West Virginia Senate passes transgender athletes bill, and concerns continue By
Senator Patricia Rucker stands and addresses her fellow senators. (Will Price/West Virginia Legislative Photography)
West Virginia is on the verge of becoming the latest state to pass a bill restricting how transgender athletes can participate in school sports.
The state Senate passed a bill 18-15-1 on Thursday. It now goes back to the House of Delegates, where a version with some key differences already passed. Delegates could accept changes made by delegates or insist on the original version.
Senators debated the bill for an hour and a half Thursday, Day 58 of the 60-day session.
Bill aimed at improving West Virginia broadband nears passage in Senate wvmetronews.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from wvmetronews.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
CHARLESTON â Whether West Virginia University and Marshall University will be hit with multi-million-dollar revenue cuts in the 2021-22 state budget could become a little clearer Friday, when the House of Delegates considers pending amendments to the House version of the budget bill.
House Bill 2022 would cut WVUâs appropriation from $97.02 million to $79.02 million, and would cut Marshall from $46.76 million to $36.76 million. However, it would backfill those cuts using $28 million of what is expected to be more than $200 million in surplus funds from the 2020-21 budget year.
In the Senateâs version of the budget measure (Senate Bill 125), WVU would be cut by $12 million and Marshallâs cut would be $6 million â but those cuts would not be made up with surplus money.
Today
Cloudy skies during the morning hours followed by scattered showers and thunderstorms in the afternoon. Storms may contain strong gusty winds. High 79F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%..
Tonight
Thunderstorms in the evening will give way to partly cloudy skies overnight. Low around 55F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%. Updated: April 8, 2021 @ 12:25 am
Staff writer
CHARLESTON As the House of Delegates’ version of the budget is slated for passage Friday, the state Senate started work on its version Wednesday, setting up a conference committee likely next week.
The Senate Finance Committee approved by voice vote a committee substitute to Senate Bill 125, the budget bill presented by Gov. Jim Justice during his State of the State address at the beginning of session on Feb. 10.
The Senate version of the general revenue budget came in at $4.495 billion, which was $2 million more than the $4.493 billion set by House Bill 2022 approved by the House Finance Committee on Monday.