Legislature Hits Key Session Deadline - Updated

Monday marked the last day for delegates and senators to introduce most kinds of bills, and they made the most of the deadline. Lawmakers increased the session's tally by 212 for a total of 2,112 bills.

Seventy-five bills have passed at least one chamber, while six have been sent to the governor so far.

And despite the holiday, legislators kept busy on a number of issues:

BROADBAND: Gov. Joe Manchin issued three more proposals from his legislative agenda Monday, including one to aid his goal of statewide high-speed Internet access by 2010. As The Associated Press reports, his bill would carve out funding options for projects that apply to extend access to under- or unserved areas. A council headed by the governor would approve these projects.

CASTLE DOCTRINE: The deadline saw an additional measure introduced that "that extends civil immunity to property owners who wound or kill intruders," The Register-Herald reports, adding that another bill on the topic "is up for a vote today in the Senate."

CONCEALED WEAPONS PERMITS: "The House Judiciary committee endorsed a measure on Monday that would limit access to information about concealed weapons permits to select groups, including the permit holder in question, parents or guardians, a lawyer or executor of a will and law enforcement agencies," AP reports.

DRIVING IS A PRIVILEGE, PART I: House Judiciary also advanced a bill that would "would limit cell phone use to hands-free devices," AP reports, and "talking or texting on a cell phone while driving would become a misdemeanor carrying a $25 fee."

DRIVING IS A PRIVILEGE, PART II: Another bill endorsed by House Judiciary would exempt doctors from liability when they report patients unsafe to drive. As AP reports, "For years, doctors have been telling the Division of Motor Vehicles about patients with medical conditions that make them unsafe drivers," and the bill would protect them "as long as they first advise patients they shouldn't be driving."

GAMBLING (update): The House Government Organization Committee has endorsed a bill that would give oversight of the Problem Gamblers Help Network to the Department of Health and Human Resources, and remove the state Lottery's logo from the program's materials. The Charleston Daily Mail offers details.

HUNTING 101: AP continues its coverage of legislation creating hunting and gun safety classes in the public schools, with news of its passage by the Senate. The Beckley newspaper has a report as well.

OXYCONTIN: Another of the governor's Monday bills would allow the State Police to spend $44 million, earned for helping a federal probe of Purdue Pharma, on law enforcement efforts over the next two years. AP reports.

RACIAL PROFILING (update): With the Racial Profiling Data Collection Act up for renewal, the Daily Mail reports on a survey of traffic stops that "shows black and Hispanic motorists are more often stopped than white motorists. But the survey also shows that illegal items were found more often during searches of vehicles driven by whites, Asians and other races."

STONEWALL RESORT: AP reports on a proposal to boost the financially struggling public-private development by "allowing private investors to build and retain the right to use condos, townhouses and the like" there.

TAXES, PART I: Senate Republicans want an immediate repeal of the business franchise tax, and plan to pursue that goal by amending a pending bill that proposes to erase it gradually over seven years, The Charleston Gazette reports.

TAXES, PART II: The Senate Finance Committee has advanced Manchin's proposal to slash property taxes on commercial and corporate aircraft, after hearing from county airport officials who support the bill. AP has details.