Rescue Efforts Continue (Updated)

The Associated Press updates on efforts to vent toxic gas from the Raleigh County coal mine where four men remain missing following Monday's explosion.

AP also talked to a miner who was working in a separate section of the Upper Big Branch Mine and so escaped the blast. His brother is among the dead, but a nephew survived.

Update: The miners' families get an in-person morale boost from WVU men's basketball coach Bobby Huggins, AP reports.

Keeping Hope Alive

Rescue crews have drilled the first of four holes meant to gauge the air in Upper Big Branch Mine and pump out the toxic gas that has kept them out since late Monday, The Associated Press reports.

While rescuers got no response to signals sent down that initial bore shaft, Gov. Joe Manchin noted that the nearest rescue chamber is about a football field's length away from where the drill punched through the mine section.

Manchin said they hope to assess the air quality between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Once rescuers can re-enter the mine, it is expected to take several hours to reach where survivors may have sought refuge.

AP also reports separately on the track record of the mine and its owner, Massey Energy Co.

Tragedy at Montcoal (Updated)

Federal mine safety officials say that 12 miners were killed, two were injured and 10 remain missing following a 3 p.m. explosion at a Massey Energy subsidiary mine in Raleigh County, The Associated Press and others report.

(Headline corrected)

Update: The death toll has risen to 25. With two still listed as injured, four miners remain missing. Toxic gas and the threat of another explosion has forced the rescue teams to evacuate the mine for now. Rescuers will attempt to ventilate that section with bore holes so they can resume their efforts. AP has details.

Changes Afoot for Manchin Press Shop

Marshall University will soon have a new chief of staff, but at the expense of Gov. Joe Manchin's press team, The Associated Press reports.

Matt Turner is taking the higher education post, leaving as the governor's communications director April 30.

His successor is Sara Payne Scarbo, an administration veteran who also managed Manchin's 2008 re-election campaign.

Manchin's office has issued a release on the changes.

Manchin Vetoes Gun-Related Bills

Gov. Joe Manchin has vetoed the bill that gave him "pure heartburn," a measure offering an annual holiday from the state sales tax for gun buyers, The Associated Press reports.

Manchin also vetoed a second bill related to gun sales, this one targeting attempted undercover stings that test background checks by dealers.

While that bill fell victim to a technical flaw, Manchin cited the loss of revenue and a multi-state sales tax agreement when he axed the sales tax holiday.

Long endorsed by the National Rifle Association, Manchin said in a statement that he told the group's leaders in advance of his veto.

“I appreciate the NRA’s understanding of our concerns and I am confident we will continue to have a strong relationship with this organization that represents so many of our residents and their interests in the shooting sports," the statement said.

W.Va. Budget Revenues Sink into Red

West Virginia saw the first signs of a projected $120 million general revenue deficit in March, when tax collections came in $58 million below estimate, The Associated Press reports.

The poor results more than eclipsed a $24 million excess balance, leaving general tax revenues $33 million in the red with just three months left in the budget year.

"State government's two key general revenue sources — personal income and sales and use taxes — reflect the weakened economy," the article said. "Accounting for nearly three-fourths of those revenues, each is down nearly $36 million for the year."

Manchin officials also note that "one bright spot remains severance taxes on extracted natural resources, mostly from coal. They were $6 million above estimate for March and up $85 million for the year."

Manchin Relents on In-Home Care Veto

Gov. Joe Manchin has agreed to replace the $5.5 million he recently vetoed out of the new state budget for an in-home care program, The Associated Press reports.

The governor plans to request a supplemental funding measure in that amount during the expected upcoming special legislative session on education.

"Lawmakers and Manchin have repeatedly sparred over this program," AP reports. "It offers eligible seniors and the disabled an alternative to nursing homes."

Manchin has also posted a release. The Charleston Gazette has coverage as well.

Racing to the Top

Federal officials have released scores, reviewers' comments and other information from the first round of the $4.35 billion Race to the Top education grant program.

West Virginia placed 36th, after applying alongside 40 states and Washington, D.C. The Associated Press scrutinizes the Mountain State's score.

Winning 292 out of 500 possible points, the state was penalized most heavily because it "lacks charter schools and has struggled to turn around its worst schools," the article said. "West Virginia also lost points for the way it evaluates teachers and principals, an unclear reform agenda and a lack of progress raising student achievement. It won near-perfect marks for setting standards and assessing performance, and also earned credit for devoting funds to education and setting up a statewide data system."

The Charleston Daily Mail reports on the state preparing to apply for the second round of funding. MetroNews hears from the head of one of West Virginia's teachers unions on the topic.

Quote of the Day

"Just to show that I'm not biased, I actually think that West Virginia's got a great chance. I did not win that state, but they've got a really good team."

-- President Barack Obama, when asked by Today host Matt Lauer about his pick among the Final Four from the NCAA men's basketball tournament.

Politics and the Road to the Final Four (Updated)

West Virginia University's 73-66 win over Kentucky in Saturday's NCAA men's tournament game earned Gov. Joe Manchin a Louisville Slugger from his Bluegrass State counterpart, the result of a friendly wager, The Register-Herald reports.

"As part of the bet, Manchin put up a product of the renown Blenko Glass Co.," the Beckley newspaper noted. "'I might give him the glass anyway,' Manchin said. 'That way, they’ll always remember our win.'"

MetroNews is among those carrying Manchin's statement praising the Mountaineers for their conduct on and off the court.

The Charleston Daily Mail observes that those rooting for WVU in its April 3 Final Four appearance will include U.S. Reps. Shelley Moore Capito, R-2nd, and Nick Rahall, D-3rd, both alumni of opponent Duke.

"Meanwhile, Rahall said his wife, Melinda, a native of Ashland who graduated from the University of Kentucky, still isn't speaking to him after WVU's upset win over the Wildcats," that article said.

(Rahall threw in a "Go Mountaineers" line during a brief interview last week with The Associated Press. But AP also reports that Las Vegas oddsmakers made Duke "a 2.5-point favorite to beat West Virginia in the semifinals" and "a 7-5 favorite to win the title." The gambling consultants added that "either Duke or West Virginia would likely be favored over Butler or Michigan State in the finals," putting the Mountaineers' odds "at 2-1.")

Update: President Barack Obama touted WVU's chances during an appearance on NBC's Today (about 4 minutes into the interview segment). He quickly qualified his pick by predicting that the winner of the WVU-Duke matchup would prevail in the finals:

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Host Matt Lauer had noted that of the four states with teams left in the tournament, Obama had carried all but West Virginia in 2008.

Election Changes Coming to West Virginia

The Associated Press reports that separate legislation passed this session addressing elections in West Virginia could each attract legal scrutiny.

The Center for Competitive Politics tells AP that it is considering taking the state to court over the measure signed by Gov. Joe Manchin last week. Part of his session agenda, the new law sets up a public financing pilot project for 2012's state Supreme Court races.

The other election-related bill, awaiting the governor's review, "revisits efforts to regulate third-party election advertising." AP reports that the previous attempts spurred federal lawsuits, a trend likely to continue if Manchin signs that bill.

Wielding Line-Item Vetoes, Manchin Signs Budget

Gov. Joe Manchin has approved a new, $11.6 billion spending plan for West Virginia state government after cutting out $17.2 million, The Associated Press reports.

Armed with a line-item veto, Manchin raised 55 objections to the budget bill passed last weekend by the Legislature.

While several of these objections reduced or even zeroed out funding items within programs and agencies, several others "erased language earmarking spending lines for specific purposes," the article said. "Lawmakers had, for instance, spelled out amounts for 361 different fair- or festival-type events."

A number of the vetoes "returned agency or program spending to current levels and then reduced them by 5 percent," AP also reports. "Manchin had proposed cuts of that amount in the budget plan he presented in January, citing the recession-weakened economy."

Lawmakers blasted several of Manchin's line-items, particularly one cutting funding for a senior in-home care program and another removing a legislative directive involving substance abuse funding.

They Voted for You: Health Care Fix-Its

U.S. Sens. Robert C. Byrd and Jay Rockefeller, both D-W.Va., helped pass a slightly altered Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 back to the U.S. House.

The 56-43 vote had all Republicans present and three Democrats opposing the measure. Reporting on this stage of the bill's fortunes, The Associated Press said it "would change the new health care law by making drug benefits for Medicare recipients more generous by gradually closing a gap in coverage, increasing tax subsidies to help low-income people afford health care, and boosting federal Medicaid payments to states."

The House later gave final approval to the measure, 220-207. Reps. Alan Mollohan, D-1st, and Nick Rahall, D-3rd, voted for the final bill. Rep. Shelley Moore Capito, R-2nd, joined all of her fellow Republicans present and 32 Democrats to vote against it.

AP reports separately on that final step.

Quote of the Day

"All of us are going to have to look at that ... What we've got to do is make (insurance companies) compete — and a public option is probably the only way."

-- Gov. Joe Manchin to Time magazine on how states might operate the insurance exchanges allowed under the new federal health care law.

The article said that Oregon is "already studying the feasibility of including a public option as part of its state exchange." Time also quotes Manchin suggesting that West Virginia may join with neighboring states to operate a regional exchange.

Election 2010: Congress

• Former Alaska governor and 2008 GOP presidential running mate Sarah Palin has included U.S. Reps. Alan Mollohan, W.Va.-1st, and Nick Rahall, W.Va.-3rd, among 20 House Democrats she has vowed to target for defeat through her political action committee, The Charleston Gazette reports.

• The Charleston Daily Mail also has an item on the SarahPAC hit list, spurred by passage of federal health care legislation.

• The Daily Mail reports separately that West Virginians for Life has ruled out endorsing either Democratic incumbent this year, because of their votes for what the group's leader calls "the greatest expansion of abortion since Roe v. Wade." (Politifact.com has analyzed several abortion-related claims regarding the bill, recently rating as "True" the statement that "there will be no public funding for abortion in this legislation.")

• The six Republicans seeking to challenge Mollohan in November each would have voted against the health care bill, The Intelligencer reports. His primary challenger, state Sen. Mike Oliverio, D-Monongalia, told the Wheeling newspaper "he isn't certain what his vote would have been," as "he doesn't yet know the intricacies negotiated in the bill or how it might affect West Virginia."

They Voted for You: Infrastructure & Tax Cuts

U.S. Reps. Alan Mollohan, D-1st, and Nick Rahall, D-3rd, voted for the "Small Business and Infrastructure Jobs Tax Act."

Rep. Shelley Moore Capito, R-2nd, joined all but four of the House's GOP members in opposing the measure, which passed 246-178.

The Associated Press reports that the bill "combines $13.2 billion in interest subsidies for local construction bonds with $3.6 billion in tax cuts for small businesses and $2.5 billion in aid to states to pay for expanded welfare programs through September 2011."

The bonds are meant to help local governments fund projects. "Republicans said the bills were evidence that last year’s massive economic recovery package was ineffective," and that the tax cuts "were too small to make a significant dent in joblessness," the article said.

The House also passed a separate measure by 239-175 that the AP report said "would provide $5.1 billion to fund local disaster relief projects, including some that date back to Hurricane Katrina, and $600 million for summer jobs programs."

Mollohan and Rahall voted for that bill, while Capito and all but five Republicans present opposed it.

Post-Session Roundup (Updated)

Gov. Joe Manchin has so far signed 61 bills from the just-completed regular session.

The Journal of Martinburg notes his approval of a House-sponsored Caregivers Consent Act. "As a result of serious drug and alcohol issues that some parents may have, the lack of consent medical centers are given to treat children had become a major problem," one health official told the newspaper.

The Charleston Gazette reports that some Lottery Commission members want Manchin "to veto a bill that would change the way that 10-year limited video lottery licenses will be re-bid next year." The measure's sole sponsor defends it to MetroNews (with audio).

The News and Sentinel of Parkersburg hears from area educators about the school-related measures that did and did not emerge from the session.

The Associated Press noted earlier that before adjourning over the weekend, the Legislature had passed corrected versions of all five bills that Manchin had vetoed because of technical flaws.

Update: Manchin has vetoed a sixth bill, which aimed to add 120 or so troopers to the State Police by mid-2016. The governor objected to the time frame and to the bill's overall approach to increasing their ranks. The Gazette has details.

Health Care and West Virginia (Updated)

The Charleston Gazette and Public Broadcasting are among those reporting on what the recently passed federal health care legislation will mean for the Mountain State.

The Associated Press covered President Barack Obama's signing of the "massive, nearly $1 trillion health care overhaul," meant to "for the first time cement insurance coverage as the right of every U.S. citizen and begin to reshape the way virtually all Americans receive and pay for treatment."

Among other relevant provisions, The Gazette says the bill will provide funding for "medical school residencies in rural areas," and to expand both "low-cost community health center care," and "the number of doctors who can work off their student loans by practicing in underserved rural areas." It also provides "free wellness screenings for West Virginia's 372,000 Medicare recipients" and allows more poor adults to seek coverage through Medicaid.

Public Broadcasting (audio here) cites the increased Medicaid eligibility as well as "tax credits for people who are buying insurance on the open market" and "a provision to require all restaurants with more than twenty locations to post calorie counts on their menus."

The legislation also included language proposed by U.S. Sen. Robert C. Byrd, D-W.Va., regarding black lung benefits. Both The Gazette and the Charleston Daily Mail report on that provision, with the latter relaying criticism from the state Chamber of Commerce and BrickStreet Mutual Insurance Co.

AP also fact-checks some of the more prominent allegations, pro and con, surrounding the new law. FactCheck.org does the same, while Politifact chronicles the Top 5 Lies about the legislation and the Top 10 Facts to know now that it has passed.

AP also sets the stage for Senate action on the House-passed "fix-it bill" to the new law, while reporting separately on the prospects for the federal lawsuit filed by 13 state attorneys general seeking to overturn it.

MetroNews reports on the statement from Sen. Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va., on the legislation.

Update: The president of Mountain State Blue Cross-Blue Shield, West Virginia's most prominent private insurer, assesses the signed bill for MetroNews. With audio.

They Voted For You: Health Care

U.S. Reps. Alan Mollohan, D-1st, and Nick Rahall, D-3rd, voted for what The Associated Press describes as "a transformative health care bill" that would "extend coverage to 32 million uninsured Americans, reduce deficits and ban insurance company practices such as denying coverage to people with pre-existing medical conditions."

Rep. Shelley Moore Capito, R-2nd, opposed the measure along with the House's other Republican members and 34 Democrats in the 219-212 roll call. "GOP lawmakers attacked the legislation as everything from a government takeover to the beginning of totalitarianism," the article said.

AP also offers a glance of the bill's highlights, and reports separately on Mollohan and Rahall's votes. Others with coverage include The Register-Herald of Beckley, The Intelligencer of Wheeling, and the Charleston Daily Mail. MetroNews has separate items for Mollohan and Rahall.

West Virginia's delegation voted the same way in a 220-211 roll call for a "companion package making a series of changes sought by House Democrats to the larger bill," AP reports. "The fix-it bill will now go to the Senate, where debate is expected to begin as early as Tuesday."

Open Government in West Virginia

A number of "press, state universities and nonprofit groups" have banded together "to help residents and public officials better understand laws that allow access to public documents, information and government meetings," The Associated Press reports.

The new West Virginia Open Government Coalition is aided by "a $15,000 grant from the National Freedom of Information Coalition," writes AP's Tom Breen. "The money will fund an office at Marshall University," the article said, while "members of the group also have plans for educational seminars for public officials and to provide answers to urgent questions by phone."

West Virginia "may be the last state in the country to get such a group," Corley Dennison, dean of Marshall's School of Journalism and Mass Communications, told AP.

Death by Committee

The Associated Press examined the work of the 14 Senate and 14 House committees that took up bills during the just-completed legislative session. Among the findings:

• Just under one-third of the 2,080 bills introduced during the session earned a review from at least one committee during the 60 days.

• About one in 10 bills made it through two committees in the chamber where it started.

• A triple-reference proved too great a hurdle: none of the 20 House and Senate bills each assigned to three separate committees for review survived the session.

• Of the 320 bills that crossed over between the Senate and House, more than 70 percent cleared at least one committee in the other chamber.

• House committees got off to a quicker start, advancing bills almost immediately.

• The House Judiciary Committee proved the busiest overall, considering nearly 200 bills.

The analysis also noted the dearth of bills voted down in committee. "Committee chairs say they tended to limit their meeting agendas to bills they deemed likely to advance," the article said.

But critics of that approach, and the current committee process, include the House's longest-serving sitting member.

They Will Vote For You: Health Care (Updated)

U.S. Reps. Alan Mollohan, D-1st, and Nick Rahall, D-3rd, appeared at a Capitol Hill news conference that unveiled an "agreement with the White House and party leaders to make sure health care legislation does not permit the use of federal funds for elective abortions," The Associated Press reports.

The two were among six anti-abortion Democrats who joined Rep. Bart Stupak, D-Mich., who said the deal "means he can now support a health care bill headed for a vote on the House floor later Sunday."

C-SPAN carried live video of the announcement, with Mollohan standing just off Stupak's left shoulder. Mollohan also spoke to Politico.

The White House has posted the release that includes the executive order issued as part of the agreement.

Rep. Shelley Moore Capito, R-2nd, opposes the pending bill and has posted a video in which she outlines her position.

Update: A former staffer of Mollohan tells The Wall Street Journal that "she and her organization will work to defeat Rep. Mollohan in this year’s election if he votes for the health-care legislation."

Legislature Passes $11.6 Billion State Budget (Updated)

An $11.6 billion budget for the fiscal year that starts July 1 is headed to Gov. Joe Manchin, after the Legislature passed a compromise spending plan.

The Senate voted 29-0, and the House 84-12. Both roll calls involved pairings with absent lawmakers.

The Associated Press (updated) has details. AP had earlier set the stage for Saturday's vote.

Dueling Quotes of the Day

"I think responsible individuals would want me to undertake my responsibilities as a member of Congress to discern what it is I'm voting on... It's like a judge using integrity. You can't base it on drinking Kool-Aid on the French Riviera."

-- U.S. Rep. Nick Rahall, D-3rd, responding to an attack by Elliott "Spike" Maynard, the Democrat-turned-Republican and former state Supreme Court justice seeking the GOP nomination to challenge him in November, as quoted by the Charleston Daily Mail.

"I'm surprised that Rahall would go that low... And the public isn't interested in issues like that or whether Rahall had lunch with a guy like Yasser Arafat or went to Baghdad to try to meet with Saddam Hussein, or whether he constantly had lunch with Arab oil sheikhs."

-- Maynard's rebuttal, as quoted by same.

Campaign Finance in West Virginia

West Virginia's proposed stab at publicly financed state Supreme Court elections continues to garner national attention.

The New York Times devoted a Friday editorial to the just-passed bill. It invokes the "scandal" stemming from the 2004 campaign that played a role in a recent U.S Supreme Court ruling. It offers the legislation as contrast, opining that West Virginia " is setting a good example at a time when judicial neutrality and the appearance of neutrality is under severe threat across the country from escalating special-interest spending on judicial campaigns."

The Wall Street Journal's Law Blog followed up with a post on the editorial and the underlying legislation. "Interesting," it says, but adds that "we’re initially skeptical for a couple reasons:"

For starters, states are struggling badly. With unemployment hovering around or above 10 percent in many states, we can’t imagine freeing up funds for judicial elections is necessarily going to be at the top of many voters’ lists.

Furthermore, we’ve yet to fully see the impact of the Citizens United decision, which banned certain types of election spending by corporations and unions. Stay tuned.

Team Manchin Seeks Cure for March Madness

Manchin administration officials have blocked streaming video from sports Web sites on their computer network for the duration of the NCAA men's basketball tournament, the Charleston Daily Mail reports.

Executive branch agencies heeded the advice from the state Office of Technology, which issued a warning on the topic this week, the article said.

"Last year, the March Madness WVU game caused the largest spike ever seen on the state's computing network," the memo is quoted as saying. "This was seen in spite of the fact that some larger agencies do block sports and were therefore not contributing to the traffic."

The Mountaineers play the Bears of Morgan State at 12:15 p.m.

Health Care in West Virginia

A new set of rankings suggests that a health divide separates West Virginia, The Associated Press reports.

"Counties in southern West Virginia, led by McDowell County, suffer from poorer health and shorter life expectancy than their northern counterparts," writes AP's Tom Breen. "These counties have higher-than-average rates of smoking and obesity and see more premature deaths than the rest of the state."

Such findings are contrasted by those further north. "Monongalia County, on the Pennsylvania border, ranks first in health behaviors, with Pendleton County getting the laurels for health outcomes," the article said. "Joining them are northern counties like Jefferson, Grant and Ohio."

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation compiled the data with the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute.

They Voted for You: Terrapins

U.S. Reps. Alan Mollohan, D-1st, and Shelley Moore Capito, R-2nd, voted for a resolution "congratulating the 2009-2010 University of Maryland Men’s Basketball Team."

Rep. Nick Rahall, D-3rd, and one other Democrat joined all but 42 of the other Republicans present in opposing the measure, which prevailed 279-132. Six more Democrats voted "present."

The Washington Post noted the "unusual" outcome for "such a routine symbolic bill."

"Perhaps they're Duke fans," the item quipped of the resolution's Democratic opponents.

Legislature 2010: Budget

With the Legislature in extended session, a House-Senate committee "is shaping the finer details for a new, $11.6 billion spending plan for West Virginia state government," The Associated Press reports.

Each chamber passed a version of the budget bill before the regular session ended Saturday. Their totals differ by less than $2.4 million. Among some of the details reported by AP:

• Delegates voted to apply an additional $18.7 million toward the massive funding shortfall that has long plagued the state’s teacher pension fund. Senators chose to fund that through general revenue budgeted for state school aid.

• The House has also added $22.2 million for a pair of waiver programs that provide in-home care to seniors and the disabled.

• The two chambers are in sync over $2.7 million for 417 fairs, festivals and other causes back home.

• The House and Senate also differ by less than $145,000 in the roughly $23 million for the state Development Office. That section supplies scores of “community participation projects” requested by constituents in member districts.

"Federal stimulus dollars and lottery surplus have largely offset proposed cuts scattered throughout the new budget," the article said. "As a result, West Virginia has been spared the agony ongoing in other states facing budget deficits that totaled $21.9 billion as of December, according to a National Conference of State Legislatures report."

Quote of the Day

“Were we really asked to be involved in this process? Did they really ask to find out what did and did not work for Kennedy-care? What did and did not work for Massachusetts? What did and did not work for Vermont? ... Did they really ask? Did they bring us in?”

-- Gov. Joe Manchin to Politico, as one of several participants of a National Governors Association summit on health care expressing frustration over the current stage of the legislative debate.

Manchin Wobbly on Reviving Ethics Bill

Before wrapping up last week, senators killed the first bill they had received from the House during the 60-day session, a unanimously passed measure that aimed to strengthen reporting requirements for public servants.

But amid calls to revive that bill during any upcoming special sessions, Gov. Joe Manchin says he sympathizes with Senate concerns over its provision to require officials "to disclose their spouses' employers and financial interests," The Associated Press reports.

"They have their own lives, they have their own careers. They didn't put their names on the ballot," Manchin is quoted as saying.

The article notes that "more than half the states require such spousal disclosures, according to the nonpartisan Center for Public Integrity, which flunked West Virginia for its ethics laws."

AP explains that "the group's 2009 survey found information mandated about a spouse's employment in 37 states, investments by 33 states and real estate by 28 states."

Health Care Crescendo

Members of West Virginia's congressional delegation are getting it from all sides as the U.S. House and Senate consider a final health care bill.

As The Associated Press reports, the House is seeing much of the vote-counting and arm-twisting as Democrats seek 216 votes there to pass a bill.

Health Care for America Now, which favors the legislation, is targeting Rep. Alan Mollohan, D-1st, and 10 other House members with television ads urging support of a final bill.

The Washington Post, meanwhile, reports that the National Republican Congressional Committee put Mollohan in the crosshairs in a sample spot offered as a "warning that members will be subject to a barrage of ads tying them to a 'corrupt' piece of legislation."

The NRCC's chair also "acknowledged that the ad isn't running anywhere yet, and declined to say when it would," the piece noted.

AP reports separately on the increasing pressure on House members from the dueling camps. Politico also has an item on the last-minute ad blitz, and includes Mollohan's among a dozen Democrat-held House district where " activists on both sides of the reform debate are making their case" over the airwaves.

Most online vote-counts have listed Mollohan and Rep. Nick Rahall, D-3rd, as undecided. But several are speculating that Rahall is leaning toward supporting the bill after announcing the awarding of "$1.8 million in federal funds to help citizens of Raleigh, Fayette and Wyoming counties continue to receive quality accessible health care at affordable costs," as The Register-Herald of Beckley reports.

Rep. Shelley Moore Capito, R-2nd, "remains opposed to the health care bill before Congress," The Intelligencer notes, in an article reporting that Mollohan's Wheeling office has been besieged by phone calls on the issue.

A TV ad is also the platform for supporters of the "public option" seeking to have the Senate restore that provision to its bill, NPR reports. But while that spot depicts Sen. Jay Rockefeller as a "potential yes vote," the West Virginia Democrat told NPR that "They're on the mark in saying that I'm for it, but they miss the larger point, which is that it would take down the passage of health care." (Audio here; Rockfeller appears around 3:05 into the report.)

The nation's governors are in the mix as well. Gov. Joe Manchin was among those commenting in a recent Politico piece that state officials have been left out of the health care debate as its focus narrows to the House vote count.

"Now, if you think they’re going to sit in Washington and make the judgments themselves ... and work this out without us being at the table. ... This is a frustration that we have,” Manchin is quoted as saying.

Legislature 2010: Roads

The Associated Press takes a closer look at successful legislation that "could change the way road work is paid for in West Virginia, with new tolls and local bonds part of a mix aimed at replacing faltering gas tax revenues."

"West Virginia's State Road Fund pays for highway building, maintenance and repair," writes AP's Tom Breen. "Its main revenue sources - taxes on fuel, vehicle sales and related registrations - have stagnated this decade because of improved fuel efficiency, occasional gas price spikes, the economic downturn and other factors. But the cost of key materials, asphalt and concrete, have risen."

Quote of the Day

"I can't look at children in the eye, and struggling families in the eye, and all these people in the eye and say, 'I'm sorry we couldn't help you, but, by God, if you want to buy a gun, we can really take care of you.'"

-- Gov. Joe Manchin, while questioning successful legislation proposing an annual sales tax holiday for firearms, as quoted by The Associated Press.

Gun Sales Tax Holiday Bill Gives Gov "Heartburn"

Gov. Joe Manchin is less than thrilled with an NRA-backed bill passed over the weekend that would create an annual sales tax holiday for guns in West Virginia, The Associated Press reports.

While stressing that he has yet to assess the legislation, Manchin would also not rule out a veto and "expressed concern about any measure that reduces the state's already-weak revenues," the article said.

"That gives me heartburn. That's pure heartburn," the governor told reporters during a post-session press conference Tuesday.

Update: AP had reported on the bill's passage Saturday. The Charleston Daily Mail followed up on the measure's success, while also noting the NRA dynamic.

Manchin "Determined" to Call Special Session

Now calling an upcoming special session a certainty, Gov. Joe Manchin is also keeping up the pressure on the state Department of Education to shape its agenda, The Associated Press reports.

Envisioning a session that focuses "on the larger goal of improving schools and student achievement," Manchin also continues to challenge state school officials over West Virginia's "failure earlier this month to become a finalist" for Race to the Top federal education grants," the article said.

"If a team has a losing season, people want better results," Manchin told AP, adding later that, "I'm not blaming. I'm just saying that if you're in charge and it's not happening, you'd better change."

Manchin had not been as definite recently about the chances for a special session, as AP and The Register-Herald of Beckley reported.

"A May special session appears likely," AP reports in its update. "Facing a June 1 deadline to apply for the second round of grants, West Virginia officials expect to learn early next month why the first attempt missed the mark."

That article also reports that "Manchin also said Monday that the special session's agenda should include the state's massive funding shortfall involving future retiree health care costs. He noted that teachers and school workers have been promised much of these other-post employment benefits, or OPEB."

Manchin also addressed comments he made last week about the state Board of Education, which had prompted coverage by the Charleston Daily Mail (and a follow-up here).

The Session(s) to Come

The Legislature may have some heavy lifting ahead, The Associated Press reports, as education-related issues and the funding shortfall from retiree health benefits remain unresolved.

"The state's teachers are at the center of both issues," the article said. "The groups representing them are bracing for a tough fight ahead. They also appear ready to compromise with Manchin and lawmakers on some key areas."

But the article also observes that these groups "others involved in these two looming tasks differ on whether the Legislature should target both during the same special session."

Regular Session Wrap-Ups

Legislative officials report that 217 bills cleared the Senate and House of Delegates during the 60-day session that concluded Saturday.

The Associated Press provides an overview of the session's end. Successful bills of note include "measures offering ultrasound images to women seeking abortions and public funds to state Supreme Court candidates in 2012," as well as a "multi-prong approach to curbing the school dropout rate" and another that "expands the range of practice for optometrists but does not include laser eye surgery."

Casualties included Gov. Joe Manchin's "proposal to ease business taxes through a constitutional amendment," as well as the first bill to have passed the House (and unanimously), "toughening ethics rules," the article said.

Others with session-finale coverage include The Register-Herald of Beckley, The Charleston Gazette, the Charleston Daily Mail and (updated) the Herald-Dispatch of Huntington.

" The Senate and House of Delegates will spend another week completing a state spending plan for the budget year that begins July 1," AP reports. "Versions of the budget bill they exchanged in advance of the extended session outlined $11.6 billion in spending backed by general tax revenues, lottery proceeds and federal funds, among other sources. Aided by stimulus dollars and a lottery surplus, lawmakers expect to balance the final budget with limited cuts."

Senate Leader Named Distinguished West Virginian

Senate Minority Leader Don Caruth took a break from Saturday's session finale to accept a citation naming him a Distinguished West Virginian, The Associated Press reports.

Gov. Joe Manchin presented the tribute to the Mercer County Republican, who has missed much of the session "as he battles a recurrence of the brain cancer he was treated for in 2008," the article said.

Regular Session Winding Down (Updated)

The Associated Press offers an overview as the Legislature enters the final hours of its 60-day regular session.

Heading into evening floor sessions, the House of Delegates and Senate have passed nearly 150 bills to the governor.

Disagreements over nine bills have prompted joint conference committees to attempt to reconcile differences. They are:

• SB 218, Gov. Joe Manchin's proposal for accelerated parole (Updated: Passed);
  
• SB 230, Relating to Board of Optometry (and it doesn't help the already tense debate that the board president was arrested on DUI charges, The Charleston Gazette reports) (Updated: Passed);
• SB 273, Authorizing DEP promulgate legislative rules related to oil and gas drilling (Updated: Passed);
• SB 480, Relating to public higher education personnel (Updated: Passed);
• HB 4166, Expanding the age for firefighters over thirty-five years of age for persons already employed by another paid fire department (Updated: Passed);
• HB 4177, Dedicating five percent of coal severance tax to the county of origin (Updated: Passed);
• HB 4207, Making it unlawful to send obscene, anonymous, harassing and threatening communications by computer, mobile phone, personal digital assistant or other mobile device;
• HB 4513, Establishing requirements for Marcellus gas well operations use of water resources;
• HB 4593, Relating to high school graduation improvement (Updated: Passed).

Legislature 2010: Day 60 - 1400 Hours

The House and Senate had passed 128 bills by then end of their initial floor sessions Saturday.

Versions of around 50 more have passed both chambers, but must be reconciled before advancing to the governor.

Of these, six have required joint Senate-House conference committees to resolve the dueling versions.

The two chambers together have final votes scheduled on around 30 additional bills that each passed to the other earlier.

Among the highlights from the morning session:

• PASSED TO GOVERNOR: Abortion-related ultrasound bill. The Associated Press and The Charleston Gazette report.

• PASSED TO GOVERNOR: Felony offense with prison terms for injuries or deaths from drivers ignoring stopped school bus. AP reports.

• PASSED TO GOVERNOR: Erin's Law, targeting hit-and-run drivers. MetroNews reports.

• PASSED TO GOVERNOR: Bill raising cap for state approval for higher education capital projects to $15 million. MetroNews reports.

• IDLED: Gov. Joe Manchin's proposed constitutional amendment that aims to exempt some business inventory and equipment from county property taxes. AP reports.

• IDLED: House-passed bill toughening state ethics standards, including adding spouses to disclosure requirements and revolving door lobbying provision. The Gazette reports.

More Changes for W.Va. Higher Ed

West Virginia's Legislature has gone back and forth over how the state should manage its public colleges and universities during the last decade or so. The Associated Press reports on a Senate bill amended by the House that would again plunge into the topic.

The Higher Education Policy Commission "would get a new system for managing personnel, based on a three-year study of best practices elsewhere," the article said. "The measure also scales back some independence recently granted West Virginia and Marshall universities, the state’s two largest schools. Smaller schools would see more flexibility."

Campaign Finance & West Virginia

The latest debate over campaign finance rules in the West Virginia Legislature gets attention from The Associated Press as it reports on such discussions across the country in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court's landmark Citizens United ruling.

"At least eight states are pushing for greater disclosure of political spending by corporations and unions," the article said. "At least three states, led by West Virginia, would go further by requiring corporations or unions to get permission from their shareholders or members before they can spend money on elections."

But AP also reports that "groups that welcomed the Citizens United decision warn that states will invite successful legal challenges if they press beyond disclosure and pursue the sort of requirements being debated in West Virginia."

Manchin Finally Gets Tech Park Bill

The Senate and House have resolved their impasse and sent Gov. Joe Manchin a bill that would allow West Virginia's higher education agencies to relocate from downtown Charleston to the South Charleston Technology Park, The Associated Press reports.

"The two chambers agreed on House language requiring lawmaker approval before higher ed's technology office could be moved from Monongalia County," the article noted.

House Passes Amended Ultrasound Bill

It's up to the Senate after the House of Delegates voted 80-17 Friday to pass its amended version of the abortion-related ultrasound bill, The Associated Press reports.

As amended, "the woman would sign a form acknowledging the offer to view" an ultrasound image, the article said. "The measure also eliminates criminal penalties for doctors who violate the Women's Right to Know Act."

Penultimatum

A quick look at the numbers, heading into the eve of the Day 60 finale to the 2010 regular session:

• 73 bills have been passed to Gov. Joe Manchin;

• 2 bills so far have required House-Senate conference committees to reconcile dueling versions (one of those could be up for a House vote today);

• The House has 49 bills up for passage on its active calendar;

• The Senate has 19 bills up for passage on its active calendar;

• Another 22 bills are slated for final Senate votes Saturday (the Senate has been suspending the three-day rule to allow for immediate votes on passage. It did so eight times on Thursday);

• An additional 30 bills are idling on the House's inactive calendar. All but three of those would otherwise be up for a vote on passage.

Nearly 2,080 bills were introduced this session.

Legislature 2010: Manchin Agenda (Updated)

• West Virginia could begin to get a handle on the estimated 9,300 vehicles owned or leased by state government, if the Senate approves a House amendment to Gov. Joe Manchin's vehicle fleet agency bill. As The Associated Press and The Register-Herald of Beckley report, delegates sought to limit personal use of state vehicles in the bill. Public Broadcasting has a report along with audio and video.
  

• AP and the Herald-Dispatch of Huntington covered passage of Manchin's bid to allow cities and towns "to tap insurance proceeds when clearing away buildings destroyed by fire." The Senate approved the House-passed bill, one of two meant to increase local home rule by municipalities.

• The House tightened the standards behind Manchin's proposal to speed up parole for low-risk, nonviolent inmates before sending the bill back to the Senate for final review, AP and The Charleston Gazette report.

• Manchin's proposed pilot program that would offer public funds to 2012's Supreme Court candidates has cleared its final Senate committee hurdle. But as AP and The Gazette report, Senate Finance stripped out the various fees it would charge as revenue sources.

• The Charleston Daily Mail and Public Broadcasting (with audio) both observe mixed Senate support for Manchin's proposed constitutional amendment targeting business property taxes. The measure advanced from Senate Judiciary after surviving a bid by Senate Majority Leader Truman Chafin, D-Mingo, to scuttle it. And while teachers groups and the West Virginia Center for Budget and Policy have lined up to question the proposal, the state Manufacturers Association is "lukewarm at best" about it.

• MetroNews offers an overview of the governor's agenda.

• Update: Manchin has won final approval of a proposal to allow cities and town to target eyesore buildings through registries, AP reports.

• Update: The Senate must sign off on House changes to its version of Manchin's parkways bill, AP reports. The measure would rename the Turnpike's parent agency, allow it to operate tolls elsewhere to fund specific highway projects, but otherwise curtails its forays into tourism and economic development. The House tweaked a Senate amendment "that offers free transponders for the turnpike's discount commuter pass system," the article said.
  

Bring Out Yer Dead

As the Legislature's regular session enters its final days, The Associated Press checks for measures that appear stalled or too far behind.

The state constitution requires that the House and Senate read each bill on three separate days before voting on passage. Suspending that rule requires a four-fifths majority.

So, if a bill has not had at least its first reading by Thursday, its chances of passing by Saturday's midnight deadline appear slim.

"This year, measures that will likely miss the cut range from stiffer penalties for animal fighting rings to raising the age at which students can drop out of school," AP reports. "Teenage tanners and seat belt scofflaws are among those who have avoided new restrictions" because bills targeting them have idled.

AP also notes that "the Legislature also failed to produce any bills addressing the $8 billion liability in public retiree costs known as other post-employment benefits. Some lawmakers hope a special session later this year revisits that issue."

The Charleston Daily Mail focuses on two all-but-dead measures, the seat belt bill and one that would ban text-messaging while driving. Of the latter measure, the article said that "Senate Judiciary Chairman Jeff Kessler said Wednesday he didn't even realize the bill had been sitting in his committee."

He Voted for You: Extending the Stimulus

U.S. Sen. Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va., voted for the Tax Extenders Act of 2009.

Sen. Robert C. Byrd, D-W.Va., did not take part in the 62-36 roll call that passed what The Associated Press reported would "extend key pieces of last year's economic stimulus measure, including help for the jobless and money to help financially strapped states pay for health care for the poor."

The vote followed "protests from conservatives who say the bill adds too much to the $12.5 trillion national debt," the article said. "Six Republicans joined all but one Democrat, Ben Nelson of Nebraska, in voting for the bill."

Legislature 2010: Day 58

• Any woman seeking an abortion would be given a form offering them a pre-procedure ultrasound, under a House Judiciary amendment to one of the higher-profile bills of the session. As The Associated Press reports, the committee version also "would eliminate criminal penalties for doctors who violate the Women's Right to Know Act." The bill goes to the full House. Others with coverage include The Charleston Gazette, MetroNews, and the Charleston Daily Mail.

• The House has approved a pair of Senate-passed measures targeting prescription drug abuse, with only slight changes to each. AP and the Herald-Dispatch of Huntington have coverage.

• The Herald-Dispatch also reports on the Senate Judiciary's endorsement of a bill targeting cyberbullying and smartphone-based harassment. The measure advanced to Senate Finance.

• House Speaker Rick Thompson has won passage of one of his top priorities this session, a bill allowing the Supreme Court to assign circuit judges to complex business disputes in the state's busier districts. AP, The Register-Herald of Beckley, MetroNews and The Gazette report on Senate passage of the business court bill.

• The Daily Mail reports on progress behind a bill that would "commit nearly $9 million to help beef up the ranks of the West Virginia State Police to its highest level in years." The measure heading to a Senate vote "calls for increasing the number of troopers in the state to 800 by the year 2016," the article said.

• The Register-Herald notes the Senate's passage of a House-approved bill under which "families with loved ones interred in rural settings would be assured access to cemeteries."

Election 2010: Congress

• Another group opposed to federal health care legislation is including West Virginia in an ad campaign targeting congressional Democrats on the issue. Americans for Responsible Health Care is warning U.S. Rep. Nick Rahall, D-3rd, and six of his colleagues not to vote for what may emerge from ongoing talks. Politico has an item.

• The Hill is counting Rahall as "undecided" and Rep. Alan Mollohan, D-1st, as a "no comment" in its continuing "whip count" of House Democrats on health care legislation.

• Public Broadcasting (with audio) is among those reporting on legislation co-sponsored by Mollohan and Rahall that would "prevent the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency from regulating greenhouse gases from stationary sources, such as coal-fired power plants, for the next two years."

• The Charleston Daily Mail quotes Rep. Shelley Moore Capito, R-2nd, and several of Rahall and Mollohan's would-be GOP challengers to report that "officials say bill will not save jobs."

• Mollohan's Democratic primary opponent, state Sen. Mike Oliverio, D-Monongalia, wants them to face off at a series of debates before the May election, MetroNews reports.

No Lasers for Optometrists

The House Health and Human Resources has amended the bright, shiny object of the 2010 session by removing laser surgery from among the additional eye care procedures sought by optometrists.

Those with coverage include The Charleston Gazette, the Charleston Daily Mail, MetroNews, and The Register-Herald of Beckley.

Lawmakers Begin Work on State Budget (Updated)

The Legislature has taken its first step toward crafting a new state spending plan, with the Senate Finance Committee amending and advancing Gov. Joe Manchin's budget bill, The Associated Press reports.

Federal stimulus-related funds increase its total amount by around $248 million, but it "still cuts (updated) general revenue spending by $47 million when compared to what the Legislature passed last year," the article said.

Changes also reflect the recent scaling back of pension premium hikes by the state's Consolidated Public Retirement Board, AP reports.

"Manchin outlined a spending plan in January that totaled just under $11 billion," the article said. "It included $3.7 billion backed by general tax revenues, $525 million (corrected) from lottery proceeds and $4.3 billion from federal dollars."

Though the Senate is taking the lead on the budget this year, House Finance advanced (updated) its version of the budget bill Wednesday. Lawmakers expect to remain at the Capitol for about a week beyond Saturday's regular session finale to complete the new budget.

Updated: "Lottery funds, meanwhile, and stimulus dollars are offsetting much of the general revenue cuts Manchin had ordered for the proposed budget - 4 percent for education and 5 percent for most other agencies," AP observes. "These revenue sources are easing the task facing West Virginia lawmakers when compared to many of their counterparts elsewhere. The National Conference of State Legislatures estimated in December that the states had to cut a total of $21.9 billion from their upcoming budgets to avoid deficits."

Polling for Support of Public Financing (Updated)

Supporters of publicly financed state Supreme Court elections hope a recent poll of 600 West Virginia voters will boost prospects for Gov. Joe Manchin's bill on the subject.

The Feb. 21-24 survey found 54 percent viewing the Supreme Court positively, but with 78 percent indicating that campaign contributions had at least some influence on decisions.

When first asked, 68 percent considered that a serious problem, and 52 percent said they at least somewhat supported a public financing program.

The pollsters then told those surveyed about the U.S. Supreme Court's recent appearance of improprierty ruling targeting state Justice Brent Benjamin's presence in a Massey Energy Co. appeal (phrasing found on page 5).

Those viewing campaign cash as a serious problem then jumped to 89 percent, with support of public financing rising to 61 percent.

Among other related findings in the poll:

• 62 percent supported an additional court of appeals;
• 91 percent agree that judicial candidates should disclose their contributors;
• 75 percent would require third parties to disclose their spending on ads in these races;
• 78 percent supported "requiring judges to remove themselves from any case in which one of the parties involved contributed money to help elect the judge."

Other numbers from the survey were posted earlier. Anzalone Liszt Research, which works with Democratic candidates, conducted the poll. The margin of error was +/- 4 percentage points.

Update: Senate Finance Chairman Walt Helmick tells The Associated Press that the court fees charged under the bill to raise some of the needed public funding could doom the measure in his committee.

Clocking the Legislature

With the 60-day session concluding at midnight Saturday (corrected), the Charleston Daily Mail asks whether the length of the Legislature's annual get-together is "too long, too short or just right."

The article said critics consider the regular session "too long and thus hammers taxpayers with needless expense," and believe that "legislators dawdle for most of the two months and do little or nothing until the very end."

The Associated Press examined this bit of conventional wisdom in 2008, by focusing on how the House and Senate each spent their daily floor sessions.

The results: over the course of the 60 days, "legislators spent two-thirds of their time on the key task assigned them by voters: to craft, advance and vote on bills." And while the session's opening days "were heavy on ceremony, as bills had only started the legislative process," daily floor sessions began to exhibit the overall trend before the halfway point.

In its article, the Daily Mail noted an observation from Brenda Nichols Harper, a longtime lobbyist and former state official, who said that "some people - lawyers, included - are unaware of how much work it takes to make a law. 'They come up here and they think you can pull a rabbit out of a hat,'" Harper is quoted as saying.

AP has also tried to assess the Legislature's pace with an ongoing analysis of the committee process, and expects to report on the results following the session.

Quote of the Day

"This reminds of me of potty training, when you take somebody's nose and rub it in the poop."

-- Delegate Barbara Evans Fleischauer, D-Monongalia, weighing in on the abortion-related ultrasound bill, as quoted by The Charleston Gazette.

Day 56 Roundup

• West Virginia lawmakers may share their power to grant specialty license plates, The Associated Press reports. A Senate committee is slated to take up a House-passed bill that would allow the Division of Motor Vehicles commissioner to issue plates sought by non-political nonprofit groups under certain condition. DMV officials recently testified that motorists can choose from among 110 specialty plates so far.

• AP also covered the latest exchange between eye care specialists over a bill that would allow optometrists to perform more procedures. The Register-Herald of Beckley, The Charleston Gazette, the Charleston Daily Mail and MetroNews also covered the public hearing held by the House Health and Human Resources Committee.

• The Charleston Daily Mail reports that House Education "endorsed a bill that would revise the way West Virginia colleges pay their staff and also strengthen the state's Higher Education Policy Commission by taking back some autonomy from Marshall University and West Virginia University." MetroNews also has an item.

• The Register-Herald reports on an "anti-racial profile training" provision added by the Senate to a House-passed bill targeting criminal gang activity.

• West Virginia will go another year without treating failure to wear a seat belt as a primary offense for traffic stops, after House Roads and Transportation elected not to take up the necessary bill, MetroNews reports.

• Public Broadcasting reports on a Senate committee advancing legislation that "would strengthen reporting requirements for Marcellus shale drilling," adding that "environmentalists and regulators want the bill, but some oil and gas representatives think it’s unnecessary." With audio.

Legislature 2010: Abortion

Legislation that would "require doctors to offer women the chance to view ultrasound images before getting an abortion" is down to its final committee for review, The Associated Press and others report.

AP was among those on hand for the more than three hours of debate that preceded the 16-9 vote by the House Health and Human Resources Committee's decision to endorse the bill and advance it to House Judiciary.

Foes say the Senate-passed measure "is insulting to women and meant to intimidate doctors," the article said. "Supporters say it simply provides women with the opportunity for more information."

AP also notes that House Judiciary is "where bills that would restrict abortion have been stranded for the last several years. A change in leadership at that committee might spell a different outcome this year."

The Charleston Gazette reported earlier that while Chairman Tim Miley, D-Harrison, is anti-abortion, his wife Susan is not and spoke against the bill at last week's public hearing. MetroNews follows up on that, with audio from the chairman.

The Gazette also reports on the bill advancing, as does the Charleston Daily Mail.

Mixed Results for W.Va. Dems in Poll

The attitudes of West Virginia voters heading into this year's elections may be glimpsed in polling conducted by supporters of Gov. Joe Manchin's Supreme Court public financing bill:

• 36 percent said they were more likely to vote for Republican congressional candidates compared to 35 percent more likely to go with Democrats, even though 49 percent considered themselves Democratic/leaning versus 37 percent Republican/leaning (and 61 percent said they were registered Democrats, versus 32 percent Republican);

• 43 percent thought West Virginia was moving in the right direction, while 40 percent indicated wrong direction;

• Manchin scored a 76 percent favorable rating and a 77 percent job approval rating;
  

• 55 percent viewed the Legislature favorably, 34 percent unfavorably;

• 58 percent were favorable toward the state Supreme Court, though another 22 offered no rating; 54 percent approved of its performance;

• Justice Brent Benjamin's favorables/unfavorables were 13 percent/18 percent, with only 31 percent identifying him and 69 percent offering no rating;

• Justice Robin Davis scored a 17 percent/6 percent, with a 23 percent name recognition and 77 percent declining to rate her.

• The poll also asked about Don Blankenship. The Massey CEO was rated 23 percent favorable/33 percent unfavorable, with 56 able to ID him.
  

The Legislature's poll numbers appear to buck a trend that Politico sees for statehouses elsewhere. "Numerous" state legislatures are "bottoming out" in recent polling, the article said, "showing off-the-charts disapproval ratings accompanied by stunning levels of voter cynicism."

Governors in other states sport dismal job performance numbers as well. Public Policy Polling had an item on the subject in January.

Anzalone Liszt Research, which works with Democratic candidates, interviewed 600 registered West Virginia voters from Feb. 21-24 for the poll released Monday. The margin of error was +/- 4 percentage points.

Gambling in West Virginia (Updated)

After punting on the issue last session, lawmakers have proposed outlawing video-assisted or -enhanced raffle games, The Associated Press reports.

A Senate-passed bill "would forbid raffle games offered by charities to feature electronic or mechanical devices," the article said. " Anyone possessing such machines after July 1 would face a felony charge."

But the legislation surfaces amid a legal challenge against state regulators by the Harrison County Elks Lodge that lost 144 "video-enhanced raffle ticket dispensing machines" in a raid last year, AP reports.

Update: The House Judiciary Committee advanced the bill to the full House, AP reports, after amending it "to ensure it did not include such equipment as drums for drawing numbers." Chairman Tim Miley also noted the bill's start date means it could not apply in the Elks Lodge's case.

Supreme Court Public Funds Bill Gets National Attention (Updated)

Several national groups are weighing in on "legislation that would offer public funds to future candidates for West Virginia's Supreme Court," The Associated Press reports.

Senate Judiciary Chairman Jeff Kessler, D-Marshall and a bill supporter, is hosting a Monday afternoon Capitol press conference with leaders from Justice at Stake and the Committee for Economic Development.

The two organizations have taken stances previously on issues involving West Virginia's court system. Endorsing the House-passed bill, the groups commissioned a poll they say shows bipartisan support for the measure.

But the Center for Competitive Politics has argued against the public financing of election campaigns. Questioning the benefits of such measures, it has warned Kessler that the pending bill contains "serious constitutional flaws," AP reports.

Update: Kessler's committee endorsed the bill Monday on a non-unanimous voice vote, sending it to Senate Finance, AP reports.

Legislature 2010: Crunch Time

With the 60-day session ending at midnight Saturday, The Associated Press highlights some of the higher-profile measures that West Virginia's Legislature might pass to Gov. Joe Manchin.

Just over 300 bills remain in play following last week's crossover deadline, out of nearly 2,080 introduced. Another dozen have already completed their legislative travels.

(By comparison, 377 crossed over last year, out of 2,110 bills. In 2008, 345 bills made the deadline out of 2,131 introduced.)

"Given the still-fragile economy, few if any of these propose major changes to taxes, spending or public policy," the article said. "Senate Finance Chairman Walt Helmick said he and his committee intend to keep it that way as they sift through House-passed bills this week."

Helmick's committee is taking the lead on the new budget this session. Manchin is expected to keep lawmakers in town an additional week or so to complete action on that bill. As proposed by the governor, it would reduce all state spending by around 2 percent during the budget year that begins July 1.

Home Rule in West Virginia

The Associated Press reports that "state lawmakers appear ready to increase the independence of West Virginia's local governments, and they aren't waiting on results from an ongoing experiment on the subject."

The article highlights two House-passed measures now in the Senate that Gov. Joe Manchin included in his agenda this session and that have won the back of such groups as the state's Municipal League.

"Both proposals emerged from the home-rule pilot project that since 2007 has allowed a handful of cities to test out expanded powers," the article said. "But the bills' opponents want to wait until the project ends and reports results."

Besides Manchin, supporters of the measures include cities taking part in the pilot program and the West Virginia Municipal League. The state's Insurance Federation helped craft one of the bills, and believes it can help resolve its pending legal battle with Huntington.

The Charleston Gazette, meanwhile, highlights that city's participation in the pilot project. "I just can't say enough about this home rule," Charleston Planning Director Dan Vriendt told the newspaper. "It's worked just the way we hoped it would."