Here is a sampling of bills introduced Feb. 3. Local lead sponsors and co-sponsors, if any, are noted.
SB 685. Last week, the House sent HB 4089 over to the Senate. It expands the current requirement that schools teach cursive handwriting from grades 2-4 to include grade 5. This bill expands it to grade 8, saying “The schools shall require instruction in cursive writing beginning with the second grade and continue reinforcement in cursive writing skills through the completion of the eighth grade.” Sen. Charles Clements, R-Wetzel, co-sponsor.
SB 687, to give all elected county officials raises. The last raise was in 2014.
SCR 18, to rename King’s Trees Bridge, carrying County Route 68/8 over Interstate 68 in Preston County, the William “Bill” Thurman King Memorial Bridge.” Sen. Randy Smith, R-Tucker, lead sponsor; Sens. Dave Sypolt, R-Preston, Bob Beach, D-Monongalia, co-sponsors.
HB 4647, to give current video lottery permit holders a priority preference to reacquire permits they have, at the minimum stated bid price, before those permits are made available to other applicants.
HB 4652, to raise the legal age to buy tobacco and vape products from 18 to 21.
HB 4656, to condition high school graduation or completion of a GED on passage of a civics test identical to the civics portion of the naturalization test used by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services.
HB 4661, a revival of last year’s HB 2661. It is intended to help keep natural gas supplies flowing to communities served by old vertical wells that are producing little gas or are uneconomical to run. It allows a gas utility to petition the Public Service Commission to offer incentives to gas producers to increase well production or drill new wells for areas lacking dependable, low-cost supplies of natural gas. If the options of increasing production or drilling news wells fail, the bill allows the utility to convert its customers to another form of energy – liquid natural gas, propane or electricity for instance – and recoup the costs of conversion from across its entire customer base. Delegate Dave Pethtel, D-Wetzel, co-sponsor.
HB 4662, to require cities to hold a municipal referendum election to recall an ordinance or city code provision upon petition of 15% of votes registered in the last city election.
HCR 57, a resolution to make the fiddle the official state musical instrument. Delegates Michael Angelucci, D-Marion, Buck Jennings, R-Preston, Terri Sypolt, R-Preston, Danielle Walker, D-Monongalia, co-sponsors.
