The Legislature: Day 60 - UPDATED

By my count, the House and Senate had sent 182 bills to Gov. Joe Manchin as of 6p.m.; 42 passed sometime Saturday. Among the issues afoot:

* LEGISLATIVE PAY RAISE: Leaders in the House of Delegates have gone back and forth over whether to put this hot potato on the schedule of bills eligible for a vote on passage. MetroNews offers different takes here and here on the issue, while The Charleston Gazette and The Register-Herald of Beckley also have reports. Public Broadcasting also has audio on the Senate's abrupt embracing of the bill.

* VENUE BILL: The latest attempt to curb lawsuits involving nonresidents is on its way to Gov. Joe Manchin, as The Associated Press reports.

* EMS PENSIONS: AP also reports on the success of legislation to create a new public pension program, this one for EMS workers. A contingent of these uniformed services workers were on hand earlier in the week to lobby for its passage.

* RETIREMENT COMMUNITY TAX BREAK: A recurring, as yet-unsuccessful feature in recent sessions has been a bill to ease property taxes for retirement facilities. Apparently sought on behalf of a Cabell County facility, The Herald-Dispatch of Huntington and Public Broadcasting (audio link) offer different perspectives on the legislation.

* SCHOOL UNIFORMS: After indicating its demise, The Register-Herald reports on a second chance for this proposal.

* LIQUOR STORE HOURS: Before it's passage Saturday, I reported on this bill for AP. While its main thrust is to regulate wineries and wine shipments, it also extends the Monday-Saturday sale hours for liquor from 10 p.m. to midnight.

UPDATES:

* JUDGES: The Legislature has passed bills adding 6 circuit judges and 10 family court judges to the judiciary. Kanawha, Mingo, Mercer, Monongalia, Wayne and the circuit for Hampshire, Hardy and Pendleton counties would each get another circuit judge.

* GREENHOUSE GASES: Several delegates questioned global warming and greenhouses gases before the House sent the governor a Senate measure _ sought by the Department of Environmental Protection since the days of Gov. Bob Wise _ to compile an inventory of relevant emissions.