Senate President Jeff Kessler (D-Marshall) is urging Governor Tomblin to put several bills on the call for a special session.
Senate Bill 226, House Bills 4411 and 4002, as well as several supplemental bills died on the last night of session. Senate President Kessler says it would be irresponsible for lawmakers to leave town without addressing these issues.
SB 226 would have authorized an increase in salaries of elected county officials entirely funded with local revenues, provided the state auditor certified the solvency of the respective county budget. Senate President Kessler says the raises are long overdue and well deserved. “SB 226 would have allowed counties to use their own money to give elected officials pay raises. This is not money that impacts the state’s general revenue budget in any fashion.”
HB 4411 would have permitted for the disposal of drill cuttings and associated drilling waste generated from well sites in commercial solid waste facilities. “This bill not only would have allowed for more predictability from the industry, but it also would have strengthened environmental safeguards for the public,” says Kessler.
HB 4002 related to the computation of local share for public school support purposes. Senate President Kessler says this bill would have stopped the punishing of counties for under assessing property values and incentivized them to assess property at correct values.
“I urge the Governor to call a special session, and feel it would be imprudent to leave town while these issues, as well as several supplemental bills needed to balance the 2014 budget, remain unresolved.”
