Sprouse '08?

The future political prospects of state Sen. Vic Sprouse, R-Kanawha, has become an issue since he ended his tenure as that chamber's minority leader last year.

Commenting on the 2008 options for Secretary of State Betty Ireland, blogger and GOP consultant Gary Abernathy observed last week that "the most interesting scenario to emerge from recent speculation has Betty running for the State Senate from Kanawha County, if Sen. Vic Sprouse decides not to seek reelection."

Earlier that week, Daily Mail columnist and blogger Don Surber had apparently deemed Sprouse a "dead man walking" politically. (I can't readily find the item, but it is commented on here.)

The Charleston Gazette's Phil Kabler mentioned Abernathy's observation in his Monday column. Kabler adds that the scenario Abernathy described would require that "Sprouse will recognize (if he hasn’t already) that his personal life makes him far too damaged goods to mount a successful re-election bid."

Kabler's columns have previously mentioned Sprouse's pending divorce from Amy McKinley. It is also infrequently a topic on McKinley's blog devoted to their son.

Sprouse posted a 1,039 word response on his blog today.

Table Games: 2nd of 4 Elections Set

Kanawha County voters will decide June 9 whether to allow casino table games at Tri-State Racetrack & Gaming Center, after the county's commission took up a petition from the track on Monday, The Charleston Gazette reports.

Ohio County will also hold a special election that Saturday, to answer a similar question regarding Wheeling Island Racetrack and Gaming Center, as The Associated Press reported when Manchin signed the necessary legislation last week.

Hancock County's Mountaineer Race Track & Gaming Resort announced plans last week to petition for a June special election as well. That county's commission expects to field the request at its meeting next week.

The West Virginia Family Foundation, meanwhile, tells The Register-Herald of Beckley that it still intends to sue to block the new law. (The article appears to include an incorrect date for the Ohio County election, however. I note that the new law does not take effect until June 6.)

Quote of the Day

"It has to withstand the Visigoths, and it stood up pretty well in this instance."

-- P. Joseph Mullins, sculptor and designer of the West Virginia Veterans Memorial, on the weekend damage wrought when someone drove through the Capitol Complex monument over the weekend.

Running All The Way To 2008

Perhaps taking their cues from a growing and already active field of U.S. presidential candidates, several West Virginians are gearing up for 2008 state and local races, Phil Kabler of The Charleston Gazette observes in his column today.

Kabler mentions the growing list of folks filing pre-candidacy papers. I count more than 70 filings so far, mostly for legislative races. There is also the typically sizable number of precandidates filing for "undeclared" offices.

Four people _ all incumbent lawmakers _ have even filed precandidacy papers for 2010!

The latest list of such filings with the Secretary of State's office is here. I would note that it costs nothing to file precandidacy papers. The numbers thin when official filings are due, along with sometimes-hefty filing fees.

The 2008 election campaign cycle in West Virginia is actually starting at around the same time that the 2006 cycle did. In the opening months of 2005, the National Republican Senatorial Committee launched an Internet-based effort to dissuade U.S. Sen. Robert C. Byrd, D-W.Va., from seeking another term. The NRSC then followed up with the first (negative) TV ad of the cycle that July.

FY2008 Budget: The Fine Print

I take a closer look at the pay raises and other details in the newly approved budget bill in today's story for The Associated Press.

Figures from the State Budget Office show how the 3.5 percent pay raise promised to most state employees will actually vary above and below that level:

14,621 employees make more than $34,286, so their raises are capped at $1,200;
1,209 make less than $17,143, but will receive $600 nonetheless; and
19,329 receive annual salaries between those ranges, and so their actual raises will be at 3.5%.

I also have some details from the Legislature's efforts to fund Budget Digest-type items. Though lawmakers abolished the digest last year, they continue to search for a new way to earmark money for home district projects and needs.

John Edwards Planning Charleston Fundraiser

2008 Democratic presidential hopeful John Edwards is slated to attend a Thursday evening fundraiser in Charleston, state party officials tell The Associated Press.

I note that Edwards made several stops to the Mountain State as John Kerry's running mate during their unsuccessful 2004 bid. Bush-Cheney carried West Virginia (again), and also edged out the Democratic ticket in Kanawha County.

Edwards' scheduled visit would also come one week after he and his wife revealed the terrible news that her cancer has resurfaced.

The Thursday event would mark the second time West Virginia made the 2008 campaign trail, as the GOP's Mitt Romney was here earlier this month.

Quote of the Day

"If this is how we treat dedicated public servants of great integrity who effectively pursue true justice with great skill and honor, it is indeed disappointing."

-- Former U.S. Attorney Kasey Warner, on the recent firings of federal prosecutors.

U.S. Attorneys

Offering a unique perspective, ex-U.S. Attorney Kasey Warner has added his voice to those questioning the recent firings of eight of his former peers.

Warner told The Associated Press that he knows five of the eight at least professionally and, as a result, "I don't like what I see."

I point out in the AP story that "As President Bill Clinton had done before him, Bush replaced all but one of the country's 93 U.S. attorneys after taking office in 2001."

This point seems lost in the current debate. I noticed this editorial cartoon in the Sunday Gazette-Mail.

It reflects a recurring talking point. While trying to figure out why Warner was forced out of his post in August 2005, I actually went through the list of 93 U.S. attorneys to see who else among Bush's picks was gone.

Bush had indeed replaced all but one of Clinton's appointments by the time I covered Warner's ouster as U.S. attorney for West Virginia's southern federal court district. More than half of the new president's choices were nominated, confirmed and in place within his first year in office.

As I relate in today's AP story, the lone Clinton holdout, Paul Warner of Utah, left in February 2006 to become a federal magistrate judge in that district.

The ongoing debate has also yielded this editorial cartoon.

As I write in the AP story, about three-fourths of Bush's U.S. attorney appointments were still on the job when Warner was fired. I've been updating my list, to reflect the changes Bush has made since then. So far, my research shows that nearly half of the administration's original appointments remain at their posts.

And as I also note, Warner has declined to comment on his August 2005 ouster, but discounts the media's proposed explanations.

I began exchanging e-mails with Warner over the weekend, while he was in Tajikistan for what he called a "volunteer anti-corruption" trip. The Charleston Gazette has also spoken to Warner, as has The Charleston Daily Mail.

GOP Bigwig Coming to Cabell County

Two weeks after Mitt Romney added West Virginia to the 2008 presidential campaign trail with his appearance at the Kanawha County Lincoln Day Dinner, newly minted Republican National Committee Chairman Mike Duncan is slated to speak at the Cabell County version.

That county's GOP executive committee expects to host Duncan this evening at Guyan Country Club.

Garrison among WVU presidency finalists

The committee searching for West Virginia University's next president has narrowed the field to three candidates, as The Associated Press reports.

The short list includes Mike Garrison, the former Wise administration official who just resigned as chairman of the Higher Education Policy Commission.

M. Duane Nellis is provost of Kansas State University, but was a dean at WVU until 2004.

Portland State University President Daniel Bernstine rounds out the field. With a resume that includes several prior postings at historic Howard University, he would be WVU's first black president if selected.

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.

Manchin signs table games bill; foes ready to sue

Gov. Joe Manchin signed the table games bill this afternoon _ though one of the racetracks that stands to benefit after pursuing this legislation for years chose not to wait.

As The Associated Press reports, the governor approved the bill one day after Ohio County set a June 9 special election on the table games question.

As AP and the Wheeling newspapers relate, the county commission unanimously approved a petition seeking the Saturday election from the Wheeling track.

The Northern Panhandle's other track, Mountaineer Race Track & Gaming Resort, plans to follow Wheeling's lead. It says it will petition Hancock County's commission for an early June special election at its April 5 meeting.

The West Virginia Family Foundation still intends to sue over the legislation and its local option election provision. The Ohio County Commission's decision _ not the governor's signature _ provides the necessary cause of action, its lawyer and executive director tell AP.

Another gambling foe, the West Virginia Values Coalition, also plans to continue its fight in the racetrack counties, MetroNews reports (with audio).

Lawmakers timed the bill to take effect 90 days after its March 8 passage. Though Manchin signed it today, it becomes law June 6.

It can take several days after passage to prepare a bill in its final format and deliver it to the governor. The state constitution gives the governor five days, not including Sundays, to act on a bill once delivered during session.

Manchin received the bill March 15, while the Legislature was still in (extended) session, and so had until today to sign the bill, veto it or allow it to become law without his signature.

For bills delivered after a session ends, the governor has 15 days to act.

A 5-day deadline remains, however, for the budget bill and supplemental spending measures. As a result, Manchin has until Friday to act on the budget bill.

Table Games: Let the Voting Begin

Though he's indicated he will, Gov. Joe Manchin has not yet signed the racetrack table games legislation _ but that hasn't stopped the Ohio County Commission from scheduling a June 9 election under its local option provision, the Wheeling Intelligencer reports today.

Ohio County would be wasting no time, as the bill would become law June 6, or 90 days after its passage.

Hancock County is also weighing dates for a special election, according to the Weirton Daily Times.

But the West Virginia Family Foundation still intends to file a lawsuit challenging the legislation and its local option election provision.

W.Va. #2 on Capitol Hill?

West Virginia has the second-most potent congressional delegation among the states, behind only North Dakota, according to the latest "power rankings" from Congress.org.

The nonpartisan group scores U.S. Sen. Robert C. Byrd, D-W.Va., as the third most powerful member of his chamber, a big boost to the Mountain State's average power ranking.

Rep. Shelley Moore Capito, R-2^nd, bottoms out the state's delegation in the rankings, at 421st among 439 members of the U.S. House.

Rep. Nick Rahall, D-3^rd, ranked 22^nd, the state's best showing among House members. Rep. Alan Mollohan, D-1^st, ranked 64^th.

Sen. Rockefeller, D-W.Va., ranked 13^th in the 100-seat Senate. He moved up 59 places since last year's rankings, for one of the biggest gains among senators.

Capito's poor showing is at least partly due to her party's loss of the majority in the House. But the four-term Republican also ranks 185th among 202 GOP members.

Capito is also last among the 38 House members first elected in 2000, a group that includes 24 other Republicans. She lagged behind most of the Class of 2000 in last year's rankings.

Congress.org found that Capito has "weak committee assignments."

But Mollohan also dropped in the rankings, despite his party's ascendancy in the House. Congress.org said that while he has "good committee assignments that reflect greater influence or longer tenure" _ he is on Appropriations and chairs a subcommittee _ he earned "negative 'fizzle' points due to controversy/scandal."

Recent news reports suggest a federal grand jury may soon hear testimony about said fizzle.

A joint effort of two Beltway firms, Congress.org measured U.S. House and Senate members based on position (tenure, committee assignments and leadership posts), indirect influence (via media, congressional caucus) and legislative activity (getting bills passed or substantially amended).

The project also added a "sizzle factor," after finding that some members "exert or possess power that can't be measured by these standard measures."

"Our researchers reviewed thousands of media articles, hundreds of bills that passed out of committee and through each chamber, as well as the amendments that attempted to shape the outcome of legislation," the group explains in its methodology.

It also limited that research to the 2007 calendar year, through Feb. 16.

Demise of Legislative Pay Raise, Theory #132

Though it did not emerge from the Senate until the 11th hour, some folks remain surprised that the much-discussed pay raise proposal for legislators did not survive the 60-day session.

The bill seemed to teeter between the House's active "calendar" of legislation up for consideration, and an inactive calendar that serves as a sort of parking lot (or grave, perhaps). It ended up in the latter.

The Charleston Gazette's Phil Kabler names an unexpected culprit behind the bill's demise in his column today.

Its defender to the bitter end, Senate Finance Chairman Walt Helmick, D-Pocahontas, lamented its failure to fellow senators during Sunday's brief special session.

The 2007 Session: Numbers of Note

The Legislature sent 273 bills to Gov. Joe Manchin out of 2,037 introduced during the 60-day session, passing 13.4% of the total.

That rate of passage was slightly higher than in 2006 (264 of 2301 bills passed, or 11.5%) or 2005 (258 of 2,115 bills, or 12.2%).

And besides approving more bills, the House and Senate this year passed a slightly greater amount in advance of the final night. Before Day 60, 53.1% passed, as opposed to 52% in 2006 and 50.2% in 2005.

As I noted in my session wrapup for The Associated Press, lawmakers in each chamber and from both parties have given some of the credit for the session's outcome to new House Speaker Rick Thompson, D-Wayne.

Quote of the Day

"Think of the high school kids who moon somebody on graduation night."

--Delegate Patti Eagloski Schoen, R-Putnam, citing a possible unintended consequence of legislation approved Sunday amending the state's indecent exposure law.

The Legislature Passes Budget, Leaves Town

The West Virginia Legislature has finished its work, at least for the time being.

The House and Senate approved a $3.7 billion general revenue budget for the fiscal year that begins July 1. The Associated Press has the story, and I've also put together a glance of the highlights.

Lawmakers also revived all 6 regular session bills vetoed by Gov. Joe Manchin so far. It then ended the extended session that began when the regular session concluded March 10.

Manchin then convened a brief (90-minute) special session to pass two more bills from the regular session (errors stranded each on the final night). He also had lawmakers pass two spending bills for the current budget year and extend the pay raises to state troopers.

Protesters Invade Governor's Office - UPDATED

At least 50 protesters marched into Gov. Joe Manchin's Capitol reception room at around 11 a.m. today, and refused to leave until he signed a pledge to relocate Raleigh County's Marsh Fork Elementary School.

The Associated Press' Tom Breen was on the scene - as were more than a dozen state troopers, Capitol and Charleston police, and at least one idling prisoner transport wagon.

As Breen reports first-hand, the incident did not end well for some of the protesters; 13 were arrested.

UPDATE: Public Broadcasting offers video of when things went downhill, via YouTube.

The demonstration was the latest in a series of protests over the proposed construction of a second storage silo at a coal preparation plan next door to the school. Some of the activists offer a web site to present their position.

U.S. Chamber wants venue bill vetoed

Though it took part in the negotiations that helped craft it, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce remains sufficiently dissatisfied with legislation targeting nonresident lawsuits to seek its veto by Gov. Joe Manchin, The Associated Press reports.

But the stance puts the national business group at odds with the West Virginia Chamber of Commerce, which also helped shaped the bill and supported its passage.

Also contrasting the U.S. Chamber's position are the unanimous votes that House Bill 2956 received in both the House of Delegates and the Senate during the regular session.

The bill aims to replace a 2003 law that was ruled unconstitutional by the state Supreme Court last year.

The legislation marks the latest row between the U.S. Chamber and the Mountain State over its court system. The chamber has repeatedly attacked aspects of its civil justice system with print, broadcast and billboard ads. The chamber has ratcheted up this campaign in recent years by bankrolling a newspaper and a web site that scrutinize the state's courts (and its attorney general).

Update: Public Broadcasting also has the story, and adds that Manchin is considering a veto.

Delivering on the Promise of Pay Raises

Legislators are finding out the hard way that providing pay raises to most of the sprawling state government requires more than just sticking a large chunk of money in a line of the annual budget bill.

The latest wrinkles involve higher education employees and the State Police.

As The Associated Press reports, the state's public colleges and universities cannot be required to parcel out any extra funding they receive to raise pay. Lawmakers further believe that those institutions are not bound by the $600 to $1,200 range proposed for the pay raises.

As for troopers, the way their pay is structured by state law requires legislation to change. Gov. Joe Manchin would have to include the necessary bill in the special session he plans to convene to extend the raises to them.

Lawmakers say Manchin has also suggested that they reconsider their decision to cap the raises at $1,200 while also providing a minimum raise of $600. The range is meant to ensure there's enough money to go around, and recognizes that perhaps 640 state salaries are in the six figures. But it also means that a number of state employees will be letting less than 3.5%.

As AP points out, the range does not apply to corrections and juvenile services officers who are in line for a different sort of raise: $2,000 increases as part of a three-year plan for raises totaling $5,000.

It also does not apply to school service personnel and teachers, the latter having staged walkouts Wednesday that canceled classes in 14 counties, as the AP reports.

Looking for Mr. B (Updated)

A certain delegate from Raleigh County was not the only conspicuous absentee during the 2007 regular session.

After pouring millions from his own fortune on an ill-fated bid to reshape the Legislature, by all appearances Don Blankenship sat out the ensuing session.

And unlike 2006, the Massey Energy Co. CEO, chairman and president also did not attend the State of the State address that helps kick off the 60-day session.

Another no-show was Blankenship's longtime lobbyist and political operative, Gregory Alan Thomas. As of March 6, the former GOP congressional spokesman and campaign consultant had not registered with the Ethics Commission to lobby for Blankenship, Massey or anyone.

The same goes for Robert Charles Cornelius, who had previously monitored legislative meetings and helped Thomas run last year's "And For The Sake Of The Kids" political campaign.

The only real exceptions are participants in Blankenship's failed political campaign who returned to minor jobs at the Statehouse (Amy Brooke Danford in the House, for instance, and Roman Stauffer in the Senate) during the session.

(Update: Danford replies, "I did not work for the legislature during the the 2007 legislative session nor was I involved in the for the sake of the kids campaign... I participated in the picture, but I was never affiliated with that organization." She also requested the removal of the link to her personal web site, cited in a comment below.)

Blankenship also has an employee in the Legislature. Delegate Troy Andes, a Putnam County Republican who works for Massey Coal Services, was elected to a two-year term in November representing the 14th House district.

Blankenship has remained busy on other fronts. He welcomed Tuesday's ruling by a state appeal board in the fight between Massey and state regulators over permitting a coal silo at a Raleigh County site that has drawn protesters nationwide.

Blankenship also recently opined that non-union mines are more profitable than their union counterparts (earning an op-ed reply from UMWA President Cecil Roberts).

Besides the disastrous 2006 political campaign (the Republicans actually lost seats in both chambers, despite his massive spending), Blankenship's year also ended on a sour note when BusinessWeek ranked him among the worst CEOs for compensation vs. shareholder returns.

W.Va. Dems Switch to Open Primaries

West Virginia's independent and unaffiliated voters can now vote in Democratic Party primaries, which were previously closed to all but party members, The Associated Press reports.

The fastest growing segment of West Virginia's registered voters, independents have been allowed to vote in the Republican Party's primaries for several years, the AP notes.

Democrats have steadily lost their 2-1 statewide edge over the GOP within the last 10 years. They now outnumber Republicans by just under two-to-one.

Looking toward the 2008 presidential scramble, both of the major parties are looking to revamp the way they select delegates for their national conventions. The GOP proposed changes last year, while the Democrats drafted their plan earlier this year.

First Lady now on W.Va. Board of Ed

Another Manchin has entered the ranks of the executive branch after Gov. Joe Manchin appointed his wife, First Lady Gayle Manchin, to the state school board.

The Associated Press has a story, as does MetroNews.

MetroNews notes that the First Lady has said she will not accept a paycheck for that post.

AP observes that in addition to the First Couple, son Joseph Manchin IV was appointed to the West Virginia Tourism Commission in August 2005, while cousin Mark Anthony Manchin was tapped to be executive director of the West Virginia School Building Authority in November.

The Senate confirmed the SBA appointment during the regular session. The governor picked his wife to the school board three days after the end of the session.

I believe there also may be another cousin serving somewhere within the governor's office.

UPDATE: There's also cousin and Delegate Tim Manchin, D-Marion, who was appointed by the governor's predecessor upon the 2003 death of A. James Manchin, the former (impeached) state treasurer and the governor's uncle.

Tuesday's appointment follows the governor's strong showing in a recent power rankings analysis that included appointment ability among its factors.

Manchin cools interest in reacting to Roane verdict

Just last week, Gov. Joe Manchin expressed interest in convening a special legislative session to address the legal issues that arose in the $404 million Roane County gas royalties verdict.

No more. He told The Associated Press on Monday that the courts are better suited to handle the situation.

What changed? Well, among other factors, the death of Manchin's coalbed methane tax credit legislation at the hands of a lobbying coalition that included natural gas interests.

The Charleston Gazette has a story strikingly similar to the AP's report.

Behold, The Power of Joe

Already enjoying some of the highest approval ratings nationwide, Gov. Joe Manchin is also one of the most powerful state chief executives in the U.S., according to a new analysis.

The nonpartisan Stateline.org offers highlights of the study, by University of North Carolina political science professor Thad L. Beyle.

Manchin is fifth nationwide in Beyle's latest power rankings, which weigh tenure, budget authority, appointment and veto powers. The rankings also score governors on whether their parties also control the Legislature (as Manchin's does in W.Va.).

Manchin earns his highest marks for the control the state constitution gives him over the budget, when compared to the budgetary powers of other governors.

Manchin's counterparts in Massachusetts, Alaska, Maryland and New Jersey precede him in the list.

"Vermont Gov. Jim Douglas (R) with just a two-year term in office, a Democratic-controlled Legislature and no line-item veto ranks last in terms of institutional power, according to Beyle’s rankings," the article said.

The article also says: "In another survey, Beyle looks at both the personal as well as institutional powers of governors, although those findings are incomplete since the job performances for governors elected in 2006 are not yet available. The top five in that list are: Colorado, Nebraska, Arkansas, Connecticut and New York."

W.Va. Braces for Teacher Walkout

Reports are trickling in from all over West Virginia as members of the state's two major teacher groups decide whether to stay home Wednesday (WVEA) or strike later this year (AFT-WV).

The Associated Press reports on Gov. Joe Manchin's latest efforts to dissuade teachers from protesting. AP also finds that while WVEA officials remain steadfast in seeking a one-day walkout, AFT-WV officials report that Manchin has made some headway with its members.

As for elsewhere in the state:

* Berkeley County teachers don't expect to walk, at least not this week, The Journal of Martinsburg reports.

* Cabell County officials and teachers send mixed signals to The Herald-Dispatch of Huntington.

* Fayette County is walking out, teachers there tell The Register-Herald of Beckley.

* Kanawha County isn't, teachers there tell The Charleston Daily Mail.

* Marion County isn't, either, according to The Times West Virginian of Fairmont.

* Mercer and McDowell counties are bracing for possible school closings, The Bluefield Daily Telegraph observes.

* Tyler County will join the walkout, The Wheeling Intelligencer reports.

* Wood County will not, according to The Parkersburg News.

The Charleston Gazette checks in with school officials in Kanawha, Putnam and various other counties for how they plan to handle any protest actions.

Public Broadcasting offers an audio overview here.

Table Games: What Comes Next - Updated

As promised, The Associated Press offers the latest as Gov. Joe Manchin reviews the table games bill and the four racetrack prepare for the prospect of requesting local elections to gain permission to offer these games.

In the meantime, the West Virginia Family Foundation pledged Saturday to sue to challenge the legislation's constitutionality. MetroNews has a story with audio from their Capitol press conference, while The Register-Herald of Beckley also has a story.

The West Virginia Values Coalition is calling on its members to press Manchin to veto the bill.

The Wheeling Intelligencer, meanwhile, continues the coverage of a semi-related development: the falsification by at least one breeder of the health certificates for greyhounds that race at West Virginia tracks.

The Charleston Gazette has scrutinized the records of one breeder, who invoked his Fifth Amendment rights against self-incrimination during a state Racing Commission hearing on the topic.

The AP picked up the story as well last week. The Wheeling newspaper reports today that the commission is now widening its investigation.

The Legislature: More Casualties

Those stout few on hand to cover the legislative session's final days have been sifting through the remnants of Saturday's finale to find favored measures that nonetheless failed to make the cut:

* CASTLE DOCTRINE: An NRA-backed measure to give homeowners the right to defend themselves with deadly forced began the session with solid momentum, but died stranded in the House as The (Beckley) Register-Herald reports.

* MARSHALL CTC: Marshall's Community and Technical College was in line for $10.5 million for a new home, but The Herald-Dispatch of Huntington tracks the bill's demise.

* LOCAL ROAD BONDS: Eastern Panhandle counties were among those advocating for funds for local highway projects, but The Journal of Martinsburg reports that the necessary legislation fell short.

* LEGISLATIVE PAY RAISE: Some folks seemed sure that lawmakers would give themselves a raise, to the chagrin of voters, but the Senate-passed bill never reached the House floor. MetroNews has the story, as does the Register-Herald.

The Legislature: Session Ends

The Associated Press offers this roundup of the final hours.

AP also has this glance of the higher profile bills of the session.

By my count, the House and Senate sent 273 bills to Gov. Joe Manchin by session's end; 133 passed on Saturday.

Teachers to Walk Over Pay Raise Bill

Members of the West Virginia Education Association plan to stage a one-day walkout next week to protest what the Legislature has left on the table to raise their pay, The Associated Press' Tim Huber reports today.

WVEA county chapter presidents met in Charleston after polling their members about possible protest actions.

Hundreds of American Federation of Teachers-West Virginia members, meanwhile, rallied on the Capitol's north steps against the legislation.

(A statehouse reporter relays this anecdote from the ongoing tumult: when called on to rally at the state capital, at least one teacher in a particular region of the state thought that meant Annapolis...)

The bill passed to Gov. Joe Manchin would increase pay for both teachers and school service personnel by 3.5 percent. Manchin has sought to place this raise within the context of other funding approved in 2005 for both teacher salaries and pensions, as I reported earlier.

The Legislature: Day 60 - UPDATED

By my count, the House and Senate had sent 182 bills to Gov. Joe Manchin as of 6p.m.; 42 passed sometime Saturday. Among the issues afoot:

* LEGISLATIVE PAY RAISE: Leaders in the House of Delegates have gone back and forth over whether to put this hot potato on the schedule of bills eligible for a vote on passage. MetroNews offers different takes here and here on the issue, while The Charleston Gazette and The Register-Herald of Beckley also have reports. Public Broadcasting also has audio on the Senate's abrupt embracing of the bill.

* VENUE BILL: The latest attempt to curb lawsuits involving nonresidents is on its way to Gov. Joe Manchin, as The Associated Press reports.

* EMS PENSIONS: AP also reports on the success of legislation to create a new public pension program, this one for EMS workers. A contingent of these uniformed services workers were on hand earlier in the week to lobby for its passage.

* RETIREMENT COMMUNITY TAX BREAK: A recurring, as yet-unsuccessful feature in recent sessions has been a bill to ease property taxes for retirement facilities. Apparently sought on behalf of a Cabell County facility, The Herald-Dispatch of Huntington and Public Broadcasting (audio link) offer different perspectives on the legislation.

* SCHOOL UNIFORMS: After indicating its demise, The Register-Herald reports on a second chance for this proposal.

* LIQUOR STORE HOURS: Before it's passage Saturday, I reported on this bill for AP. While its main thrust is to regulate wineries and wine shipments, it also extends the Monday-Saturday sale hours for liquor from 10 p.m. to midnight.

UPDATES:

* JUDGES: The Legislature has passed bills adding 6 circuit judges and 10 family court judges to the judiciary. Kanawha, Mingo, Mercer, Monongalia, Wayne and the circuit for Hampshire, Hardy and Pendleton counties would each get another circuit judge.

* GREENHOUSE GASES: Several delegates questioned global warming and greenhouses gases before the House sent the governor a Senate measure _ sought by the Department of Environmental Protection since the days of Gov. Bob Wise _ to compile an inventory of relevant emissions.

Table Games, Teacher Pay Still Making Noise

With both of West Virginia's teacher groups holding actions today over the pay raise proposal, and with critics continuing to target the table games bill, these two key issues from the 2007 session continue to grab attention even though they have cleared the Legislature.

Lawmakers completed their work on the 3.5 percent pay hike bill on Friday, as The Associated Press reports. Gov. Joe Manchin said he expects to sign the measure.

The administration has even issued figures touting how it boosts increases already slated for the teacher salary schedule.

But the AP plans to cover today's meeting of West Virginia Education Association county chiefs, and of an afternoon Capitol rally by the American Federation of Teachers-West Virginia. Neither group is content with Friday's bill.

AP spoke with teacher advocates in the wake of the bill's passage, as has MetroNews, The Journal of Martinsburg and The Bluefield Daily Telegraph. The Wheeling newspapers, meanwhile, hear from local school officials bracing for possible future protests like this week's sick-out in Monongalia County.

As for table games, the AP also intends to check in with the racetracks, their host counties and other interested parties. The Journal reports that one lawmaker already plans to campaign against the games when and if his county votes on them. The Wheeling News-Register, meanwhile, hears from decidedly more upbeat track officials. Public Broadcasting also offers this audio report on what happens now with the bill.

AP offers highlights of the table games bill, passed Thursday amid word from Manchin that he will sign it.

2007-2008 Budget Taking Shape

It was the House of Delegates' turn this year to take the lead on the 2007-2008 state budget. The bill passed Friday evening to the Senate includes $3.7 billion in general revenue spending and $10 billion in total (also road fund, lottery, federal, etc.) spending for the fiscal year that starts Jan. 1.

The Associated Press offers the details. The story is also here.

Among the highlights:

* $48 million for 3.5 percent teacher and school service personnel raises;

* $4.4 million for $2,000 corrections officers raises, the first step toward raising their pay by $5,000 over three years;

* $21 million for 3.5 percent raises for other state employees.

The budget bill also keeps proposed funding for the Higher Education Grant Program as requested by Gov. Joe Manchin, but shifts part of the source from general to lottery revenue.

Friday's budget bill increases general revenue spending by about 3.5 percent over last year's budget bill, but lawmakers have filed several supplemental appropriations since for ongoing general revenue spending.

Note: the budget won't be passed in its final form by midnight tonight. Instead, a joint House-Senate committee will tinker with it over the course of most of next week, and then the Legislature will pass it as part of an extended session.

Parental Notification Bill Joining Casualty List?

The (Beckley) Register-Herald is adding to "the losers’ circle in this legislative session" the bill that aims to tighten the state's parental notification laws.

Noting that this would be the third consecutive year that such a measure passed the Senate, only to wallow in the House. The article also quotes the bill's key backer expressing disappointment but adding that her group will "live with it."

Tax Cuts Still Alive

The House is moving forward on half of the four-bill tax cut package that emerged from the Senate just before last week's crossover deadline.

The Associated Press outlines the deal. The key elements: the business franchise tax is cut, not repealed; the corporate net income tax remains the same; and changes are delayed until 2009 to give the Tax Department time to adjust.

I would note that House Finance Chairman Harry Keith White, D-Mingo, had indicated to AP earlier in the week that he had not written off the Senate bills.

Senate adds self to pay raise roster

Folks are sure to howl after the Senate Finance Committee revived a proposed legislative pay raise Thursday, then convinced enough fellow senators to suspend the rules necessary for the bill's immediate passage to the House.

Senate Finance Chairman Walt Helmick, D-Pocahontas, has remained steadfast all session in support of the January recommendations of the Citizens Legislative Compensation Commission.

The Associated Press places Thursday's gambit within the context of the other raises being sought this session.

MetroNews hears from senators for and against the eleventh hour bid, while Hoppy Kercheval questions its timing while also providing context in his column today.

Other media pounced on the story, including The Charleston Gazette, The Register-Herald of Beckley and The Journal of Martinsburg.

I also tried to provide a national perspective to how a pay raise would change the Legislature's salary rankings earlier this session.

Mitt Romney Speaks in W.Va.

Mitt Romney added West Virginia to the 2008 presidential campaign trail this evening, with a speech at the Kanawha County GOP's Lincoln Day Dinner.

In my story for The Associated Press, I note that the former Bay State governor sparked applause for 1) lamenting out-of-wedlock births, 2) praising mom-and-dad families and 3) including coal in his recipe for an energy independent America.

I estimated the crowd at about 300. While there were at least four empty tables, Republican lawmakers invited to the event were stuck at the Capitol for the session. Romney also took questions from reporters after the dinner.

While no direct reflection on the candidate, I could not help but notice that one of his staffers referred to "Charleston, Virginia," during the pre-press conference sound check. Yeah, we don't like that.

I also could not help but notice the campaign photographer snapping away at me when I asked the former governor about his past stance on gun control. I guess the campaigns can get pretty defensive.

Table Games Bill Goes To The Governor

Gov. Joe Manchin tells The Associated Press he'll likely sign the racetrack table games bill after the House and Senate each approved it just before noon.

AP has all the details. The story is also here.

The final House vote: 55-43 with two absences (Ron Thompson, D-Raleigh, and Joe Talbott, D-Webster).

The final Senate vote: 21-13 (Bill Sharpe, D-Lewis, has returned following major surgery).

Debate was brief in each chamber, and featured mostly some last-ditch appeals from bill foes.

Lawmakers sticking with 3.5 percent raises

With the Senate approving a 3.5 percent teacher pay raise, the House has proposed giving everyone else _ well, school service personnel, corrections officers, social workers and other state employees, anyway _ the same increase.

The House Finance Committee has included an across-the-board 3.5 percent raise in its version of the 2007-2008 state budget, as The Associated Press reports.

I also offer other details from the proposed budget in the article, while noting that several pending bills could alter some of the spending.

The Senate-passed business tax cut bills are among those influencing measures, according to Finance Chairman Harry Keith White, D-Mingo. They're not dead yet, he told me.

Gov. Joe Manchin, meanwhile, stressed to the AP on Wednesday that he's keeping an open mind about the pay proposals. Though they depart from what he's requested (2.5 percent for teachers, $1,000 for corrections officers, for instance), Manchin said he wants the Legislature to do its thing.

The Legislature: Casualty Update

With 89 bills sent to the governor so far, and the session ending midnight Saturday, lawmakers continue to cut measures from the list of legislation that could still see passage. Besides that of the prescription drug bill, several other deaths have been reported:

* LANDFILL: Supporters of a bid to allow a new, $24 million landfill accept twice the tonnage now allowed in McDowell County appear unable to sway enough members of the House Judiciary Committee, MetroNews reports (with audio of Chairwoman Carrie Webster, D-Kanawha, and supporting Delegate Cliff Moore, D-McDowell).

* SCHOOL UNIFORMS: The House has expressed no interested in a bill to encourage uniforms in school, a concept first launched by Senate Majority Leader (and parent) Truman Chafin, D-Mingo. The Register-Herald of Beckley has the story.

I'm sure to have more items to add to the list as the day continues.

Quote of the Day

"I'm extraordinarily disappointed that all of the work that has been done over the last six weeks apparently has crashed against the rock that is the American drug industry."

-- House Health and Human Resources Chairman Don Perdue, D-Wayne and a pharmacist, on the apparent demise of the prescription drug bill.

Senate Panel Sinks Pharm Bill

The Associated Press reports on Wednesday's action by the Senate Health and Human Resources Committee dooming legislation that aimed to revamp drug price negotiation efforts.

The Senate committee rejected the House-passed measure, a heavily-amended version of Gov. Joe Manchin's original bill, and ignored a proposed compromise version drafted with the help of administration officials.

As the AP's Tom Breen writes, "The bill was backed by a coalition of labor unions, church organizations and senior citizens groups. Opponents of the measure included not only the pharmaceutical industry, but other groups worried the measure would backfire. Representatives of the drug manufacturers said that companies might have passed on the costs of complying with the new requirements to consumers."

With the session continuing until midnight Saturday, bill supporters are also adopting a never-say-die attitude.

The (Beckley) Register-Herald also covered the bill's (apparent) demise, as did The Charleston Gazette.

Table Games: On The Verge...Sorta

The path of the racetrack table games bill took several twists and turns Wednesday.

The Associated Press has the (latest) latest.

The measure required a joint House-Senate committee to meet over a sticking point: delegates objected to language added by the Senate, arguing it could inadvertently remove a $5 betting cap on video lottery machines.

After Senate leaders seemed assured that they would relent on the language, they instead refused. But the conference committee members say the Senate will reconsider that refusal tomorrow.

So, will the bill be on its way to Gov. Joe Manchin by lunchtime Thursday? After today's to-and-fro, who can say...

I hope to link to the AP's glance of the bill's highlights.

House bolsters pay raises in budget

Teachers, corrections officers, school workers and other state employees would together see about $40 million more in raises in the 2007-2008 state budget as amended by the House Finance Committee. The Associated Press offers the details.

That amount, which includes $21 million for rank-and-file state workers, is in addition to the $29.4 million worth of raises that Gov. Joe Manchin had proposed when he presented his budget Jan. 10.

But House Finance has also actually reduced general revenue spending by $108 million in the budget bill. Among other areas, the committee has cut funding earmarked for a state reserve account, the Teachers Retirement System and higher ed grants.

The Legislature: All Downhill From Here

Though the 60-day session ends midnight Saturday, the House and Senate must each receive pending bills from its committees by this evening or face suspending its rules to ensure a vote on passage.

Within a universe of 378 bills (158 House, 220 Senate) that survived last week's crossover deadline, 65 have gone to the governor so far. Among the issues passed or pending (not including racetrack table games or teacher pay raises):

* GAS TAX: The Associated Press has a story on the Senate Finance Committee voting to renew a nickel-a-gallon portion of the state gas tax _ after tinkering with the House version of the bill.

* ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT WORKERS: Both AP and The Charleston Gazette report on legislation sent Manchin targeting employers.

* LANDFILL: The Gazette checks on another stalled bill, a measure addressing a $24 million "mega-landfill" for McDowell County that attracted a small crowd of both pro- and con- to a Monday public hearing.

* METHADONE CLINICS: The Register-Herald of Beckley hears from a key supporter on pending legislation addressing regulations for these facilities.

* PRESCRIPTION DRUGS: With the House and Gov. Joe Manchin at odds over the governor's proposal for the pharmaceutical advocate's office, MetroNews reports on the stalled status of the bill in the Senate. A coalition of labor, education and religious groups, meanwhile, share their support of the House version with The Register-Herald.

* TURNPIKE TOLLS: The House Finance Committee has scaled back Senate-sought oversight of the turnpike parent agency's powers to sell financing bonds and hike tolls, as both MetroNews and The Register-Herald report.

* TRUMP RETURNS: Public Broadcasting has lined up longtime former House Minority Leader Charles Trump, R-Morgan, to co-host its live coverage of the session's final hours Saturday.

Teachers walk, but fail to sway lawmakers

The Senate is sticking with the 3.5 percent pay raise for educators that emerged earlier from the House, despite Tuesday's sick-out in Monongalia County by teachers looking for more, as The Associated Press reports.

Besides talking with Senate Education Chairman Bob Plymale, D-Wayne, I checked in with Senate Finance Chairman Walt Helmick, D-Pocahontas. Helmick believes his committee will follow suit, based on the talk he's hearing so far.

Others with the story include MetroNews, which offers audio from an interview with WVEA President Chuck DeLauder on the topic.

Senate Passes Table Games - Update II

Senators voted 20-13 this afternoon (1 absence) to pass an amended version of the House-approved racetrack table games bill.

The bill returned the House, but delegates did not take up the amended bill during its evening session. A conference committee to resolve the dueling versions seems likely.

As I reported in The Associated Press story, the vote strayed from party lines. Four of the 11 Senate Republicans voted for the bill, while six of the majority Democrats opposed it.

MetroNews also has the story, with audio from the floor debate. The Wheeling newspapers were also on hand for the Senate vote, and have posted a report.

I also note that the latter category includes Senate leaders: Education Chairman Robert Plymale of Wayne County, Health and Human Resources Chairman Roman Prezioso of Marion County, and Finance Chairman Walt Helmick of Pocahontas County, whose committee earlier endorsed the bill.

The vote followed Monday's final debate over Senate amendments. As AP and others reported earlier, the successful amendments removed the extra percentage point to the 35 percent tax rate and restructured some of the potential revenue distributions to benefit Jefferson County (Sen. Andy McKenzie, R-Ohio, also pointed out to me yesterday that Hancock County stands to gain as well, though his county does not).

The Journal of Martinsburg focused on whether these changes will improve the bill's chances with its local lawmakers (and with voters, if it passes).

Much of Monday's talk on the Senate floor addressed the mechanics of the bill and the finances of a table games arm for the state lottery system. Foes have sought to turn the debate away from the percentages and the potential spoils. They decry the social costs of gambling, fear West Virginia is being played by the tracks' owners and urge the state to reverse its reliance on such revenues.

West Virginia's Other Gambling Issue

The racetrack table games bill has caused the Legislature to revisit its 2001 decision to outlaw video poker "gray" machines and replace them with identical devices controlled by the state lottery.

As The Charleston Gazette reports from Monday's Senate floor action, several of the proposed amendments addressed the "limited video lottery" machines and the 1,701 bars and other locations statewide that host them.

The Gazette's Phil Kabler also offered context for this facet of the gambling issue in his weekend column. In highlighting the lawsuit challenging limited video lottery's advertising restrictions,

Kabler invokes the "bad old days" when the gray machines were everywhere __ virtually every bar in the state as well as gas stations, grocery stores, corner markets and even laundromats. And they all paid out illegally, while providing untold millions of dollars annually to the state's criminal underworld.

Concluding that the lawsuit lacks merit, Kabler refers to the plaintiffs as "the unsavory crew of the West Virginia Association of Club Owners and Fraternal Services." Ouch.

MetroNews' Hoppy Kercheval also raised questions about the lawsuit, the group filing it and possible unintended consequences in his Monday column.

The Legislature's Lazarus: Ron Thompson sworn in

Long-absent, out-then-in Delegate Ron Thompson, D-Raleigh, stopped in at the Capitol this afternoon to take his oath of office. The Associated Press has a story.

Thompson did not attend either of the day's floor sessions, but The Charleston Gazette managed to grab a quick interview before Thompson left the building.

Quote of the Day

"It's a matter of, you eat what you kill."

-- Senate Judiciary Chairman Jeff Kessler, D-Marshall, explaining the successful amendment he sponsored Monday to the racetrack table games bill.

Table Games - UPDATED

The state Senate has rolled back the proposed tax for racetrack table games to 35 percent, The Associated Press reports.

The change, made today on a tight 17-16 vote (1 absence), removes the amendment added to the bill last week by the Senate Finance Committee at the behest of Sen. Vic Sprouse, R-Kanawha.

Senators also voted today, 28-5, to sweeten the deal for the Eastern Panhandle. This amendment distributes some of the revenue from table games _ the 1 percent due each host county _ in proportion to what each track generates.

As Charles Town Races & Slots does more (gambling) business than the other three tracks, Jefferson County stands to gain the lion's share of that portion of track proceeds.

Several other amendments proposed Monday were rejected or ruled not relevant for consideration. They included another attempt to require a statewide vote.

It was defeated 11-22.

The vote on passage by the Senate remains scheduled for Tuesday,

MetroNews also has the story, after earlier setting the stage for today's action. Both links feature audio.

As I noted last week, gambling foes hoped to energize their base on Sunday. They want churchgoers statewide to deluge pro-bill lawmakers with appeals to oppose it.

The Legislature: Home Stretch

The 60-day regular session of the Legislature enters its final week Monday with about 344 bills still in play and 34 sent to Gov. Joe Manchin so far (including four Senate measures passed by the House during a Sunday evening floor session).

The Associated Press starts off the week with a look at some of the pending issues, and notable casualties. Among some of the topics:

* EMPLOYEE GRIEVANCE: The (Beckley) Register-Herald reports on the proposed overhaul of the system for handling public employee grievances, passed by the Senate to the House.

* LOBBYIST TAX BREAK? The Senate has offered to exempt lobbyists from the 6 percent sales tax, which is assessed on a variety of service providers as well as goods. Public Broadcasting scrutinizes the situation, and also offers audio.

* PRESCRIPTION DRUGS: After the House hijacked Gov. Joe Manchin's pharmaceutical advocate bill, MetroNews checks in with the Senate to assess the bill's future (with audio).

* REGULATING STREAMS: The Register-Herald is the latest to review highly contested pending legislation that would classify state waterways for environmental protections.

* STATE INVESTMENTS: Several House committees met Sunday, with House Finance advancing a long-sought measure to allow the state to expand its investment portfolio. The Charleston Gazette has the story.

*TOBACCO BOND: The above article adds that House Finance endorsed Manchin's proposal to secure some up-front cash through bonds backed by payments from the state's tobacco lawsuit settlement.

The Legislature: Teacher Pay

Gov. Joe Manchin is renewing his push for a 2.5 percent raise, even in the face of teacher discontent over the 3.5 percent proposal passed by the House and pending in the Senate.

Manchin has released numbers to The Associated Press that he's sharing with lawmakers and teachers that pairs his 2.5 percent proposal with funding previously approved (in 2005) for teacher salary schedules.

Manchin has also resumed his warnings about a 3.5 percent harming the state budget, but House Finance Chairman Harry Keith White tells AP that his committee found the extra $22 million to pay for them.

When Manchin relented earlier this session on a one-time bonus to school workers and state employees (the former are included in the teacher bill), he also expressed a willingness to consider pay hikes in excess of his original proposal.

Ranking W.Va.'s congressional delegation

The National Journal has issued its annual rankings that seeks to gauge each member's ideology based on their votes. This year's ranking considered 84 Senate and 103 House votes.

Rep. Nick Rahall, D-WV3, is the 166th most liberal member of the U.S. House, out of 429 ranked.

Rep. Alan Mollohan, D-WV1, is the 172nd most liberal.

Rep. Shelley Moore Capito, R-WV2, is the 275th most liberal.

(Conversely, Capito, Mollohan and Rahall are the 155th, 258th and 265th most conservative House members among those ranked.)

Sen. Robert C. Byrd, D-W.Va., is the 31st most liberal senator out of 99 ranked.

Sen. Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va., was not ranked because of missed votes. (Update: chronic back problems and "very, very major surgery" kept Rockefeller out of the Senate for a good part of 2006.)

"The ratings rank lawmakers on how they vote relative to each other on a conservative-to-liberal scale in both the Senate and the House. The scores are based on the members' votes in three areas: economic issues, social issues, and foreign policy," the National Journal explains.

Interesting findings:

* Byrd is the 8th most liberal senator on foreign policy issues;

* Capito is, along with 34 other House members, more liberal on foreign policy issues than only 6 percent of the House;

* The delegation is otherwise more or less in the middle when it comes to economic, social and (except for Byrd and Capito) foreign policy issues.

The methodology is explained here. My thanks to my cyber-mentor, Taegan Goddard, who blogs about the survey on his Political Wire.

Dueling Quotes of the Day

"It had to be that. If he had not resigned we would have gone to a grand jury."

-- Special Prosecutor Dwane Tinsley, on the agreement signed by outgoing Kanawha County Prosecuting Attorney Bill Charnock, to MetroNews.


"There are egos in public service that are so great... You can't do anything without somebody being offended because their ego is so big. There are people in this world who are just no good. I'm not talking about defendants; I'm talking about politicians."

-- Charnock to the Charleston Daily Mail this morning on his departure.

Charnock Resigns - Updated

Bill Charnock has resigned as Kanawha County's elected prosecuting attorney, reportedly after "extensive negotiations" in the criminal probe launched more than one year ago to investigate his conduct, The Charleston Gazette reports.

UPDATE: The Associated Press also has the story.

I recently noted that a judge had extended the time and latitude for the special prosecutor in the case. This earlier post has links to the relevant legislative audits and background.

UPDATE II: Special Prosecutor Dwane Tinsley told MetroNews this morning about the deal Charnock signed Thursday night requiring him to leave office. Nothing short of resignation, Tinsley said, "would have stopped him from taking evidence against Charnock to a grand jury for consideration." Link includes audio.

The Charleston Daily Mail initially reported on Charnock's departure with an online article that did not mention the special prosecutor or the investigation until the 18th of 22 paragraphs (that article has since been removed).

The Daily Mail has since updated its story. Both versions suggest an abrupt exit:

"Charnock, 38, was announcing his resignation to the rest of the prosecutor's office this morning. Then he said he would get in his car and drive to Illinois," the paper reported.

UPDATE III: WSAZ-TV has posted Charnock's resignation letter and a press release from the county commission.

The Legislature, Day 52

* TABLE GAMES: The various interests for and against the racetrack table games bill are gearing up for next week's big showdown. The anti-gambling West Virginia Family Foundation is pressing lawmakers over their votes on the bill, as the Register-Herald of Beckley reports. And The Journal of Martinsburg finds the horsemen contingent and Eastern Panhandle lawmakers less than happy with the bill's current distribution of potential table games proceeds.

*PRESCRIPTION DRUGS: Public Broadcasting has devoted a segment of its weekly Outlook program to the pending bill, within the context of the state's recent efforts targeting drug costs. With video. The program airs again on Sunday.

* TAXES: Prompted by an interview with House Finance Chairman Harry Keith White, D-Mingo, The Charleston Gazette is discounting the chances of the House approving the Senate-passed tax cut bills.

* TEACHER PAY: Both MetroNews and W.Va. Media are reporting that some Monongalia County teachers and school workers may stage a sick-out Tuesday over the pending pay raise legislation.

* YODER ON TV: Sen. John Yoder, R-Jefferson, is this evening's guest on the call-in version of The Legislature Today from Public Broadcasting at 6:30 p.m. Phone: 1-800-672-9672.

Senate vote looms for Table Games

The Senate could vote Tuesday on the racetrack table games bill, after its Finance Committee amended and advanced the legislation 10-6 this morning.

As The Associated Press reports, the committee increased the proposed state tax on the games by 36 percent to 35 percent (the bill as introduced on the racetrack's behest had set a 24 percent rate).

Elements of the racing industry, meanwhile, are skittish about the reduced share for prize purses. I spoke with several Senate leaders who remain adamant in their support of that position.

I also spoke with gambling opponents who plan to reach out Sunday to churchgoers in the hopes that the minds _ and votes _ of enough lawmakers can be changed. These folks also seek to change the debate over percentages and cuts to the social costs and pegging so much revenue on this source.

MetroNews also has a story on today's development, as does W.Va. Media.

Quote of the Day

"If this bill passes, I may be able to go back on my parent's health insurance."

-- Delegate Jonathan Miller, R-Berkeley, on a House measure that would increase the age of dependents for health insurance coverage. the twenty-something Miller is among the youngest delegates in the Legislature's history.

Manchin's Momentum

As they did during the first two regular sessions of his term, the Legislature has advanced the agenda proposed by Gov. Joe Manchin more or less intact before the Day 50 crossover deadline.

I tried to offer an overview in this story from The Associated Press. Seeking to put his success so far in some sort of context, there have been critics who have questioned whether this year's agenda involved any heavy lifting.

That would explain, these folks say, the tax cut measures that emerged from the Senate this week, or the meatier pay raise legislation passed by the House.

The Legislature: Death Toll

The House and Senate exchanged 378 bills before Wednesday's "crossover" deadline, or less than 1 out of every 5 bills introduced for the session. That's roughly comparable to the volume of bills that survived last year's deadline.

Among the notable failures this session:

* ATVs: The bill to tighten safety rules for the machines appeared doomed Tuesday when the Senate Rules Committee removed it from immediate consideration. There were numerous reports of the measure's official demise, including from The Associated Press, the Register-Herald of Beckley, MetroNews (with audio)

* JAIL FEE RELIEF: The (Huntington) Herald-Dispatch records the death of several bills meant to help counties pay their regional jail costs.

* HPV VACCINE: The House more or less ignored a proposal to mandate that 6th-grader girls are vaccinated against a sexually-transmitted disease linked to cervical cancer. Similar measures enacted in Texas and proposed in other states sparked fierce debates over the implications of such a public policy move.

I also list some other failed bills in this AP glance marking Day 50 of the session, and hope to add to the items above later.

The Legislature: Taxes

The Senate has endorsed a package of four tax-related measures that aim to go beyond what Gov. Joe Manchin has proposed for this session. Two of the bills also take larger steps toward targeting the corporate net and business franchise taxes than what the governor requested during last year's special session on taxes. The Associated Press story is also here.

Those bills are now before the House. I reported earlier in the session that several key delegates are in favor of reducing both taxes this year, most notably House Finance Chairman Harry Keith White, D-Mingo.

But Manchin has signaled to MetroNews (link includes audio) that the pending proposals don't fit with his timetable for overhauling the state's tax system.

The Charleston Daily Mail also notes the governor's tepid response to the bills while relaying praise for the measures from business leaders.

Update: West Virginia Media's State Journal appears somewhat behind the curve on this story, declaring in an article dated March 1 that "Legislature, Governor not advancing major tax reform in 2007 session."

Though this could reflect the downside of publishing only once a week, the tax bills reached the Senate floor Monday. The Journal apparently goes to press on Wednesday.

Sen. Mike Hall had chided The Charleston Gazette during a Wednesday floor speech, believing "the morning newspaper" had ignored the bills. The Putnam County Republican heralded them as major, positive legislation. Hall later apologized in remarks to the Senate that evening, as the Gazette had published the AP's article on the four bills.

Quote of the Day

"The coal industry can take credit for George W. Bush being president... If I had to blame one state, it wouldn't be Florida, it would be West Virginia."

-- Al Cross, director of the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues and a columnist for the Courier-Journal of Louisville, Ky., in an article on The Politico.

W.Va. to figure in the 2008 mix?

West Virginia earns equal billing with Arkansas in a lengthy article on The Politico on their roles as traditionally blue states that went red in the last two presidential elections, and what that may mean in 2008.

Gov. Joe Manchin was among those interviewed for the story. Reflecting some of the recent speculation on his plans for, '08, the article includes this tidbit:

"Manchin said he has already heard from numerous Democratic presidential candidates, including Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York and Barack Obama of Illinois (Obama spoke at the state party's 2006 Jefferson-Jackson Day dinner). Manchin said he is already on friendly terms with fellow New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson."

The Politico was launched last month "with the mission of covering the politics of Capitol Hill and of the presidential campaign, and the business of Washington lobbying and advocacy with enterprise, style, and impact."