Legislative Update… By Lori Dittman WV House of Delegates 63rd District

Seeing blue skies today after a week of storms was a welcome sight. A huge thank you to the crews working to restore electricity and disaster relief workers as several counties were under a state of emergency. I am so thankful for the men and women who are there in the worst of times and communities that support each other.
Numbers are in for tax collections for the month of March. General Revenue collections for March totaled $487,435,389, exceeding the monthly estimate of $392,575,000 by $94,860,389. Total year to date General Revenue collections are $4,068,562,414. Personal Income Tax (PIT) collections for March totaled $198,280,393, exceeding the monthly estimate of $149,500,000 by $48,780,393. Total year to date Personal Income Tax collections are $1,634,998,504. Severance tax collections for March totaled $48,158,948, above the monthly estimate of $22,100,000 by
$26,058,948. Total year to date Severance Tax collections are $247,514,961. Consumer Sales and Use Tax collections for March totaled $147,173,137, exceeding the monthly estimate of $141,600,000 by $5,573,137. Total year to date Consumer Sales and Use tax collections are $1,315,617,270. As we move forward to continue to work on the budget, it is good to see collections above estimates.
During the session, the West Virginia House of Delegates passed House Resolution 7 which supported the preservation of the Charleston (West Virginia) USPS Processing and Distribution Center. The transition of the Distribution Center to a Local Processing Center will send pieces of mail from Charleston to Pittsburg causing mail to take more time to reach its destination. Claiming this is more economical does not make sense. I have spoken to others from other locations in the state who saw their processing centers closed or downgraded, and they report no improvement in services. According to correspondence from the USPS government relations department, the Mail Processing Facility Review for the Charleston Processing and Distribution Center will not result in that facility’s closure or career employee layoffs. I understand the goal is to improve and increase overall efficiency, but sending instate mail out of state only to return it to West Virginia does not sound efficient. I do hope the USPS reconsiders their decision. The Legislature stands ready to work with federal, state, and local authorities for a resolution that will provide the best service to our citizens.
Interims are next week beginning on Sunday, April 14th. The schedule is as follows:
Sunday, April 14th
1:00 PM – Joint Legislative Committee on Flooding, Senate Judiciary
1:00 PM – Legislative Oversight Commission on Education, Senate Finance
3:00 PM – Joint Standing Committee on Government Operations House Chamber
3:00 PM – Joint Standing Committee on Government Org. – , House Chamber
3:00 PM – Standing Committee on Education, Senate Chamber
5:00 PM – Joint Committee on Government and Finance, Senate Finance
5:00 PM – Subcommittee for Joint Committee on Volunteer Fire Departments and EMS, Senate Judiciary
Monday, April 15th
9:00 AM – Joint Standing Committee on Finance, House Chamber
09:00 AM – Joint Standing Committee on the Judiciary, Senate Chamber
11:00 AM – Commission on Special Investigations, Senate Finance
11:00 AM – Legislative Oversight Committee on Regional Jail and Correctional Facility Authority, Senate Judiciary
12:00 PM – General Informational Session
2:00 PM – Post Audits Subcommittee, Senate Finance
3:00 PM – Select Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, Senate Judiciary
4:00 PM – Joint Standing Committee on Energy and Manufacturing, House Chamber
4:00 PM – Joint Standing Committee on Health, Senate Chamber
Tuesday, April 16th
9:00 AM – Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources Sub., House Judiciary
9:00 AM – Joint Legislative Oversight Commission on Dept of Transportation Accountability, Senate Judiciary
10:00 AM – Legislative Oversight Commission on Workforce Development and Labor Issues, House Judiciary
12:00 PM – Agriculture and Rural Development, House Judiciary
12:00 PM – Joint Standing Committee on Insurance and PEIA. Senate Chamber
1:00 PM – Joint Standing Committee on Technology and Infrastructure, House Chamber
1:00 PM – Legislative Oversight Commission on Health and Human Resources Accountability, Senate Finance
3:00 PM – Joint Standing Committee on Economic Development and Tourism, House Chamber
On Saturday, 12 members of our family attended the Lion’s Club of Gassaway’s bingo fundraiser. We had one winner and enjoyed spending the time together supporting this organization.
I would like to extend my congratulations to Glenville State University alum and former women’s basketball coach, Kim Caldwell, on her new position as the University of Tennessee women’s head basketball coach. What a wonderful accomplishment and recognition of her achievements in coaching. As a former basketball player and a fan of the game, I love seeing women, especially West Virginians, reach the pinnacle of the game.
Coach Caldwell joins a team with a coaching legacy that sets it apart. The late Pat Summitt was a leader who left quite a mark on the game and on women everywhere.
“Attitude is a choice. Think positive thoughts daily. Believe in yourself.”
(Pat Summitt)
There has been a lot of talk about the eclipse taking place on Monday, April 8th. I hope the weather cooperates so those who are interested may see the eclipse.
I look forward to hearing from people in the district and hope to see you out and about enjoying all the great things our area has to offer. I can be contacted at [email protected] or 304-701-8600.