CHARLESTON – The state Senate has passed a bill to create an intermediate court of appeals.
Senate Bill 275 passed by a 19-15 vote February 24. It now heads to the House of Delegates, where a similar bill was voted down by a slim margin as the legislative session drew to a close. Such legislation has been introduced numerous times in recent years, but none of the bills have reached the governor’s desk.
Four Republicans – Amy Grady, Bill Hamilton, Patrick Martin and David Stover – joined Democrats to vote against the bill. It now heads to the House of Delegates for consideration, where similar efforts to create an intermediate court system have died in recent years.