Manchin Again Wields The Veto Pen

The pursuit of crankheads and other ne'er-do-wells who steal copper and other metals collided with the civil liberties of scrap dealers in legislation vetoed by Gov. Joe Manchin.

Manchin outlined several constitutional concerns about the bill, as The Associated Press reports. The measure targeted metal thefts by holding buyers more accountable.

Rising prices for copper and other metals have spurred some pretty brazen, reckless and even fatal thefts both here in West Virginia and in a number of other states. Thieves have sawed the copper plumbing off a public park fountain in Huntington, stripped homes of their downspouts and ripped down telephone and power lines _ sometimes frying themselves in the process.

Then there's the tale from last year of the two fellow who became lost in an idled coal mine while on the hunt for scrap metal.

Manchin vetoed six bills before the Legislature left town on Sunday, giving lawmakers time to pass corrected versions. With the House and Senate adjourned, this and all other bills vetoed simply die.

The governor has until April 4 to sign each remaining bill, veto it or allow it to become law without his signature now that the session has ended. (I pointed out earlier that bills during this time period have a 15-day deadline for action, and Sundays don't count).

The budget bill and the two supplemental spending measures passed Sunday, however, require action by Friday.