Government, The Braxton Democrat

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

The House of Delegates convened for day two of the Second Extraordinary Session of 2024 on Sunday, October 6th. The House received committee reports and read each a second time, advancing the bills to Third Reading.
Those bills include:

  • House Bill 210 which supplements and amends appropriations for the Governor’s Office, Civil Contingent Fund
  • House Bill 211 which provides Federal Funds Grant Matches
  • House Bill 213 which appropriates $125,000,000 to the Economic Enhancement Grant Fund and $10,000,000 to the West Virginia Jobs Investment Trust, which will assist water and sewer projects around the state.
  • House Bill 214 appropriates $2,000,000 to the Department of Health for the office of the Inspector General
  • House Bill 215 appropriates 2,800,000 to the Division of Environmental Protection
  • House Bill 219 appropriates $1,050,000 to the Public Defender Corporations
  • House Bill 220 appropriates $13,600,000 to the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine for capital outlay, repairs, and equipment.
  • House Bill 224 appropriates 1,700,000 to the Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation for building repairs.
  • House Bill 226 provides for a child and dependent care credit against the personal income tax.
  • House Bill 227 authorizes public charter schools to apply for funding from the School Building Authority to purchase a building for public charter school purposes.
    The House introduced, read a first time, and referred to a committee eight additional bills. Seven of those bills were referred to the Finance Committee.
    Governor Justice also amended the call and added four items requesting supplemental appropriations of $10,000,000 for drought relief programs, $1,000,000 for school safety initiatives, $5,000,000 for public charter school construction grants, and $5,000,000 for a childcare expansion pilot program.
    Revenue collections for September are as follows: General Revenue collections for September totaled $567,716,724, exceeding the monthly estimate of $566,322,000 by $1,394,724. Total year-to-date General Revenue collections are $1,306,887,698.Personal Income Tax (PIT) collections for September totaled $239,339,457, below the monthly estimate of $243,200,000 by $3,860,543. Total year-to-date Personal Income Tax collections are $533,408,466.
    Severance tax collections for September totaled $45,691,371, above the monthly estimate of $35,600,000 by $10,091,371. Total year-to-date Severance Tax collections are $74,215,203.
    Consumer Sales and Use Tax collections for September totaled $165,053,798, below the monthly estimate of $165,400,000 by $346,202. Total year-to-date Consumer Sales and Use tax collections are $423,948,282.
    Total gross lottery collections for August FY 25 were $108,874,000. This figure is $12,686,000 above the monthly estimate of $96,188. Total gross lottery collections for fiscal year 2025 are $197,261,000.
    This past week I had pleasure to attend the West Fork Conservation District Agriculture Awards Banquet in Glenville. Highlights from the Agricultural Enhancement Program include successfully supporting implementation of $2 million of conservation Best Management Practices, and the staff assisted cooperators with installation of 768 Best Management Practices with a completion rate of 72.15%. Additionally, Route 18 Farm Market was named West Fork Conservation Farm of the Year. Congratulations to Jerry and
    Angie Brake for demonstrating exceptional commitment to conservation practices. Members were recognized for their valuable contributions.
    Through education, outreach, and hands-on projects, the West Virginia Conservation District is fostering a culture of stewardship and environmental responsibility. Their work ensures that future generations will continue to enjoy the natural beauty and resources of our state.
    Will and I enjoyed celebrating the beauty of autumn at the Sutton Fall Festival and the Fall Folk Festival gathering in Glenville. The day was perfect for our communities to enjoy live music, food, and other festivities.
    Celebrating continues this weekend on October 12th with Braxton County’s first Farm Crawl. The event is designed to highlight local farms, farm products and to give visitors an opportunity to experience a variety of farm experiences. Please see the paper or the official “Braxton County Farm Crawl” Facebook page for more information.
    “When tillage begins, other arts follow. The farmers, therefore, are the founders of human civilization.”
    (Daniel Webster)
    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.