CHARLESTON – A bill that would create a new intermediate appellate court is headed to the governor s desk.
On April 1, the state Senate concurred on amendments made in the House of Delegates to Senate Bill 275. The vote was 21-12. That followed the House passing the amended bill by a 56-44 vote March 30.
Instead of the Senate plan for two districts, the House version only has one district. That also trims the estimated initial budget from nearly $8 million to about $3.6 million and the continuing annual cost from about $5.7 million to $2.1 million.
The Senate also had the judges serving 12-year terms, like those of the state Supreme Court justices. The House version changes that to 10-year terms.
CHARLESTON – National and statewide tort reform groups are praising West Virginia lawmakers for work on the COVID-19 immunity legislation that could be on the governor’s desk soon.
“It is as critical as ever for West Virginia to pass a legislative solution to support health care providers, small businesses, and their employees who have been on the frontlines, responding to the pandemic, as they’re targeted with lawsuits” American Tort Reform Association President Tiger Joyce said.
Joyce said from March through December last year, plaintiffs’ lawyers spent more than $260,000 to air more than 3,300 legal services television ads mentioning COVID-19 or coronavirus in West Virginia.
The Minnesota Senate has voted on a resolution to end Governor Tim Walz emergency powers which have been in effect since March. | Pixabay
CHARLESTON – A West Virginia group committed to protected the 7th Amendment right to jury trial says the state Senate’s COVID-19 immunity bill is too broad and could take away citizens’ rights.
The West Virginia Consumer Protection Alliance also said Senate Bill 277 would “legalize COVID overreach and take away West Virginians rights to challenge unnecessary restrictions.”
Another statewide legal reform group, however, says the trial attorneys behind the Consumer Protection Alliance “will say or do anything to make sure that they can sue anyone they can to get rich.”
State Sen. Mike Romano (D-Harrison) | West Virginia Legislature photo
CHARLESTON The state Senate has passed a bill that would provide immunity from civil litigation regarding COVID-19 matters.
The COVID-19 Jobs Protection Act, or Senate Bill 277, passed the Senate by a 25-9 vote February 19. The bill now heads to the House of Delegates.
The bill would be retroactive to January 1, 2020. It also would allow for workers’ compensation claims to be filed related to the pandemic. Mani
The vote closely followed party line. Democratic Senators Mike Woelfel (D-Cabell) and Robert Plymale (D-Wayne) were the two who broke party lines and voted in favor of passage.