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Tomblin says state worker furlough bill a precautionary step
By Jeff Jenkins, WV MetroNews
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin said the bill introduced Wednesday that would allow him to furlough state workers was “purely precautionary.”
But Tomblin said it’s a move he believes he must prepare for if there’s no agreement on a new state budget by July 1.
“This would allow the governor in a case where there was no budget, no funding mechanism,...
House may have votes to pass cigarette tax; Cole, Armstead want special session call additions
By Shauna Johnson, WV MetroNews
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — A tobacco tax increase bill proposed by Governor Earl Ray Tomblin to generate anywhere from $71 million to $76 million in new revenues will be taken up directly on the floor of the House of Delegates after it comes out of the Senate.
Senate passage was expected as early as Wednesday at the State Capitol on what...
WV lawmakers return, but no closer to budget deal
By Phil Kabler, Staff Writer, WV Gazette-Mail
Lawmakers were called back into session by Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin to try to come up with a 2016-17 budget.
On Monday, legislators opened a special session to pass West Virginia’s 2016-17 budget seemingly no closer to agreement on a $4.2 billion spending plan than when they left town at the end of the regular legislative session on March 15.
As the budget...
Day 1 of special session: lawmakers try to get arms around budget problems
By Jeff Jenkins, WV MetroNews
The first day of the special legislative session on state budget issues Monday produced some big numbers and a lot of questions.
Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin called the 134 members of the House of Delegates and state Senate to Charleston to deal with a $111 million revenue shortfall in the current state budget and to pass a budget for next fiscal year that...
Teens charged in Clay County school threat
By Jeff Jenkins, WV MetroNews
State police have charged two Clay County teenagers in connection with what’s been called the Columbine-like threat at Clay County Middle School.
The boys, 13 and 15, face charges through juvenile petitions of making terroristic threats, conspiracy to commit murder and solicitation to commit murder.
Schools were canceled in Clay County for three days earlier this month because...
