’s cows wander into their yard, are more likely to help get them back behind the fence than call the police and push for criminal charges. That’s just common sense and how neighbors should treat one another.
West Virginia continues to see strong financial performance. March brought in $39 million above revenue estimates, and we’re now $101 million ahead for the year. It’s a clear sign that the groundwork laid by Governor Justice is paying off—and now it’s up to Governor Morrisey to keep that momentum going and build on it.
Meanwhile, we’ve entered the final week of the 2025 legislative session. At this stage, the House is working exclusively on Senate bills and reviewing any amendments the Senate has made to House legislation. It’s a busy, fast-moving time as we wrap up the session and prepare to send final bills to the Governor’s desk.
If you have questions, need help navigating a state agency, or have an idea that you believe could help move our state forward, I’d love to hear from you. Feel free to reach out at Gary.Howell@WVHouse.gov or call me at (304) 340-3191.
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