Sifting Through The Rubble

A dozen or so bills were poised for final passage but faltered in the final days and hours of the just-concluded regular legislative session, The Associated Press reports.

Lawmakers could start with these if they decide to expand their planned May extended session, AP reports. But the article notes that "the resolution they adopted to meet next month mentions only the far-from-finished budget, other funding measures, anything vetoed from the regular session and legislation relating to the federal stimulus efforts."

House Speaker Rick Thompson, D-Wayne, told AP that "right now, in the current extended session, we are limited to the subjects listed on the enacting resolution. I think it would be premature to predict what bills might be revisited in a special session.”

The 11th-hour casualties included" "a much-debated proposal targeting text messaging and cell calls by motorists;" a bill "aimed to help counties regulate sex shops;" two others relating to municipalities, "with one placing limits on the fees they charge and the other expanding the ticketing powers of their parking meter readers;" and a proposal "to tweak the state’s emerging alternative sentencing efforts."

Some of the bigger items to fail included a bill to require additional jail fee refunds to counties, and a proposal meant to benefit both volunteer firefighters and municipal police and fire pension funds.

"Five of (Gov. Joe) Manchin’s bills also died on Day 60," AP reports. "Besides three addressing public education, his proposals relating to after-mining land use and licensing options for liquor stores also stalled."

Those following upon on some of the derailed legislation include The Register-Herald of Beckley, The Intelligencer of Wheeling, the News and Sentinel of Parkersburg and The Journal of Martinsburg.

Update: Thompson talks to the Charleston Daily Mail about the session's final night.