West Virginia Legislature’s Special Session Ends in Disappointment and Tension

Last week’s special session of the West Virginia Legislature was supposed to address the state budget, but it ended in disappointment and tension between the Senate and House of Delegates. Despite passing all 15 bills proposed by Gov. Jim Justice, there was still dissatisfaction among lawmakers.

The main point of contention was Senate Bill 1001, which allocated funds to the Department of Human Services and Department of Health without mandates on how the money should be spent. Lawmakers in the House were concerned about the lack of oversight, especially after learning that the Department of Human Services had failed to spend $29 million meant for services for people with disabilities in the previous fiscal year.

The House attempted to amend the bill to include spending mandates, but the Senate adjourned without taking up the amended version. This led to criticism from the West Virginia Democratic Party, who called the session a failure and accused Senate President Craig Blair of neglecting the needs of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Despite assurances from Senate Finance Chair Eric Tarr that the departments would commit to using the funds appropriately, there is still skepticism about the lack of transparency in Justice’s administration. Another special session is expected in the coming months, and lawmakers may continue to push for more accountability and oversight in budget allocations.