Legislature 2009: Veto Overrides

Besides fashioning a slightly leaner, multibillion-dollar state budget for the upcoming fiscal year, the Legislature has also begun rehabilitating 16 of the 20 bills that Gov. Joe Manchin vetoed during this year's regular session, The Associated Press reports.

The House fixed the technical errors in all 11 of its bills that the governor had axed, and sent them to the Senate:

1. HB 2423 Relating to the Board of Medical Imaging and Radiation Therapy Technology.
2. HB 2535 Creating a tax credit for certain solar energy systems.
3. HB 2701 Relating to the escape from custody of the Director of Juvenile Services.
4. HB 2771 Including political subdivisions in the Alcohol and Drug-Free Workplace Act.
5. HB 2920 Making a second conviction for petit larceny a felony.
6. HB 2926 Establishing a procedure for challenging a candidate's qualifications for elected office.
7. HB 3120 Increasing the WV Prosecuting Attorneys Institute's executive council, et. al.
8. HB 3170 Clarifying the filing and review of the periodic accountings of conservators.
9. HB 3194 Making it a crime to knowingly file false information with the Secretary of State.
10. HB 3197 Authorizing municipalities to permit nonpolice officers to issue citations for littering.
11. HB 3288 Relating to mental health parity.

All but three (HBs 2771, 2920 and 3197) passed the House unanimously Tuesday.

(Update: the Senate advanced all 11 bills Wednesday to the governor, largely by unanimous votes.)

The Senate then similarly fixed five of its nine vetoed bills, relaying them to the House for final passage:

1. SB 239 Permitting Kanawha County voters to decide upon metro government.
2. SB 414 Relating to Pharmaceutical Cost Management Council and health care delivery systems.
3. SB 501 Prohibiting animal gas chamber euthanasia.
4. SB 528 Depositing certain fees in counties' general funds.
5. SB 695 Relating to payment for certain state employees' unused sick leave.

Just the votes for SB 501 and 695 were unanimous.

Senate leaders say they plan to revive at least one other vetoed bill Wednesday. SB 715 relates to "Establishing Chesapeake Bay Restoration Initiative."

Of the three remaining vetoed Senate bills:

• SB 484 Relating to ad valorem property taxes: Manchin had indicated he would support a remedied version.
  
• SB 507 Relating to Clean Coal Technology Council's powers and duties: the council was apparently folded in 2005.
  
• SB 672 Creating special Joint Committee on Mental Health: the veto of this bill attracted the most attention following the regular session.

While versions of the bills as fixed are not yet available online, basic information about each can be found here.