Legislative 2008 Update
February 8, 2008

By the 30th day of the legislative session, lawmakers had introduced 1,676 bills. The House had adopted 31 of its measures, while the Senate had passed 16 bills.

One had passed both Houses: HB2517
http://www.legis.state.wv.us/Bill_Text_HTML/2008_SESSIONS/RS/BILLS/hb2517%20eng.htm
http://www.legis.state.wv.us/Bill_Text_HTML/2008_SESSIONS/RS/BILLS/hb2517%20eng.htm would ensure that the state Board of Banking and Financial Institutions has "the authority to approve acquisitions of out-of-state banks by West Virginia state banks."

This time last year, the House had adopted 14 bills, while the Senate had passed 34 and six awaited the governor's signature.

The following are some of the interesting bills we adopted in the past week.

* House Concurrent Resolution 17, which I sponsored, calls for an interim study on the current recruitment and retention techniques of Volunteer Fire Departments throughout the state. Volunteer firefighters put their lives on the line to protect the citizens of their community, and retention and longevity of individual volunteer firefighters are vital to the public safety of the citizens. After looking closely at how they are recruited and retained, the interim committee would report back to the Legislature at the end of the year regarding any conclusions and recommendations, together with drafts of any legislation necessary to effectuate its recommendations to improve recruitment and retention.

* There was some publicity surrounding House Concurrent Resolution 27, which urges the state to add the extremely well known "Almost Heaven" slogan, in addition to "Wild and Wonderful," to new West Virginia road signs.

The resolution was adopted 98-0. In talking to fellow members and constituents, the leadership determined that a great many people associate 'Almost Heaven' with our state even more than they do "Wild and Wonderful."

The Speaker even developed a mock-up of what the road sign would look like.

On September 5, nearly 49,000 West Virginians cast votes to select an official welcome slogan for West Virginia's roadway welcome signs. "Wild, Wonderful" and "Almost Heaven" were the first- and second-place choices.

* I mentioned in my last column that the House was set to vote on HB4075, which I co-sponsored. This bill would establish the "Guardian Angel Video Monitoring" program, whereby the Department of Military Affairs and Public Safety, the State Police, and the Division of Highways would develop and implement the program for the purposes of utilizing "all available video recording and monitoring devices" to monitor "Amber Alert suspect vehicles" and "to provide for the State Police to monitor and utilize video recordingand monitoring devices during an Amber Alert."

The legislation was adopted 98-0 and is now before the Senate.

* HB4120 is yet another law to help ensure a fair civil justice system. This bill, which the House passed Friday by a 89-0 vote, would prohibit complaints in personal injury/wrongful death actions from stating specific dollar amounts/figures in their ad damnum ("to the damage") provisions. However, it would permit party defendants in such actions to request written statements of the nature and amount of damages being sought.

Currently, state law prohibits complaints in medical professional liability actions from including specific dollar amounts/figures in their ad damnumprovisions.

I welcome and appreciate your input on these or any other legislative issues. Write to House Majority Leader Joe DeLong, Building 1, Room 228-M, 1900 Kanawha Blvd. E., Charleston, 25305, or<mailto:rthompsn@mail.wvnet.edu, joe@joedelong.com, or call 304-340-3220.