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

The final week of the 60-day legislative session ended at midnight on April 12th. A total of 2,460 bills were submitted with only 247 passing both houses and many are still waiting for action from Governor Morrissey.
One of the key pieces of legislation is passage of the state’s budget. The House made several updates to the compromise budget before passing it. These changes include adjusting the salaries of constitutional officers aligning with what is written in state law, recalculating funding for the Public Employees Insurance Agency (PEIA), and cutting back on personnel funding in state departments where positions have remained unfilled for a long time. The amended budget also provides pay raises for public defenders and boosts funding for the Higher Education Policy Commission. Additional increases were made for pregnancy resource centers, West Virginia Health Right, early childhood programs (Birth to Three), various waiver programs, and services supporting adoption and foster care.
The total General Revenue Fund budget stands at $5.317 billion, with a projected surplus of $210.25 million. This revised budget is $5 million less than the version initially proposed by the Governor.
The State Road Fund is set at $2.13 billion, while special revenue accounts, labeled as “Other Funds,” amount to $2.32 billion. The Lottery Revenue Fund comes in at $157.4 million, with an expected surplus of $16.75 million. Additionally, the Excess Lottery Revenue is projected at $335 million, with a surplus of just over $21.3 million. On the federal side, West Virginia anticipates receiving about $8.22 billion in Federal Funds, including $730.4 million in Federal Block Grants.
House Bill 2014 passed with additional amendments for concurrence from the Senate. The bill creates a Certified Microgrid Program in the Division of Economic Development to attract high-impact data centers to the state and localized power generation for microgrids. The amendment alters how the taxes collected would be distributed:
· 50 percent to the Personal Income Tax Reduction Fund
· 30 percent to the county where the Data Center is located
· 10 percent to all counties on a per capita basis
· 5 percent to the Economic Enhancement Grant Fund administered by the Water Development Authority
· 5 percent to the Electric Grid Stabilization and Security Fund
Senator Glenn Jeffries of Putnam County expressed strong support for the Power Generation and Consumption Act, commonly called the microgrids bill. He believes the legislation is a positive move for West Virginia’s future, aiming to attract data centers by ensuring they have access to the energy they need to operate effectively.
The bill is expected to drive economic growth by making the state more appealing to high-tech industries. While there were some concerns raised about the potential for increased utility rates, the measure gained broad approval and passed both legislative chambers on Saturday evening.
Jeffries noted that this legislation enhances West Virginia’s competitiveness with surrounding states and anticipated that visible progress could begin within the next two to three years.
Governor Morrisey stated, “This is the economic development bill of the session.” He also restated his goals of cutting red tape, growing economically, and winning our economic Backyard Brawl against the states we touch.”
In addition to working on the bill, I had the honor to recognize the Gilmer County Lady Titans
Basketball Team with a Legislative Citation for their outstanding performance and dominance on the court, culminating in a well-deserved Single A State Championship. Central West Virginia celebrates your achievement and looks forward to your continued success—both in athletics and beyond.
I was also proud to welcome Braxton Middle School student McKenzie Conrad and Braxton High School student Kaiden Perkins as student pages on the final night of the legislative session. Though it was a long evening, they carried out their responsibilities with focus and maturity.
In the coming days, Governor Morrisey will act on the bills passed this session. We will soon see which measures he signs into law and which ones may face a veto.
As the session concludes, I will be returning to the classroom (following Spring Break week), but my work for the people of District 63 continues. I remain committed to representing and serving our community with dedication and heart.
I’m looking forward to the upcoming week leading to Easter, an observation of a personally meaningful holiday to me. I am so thankful for Jesus’ sacrifice and the promise of eternal life.
“He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee,
Saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.”
(Luke 26:6-7)
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 lori.dittman@wv house.gov or 304-701-8600.