Preparing for the 79th Legislature (Updated)

The Associated Press sets the stage for the 60-day regular session, which begins today with noon floor sessions.

In advance of the regular session, the Legislature ended its interim meetings in a flurry of activity:

• AP has an item on one audit that found that "enrolling students at WVU Tech has become so hard that not even the equivalent of free housing for half the people living in residence halls was enough to reverse a decline that began in 1991." The school lost $1.5 million in the failed bid, the article said. The Charleston Gazette and The Register-Herald of Beckley also have coverage.

• A separate audit suggests ways to improve hiring at the state Division of Personnel, while noting that its director is the lowest-paid such official in the country, AP reports. Others with coverage include The Gazette and MetroNews.

• "A study commisioned by lawmakers on alleged racial profiling by West Virginia police shows black and Hispanic motorists are more likely to be stopped and searched than whites," AP reports.

• The Manchin administration received an update on its Healthy Lifestyles initiatives, which among other findings "says West Virginia schools should require recess more often and mandate the sale of healthy foods to improve their students' overall health," AP reports. Others with items include The Register-Herald and MetroNews.

• The House Republicans issued an agenda for the session that includes deeper and quicker tax cuts. GOP delegates also " think West Virginia puts too much money into its emergency reserves," AP reports. MetroNews (with audio), The Gazette and the Beckley paper also offer coverage.

• Auditors say the West Virginia Prosecuting Attorneys Institute has cleaned up its act since the bad old days under since-departed Executive Director Bill Charnock, AP reports.

• (Update) WOWK-TV covered the breakfast briefing for lawmakers held by the Charleston Area Chamber of Commerce.