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Welcome to the legislature.

Today I'm Randy Yogi.

We've passed a halfway mark i the 60 day legislative session.

We'll reach a key deadline in the House of delegates.

Next Tuesday is the last day to introduce legislation in that chamber.

The next week, the same deadline passes in the Senate.

As of this morning, 2463 bills have been introduced, but none have passed both chambers.

52 bills have passed the Senate, 64 have passed the House.

Lawmakers are taking action to reform the state's funding formula for schools, but they also recognize the need for a system wide overhaul.

The Senate Education Committe spent most of its time this week discussing several bills to update state financing of schools bills, like Senate Bil 437 would provide more funding for each special education student in the school, while Senate Bill 801 would increase teacher staffing in all schools.

at Thursday's meeting, Senator Eric Tarr, a Republican from Putnam County, expressed his support for the bills but also urged his colleagues to look toward a complete overhaul of how the state funds schools.

No, on of these bills is going to fix public aid in the sense that we start seeing, it funde appropriately to the educational needs of West Virgini until there's comprehensive fix.

Declining school enrollment.

Increased costs such as PTA and the rise of school choice options, and put most of West Virginia's public school districts in a difficult financial position.

House speaker Roger Hanshaw a Republican from Clay County, held a press conference immediately following a lengthy floor session on Tuesday.

He reviewed bills the House has been working on that follow his jobs firs opportunity everywhere agenda.

He specifically pointed to mor than a half dozen bills that he said will support existing businesses, train workers and prepare worksites and infrastructure to attract new large businesses to the state.

We always want to recruit and attract new employers to West Virginia, but we also don't want to forget those people who've been here with us through the long and short of it, who've been here with us through the good times and the bad.

And House Bill 4004 i one of the bills that does that.

second prong of our overall strategy was making sure that we hav a job creating business climate here in West Virginia, when folks outside the state are looking to West Virginia as a jurisdiction for location or when West Virginia employers are considering expansion or growing their business.

We want to be sur that they know they can do that here in West Virginia.

Under a bill approved by the West Virginia Senate on Tuesday adults under 21 would be allowed to carry a concealed firearm without first getting the provisional license that's required now.

Senate Bill 30 eliminates the requirement for 18 to 20 year olds to obtain a provisional license to carry a concealed handgun.

Senate Bill 30 passed the Senate with a vote of 33 to 1.

A similar bill, House Bill 4106 has been referred to the House Judiciary Committee.

Our high school student repor this week comes from Lily Rhodes and Sasha Hughey, as they discuss some of the recent bills in the House and Senate that have implications on today's youth Welcome back to the student segment of the legislature today.

I'm Sarah Hughey, and I'm Lily Rose.

We're already seeing a busy 2026 session with over 1760 bills introduced so far in West Virginia's legislature.

It's still early in the session, but the pace is picking up.

The House has already passed 27 bills, while the Senate has cleared 14.

Keep in mind, passing a chambe is just the first major hurdle.

A bill needs a majority vote in its home chamber before heading across the hall to the other side.

Only after passing both does it reach the governor's desk to either be signed into law or vetoed.

As of January 27th.

House Bill 4022 was passed by the House with a unanimous majority of 88, with 11 absent.

This bill was introduced by speaker of the House Roger Hanshaw a Republican from Clay County, and House Minority Leader Sean Hornbuckle, a Democrat from Campbell County, and aim to improve CPS staff allocation and properly distribute worker to their prospective counties.

For years, West Virginia's foster care system has been overwhelmed, with some counties seeing much higher caseloads than others.

By mandating that staff be allocated based on actual population and referral rates.

This bill aims to ensure that no child safety is at risk, simply because their vehicles office is understaffed.

Another significant move came that same day with House Bill 4005 the Workforce Development Act, introduced by Delegate Ryan Browning, a Republican from Wayne County.

That bill passed with a majority of 83 to 5.

The strong support suggests the real push this session to strengthen the state's labor force and keep more young Wes Virginians right here at home.

This bill is a big deal for high schoolers.

It creates a formal youth apprenticeship program for 11th and 12th graders.

If passed, students 1 and older can earn a high school diploma while simultaneously gaining on the job training and professional certifications in fields like manufacturing, health care, and engineering.

While the goal is to keep young West Virginians at home, the bill has sparked some debate.

It changes our state labor laws to match federal rules, which would allow older teens to work in industries previously labeled hazardous such as roofing or woodworking, provided they have strict supervision.

Supporters movie of this gives students an earlier head start on thei careers and a steady paycheck.

Whether you see it as a new opportunity or a safety concern, it's a major shift in how our state prepares students for the workforce.

Both bills have proceeded to the second chamber, which in this case is the Senate.

If the Senate changes the bill, it must go back to the House for agreement.

If the House disagrees with any changes made and the Senate refuses to remov the changes made in the bill's future, as determined by a conference committee.

A conference committee is held by an equal number of representatives from both chambers.

If a compromise is met, then the bill will be again voted on for passage.

If not, either another conference is held or the bill dies.

This is the point at which the bill can reach the governo to be either approved or vetoed.

We plan on tracking the progress of these bills, along with the one mentioned in our previous video, which you can find on West Virginia Public Broadcasting's website.

We'll be here throughout the session to bring you the latest on how these decisions affect students across the Mountain State.

As always, I'm Sarah Hughey and I'm Emily Rose for the legislature today.

For the past several weeks, people in the town of Wayne have been living through a water crisis.

While the do not consume water has been lifted, many families say they're still not ready to turn their taps back on.

Marshall University student reporter Abby Ace brings us this report that residents and lawmakers are calling for changes in how situations like this are handled In Wayne County, West Virginia.

Water is more than a convenience.

It's routine.

It's trust.

It's something most people don't think twice about until it's gone.

In mid-January, that trust began to crack.

Residents started noticing a sharp chemical smell in their taps.

Some describe the smell of diesel, petroleum, something that didn't belon in their homes or their bodies.

Investigators traced the spill to vandalism at an AEP substation in East Linn.

Nearl 5000 gallons of transformer oil gushed into 12 Mile Creek.

The town's water source, but the do not consume order didn't come until almost six days after the first complaints.

I met Ariel Phillips at a laundromat.

Not because she prefers it, but because she had no other choice.

The nurse and mother of two said she couldn't wash clothes at home.

I will be honest I didn't receive a phone call.

They said that they had called everybody that had my water.

I checked my phone, and checked my voice mails.

Maybe it went to spam.

Maybe it went to delete messages.

I did not receive it.

Oh, and I would log on that.

I don't want to throw blame on the town of Wayne at all, but I do want to be honest about that.

I did not receive early testin by the town, and the Department of Environmental Protectio found hydrocarbons in the water, chemicals associated with petroleum products.

Residents, including Phillips, say they didn't have time to wait for answers.

Weeks later, Wayne continued to live of bottled water in mobile tanks.

Showers and laundry happened at temporary stations daily routines revolving around a resource that used to be effortless.

So far, n suspects have been identified.

The county is offerin a $2,500 reward for information.

AEP has declined to comment at this time.

Across the state Capitol, legislators say that this crisis highlights persistent challenges with safe drinking water and the need for stronger infrastructure as well as response mechanisms.

Republican Delegate Patrick Lucas of Campbell County, says lawmakers are working with the governor's office and legislative leaders to secure more funding for clean wate projects across West Virginia.

So we've been passing bills and working with the governor's office and working with the finance, chairman, to find as much money as we can to fund clean wate projects all across the state.

Democratic Delegate Kayla Young of Canal County, says the situation in Wayne shows how vulnerable many communities still are, and why she believe that the state needs to invest in more infrastructure an protections for water systems.

They keep trying to roll back the regulations on storage tanks, so clean drinking water is always at risk.

Here in West Virginia, we see the current water crisis out in Wayne, down in Wyoming and McDowell County.

They still aren't really mad whole from all the flooding is going on.

And so we really need to invest in quality infrastructure, make sure that residents have access to clean drinking water all the time.

I mean, it is a basic necessity.

At the legislature, a newly introduced bill aimed at addressin how the state responds to unsafe water has advanced to committee.

Senate Bill 457, sponsored by Senator Laura Kim Chapman, was referred to the Senat Committee of Natural Resources.

The bill would require the West Virginia Department of Health to evaluate public water system for unsafe contaminant levels, and provide household water filtration equipment or technology to residents when their water is deemed unsafe, a step supporters say that could help families cope during future water quality emergencies.

Back in Wayne County, although mineral oil is no longer detectable in recent test results and some restriction were lifted earlier this month, the town has since been placed under a new advisory, essentially a modifie do not drink boil water notice.

As cleanup and testing continue and residents remain cautious about trusting their tap water again.

State and local officials also continue investigating the vandalism that triggere the spill, and a reward is still being offered for information leading to suspects.

Many families say they're grateful for the bottled water and support that poured in, but what they want most now are answers and assurance that this won't happen again.

say Senate Bill 457 is in the Senate Natural Resources Committee.

Wayne remains under a water advisory as testing and the investigation continue in this school year along the state Board of Education has been asked to approve 19 school closures or consolidations.

A big part of that reason is falling enrollment, especially in rural counties.

The state school aid formula what the state contributes to each school system per student hasn't been adjusted in decades.

While requirements on public schools have changed.

Eric Douglas spoke with Senator Mike Vario, a Republican from Gallia County and a member of the Education Committee, and Senator Mike Walthall, a Democrat from Campbell County and a member of the Finance Committee, to discuss what needs to be done to fix the issue.

Welcome to the legislature today.

This is our interview portion.

Today I'm pleased to see, Senator Mike waffle.

We've had you on the show once before the session.

For the governor's response.

But, we're on a different topic today.

And Senator, Mike Oliverio from, Montgomery County, I appreciate you joining us today.

Gentlemen, you know, we either today or yesterday, it was day 30, so we're halfway through the session.

We'll go with that.

This is when things the pace really starts picking up.

Obviously, you've gone through finance committee meetings and budget hearings and all that kind of stuff, but now, now things start to really accelerate.

What I want to talk about today, though, is, is education specifically?

Is everything from the school aid formul to funding for our schools, too.

So I just wanted to make one note.

So far this year, the state Board of Education has approved the closure of 19 schools in the state.

Just in this school year.

I think it's over 5 or so in the last 5 or 6 years.

Obviously, the big reason for that is declining population.

Declining student population.

Or a big reason for that.

But so just first off, and, Senator, you're, you're on the education committee for the, for the Senate.

Let's talk about what you see is the education system in this state.

The big challenge we have in West Virginia is our demographics.

We have a lot of older peopl and not as many younger people.

We have more people that die each year, that are born each year, and that is showing up in our school system and showing up at our higher education institutions.

We're both fortunate to have higher education institutions in our district.

And you've seen a real drop off in birth rates and high school graduation rates over the last 20 years.

So we have to we have to accommodate the change that's coming and try to use the dollars as effectively as we can and deliver quality public education.

That's still, one of th primary purposes of the state.

And oftentimes, is half of our general revenue dollars.

Senator, you want to comment on that?

Yeah.

I'll just I brought the Wes Virginia Constitution with me.

And, as some people know, the article 12 of our state constitution guarantees every child a thorough and efficient education.

So that's a constitutional right.

It's enshrined, in our supreme law.

So, we ar we are, experiencing the issues that the senator has described, and we must change with the times.

We've got to make sure that these kids are getting the appropriate education, a thorough education, and we've got to make sure that that's funded appropriately.

Fair enough.

I guess one of the just kind of the most sensational thing we've seen happe this session is Hancock County.

Is the just to, what, two years ago, I think they had $8 million in surplus, and now they're $2 million in the hole.

If I've got the numbers wrong, I apologize, but it's something in that range.

And they've now come to the state asking for supplemental funds.

I believe it's alone, but supplemental funds to to bail them out.

Just based on some of the what we've seen at the state Board of Education level, taking over school systems and that kind of thing.

I don't know that that's a really I'm afraid it's not an unusual case, I guess would be my my question would how how do we how do we fix that underlying problem?

I think Senator Wolf and I both have had concerns that it is an unusual case, that what's going on there is very different.

What's happened in other places and that further inspection needs to occur and better understanding of what has happened.

There are some cash flo management things that the state Department of Education can do and is doing, to ensure that every employee will be paid.

So that's, that's in place.

And we just in the Senate, we've just been cautious to gather more facts before we jump very quickly.

If you if you think in term of the role of the House versus the Senate the House is to respond quicker.

They're two year terms.

They're more focused on immediate action.

Senate is designed, as the senator said, on the floor, to be more deliberative.

And I think we've taken our time on this issue to evaluate, the right decision going forward.

A lot of the countie are having financial challenges.

Obviously, some counties can't ever pass a levy which funds a lot of additional positions that are needed.

But we we need to go into that school aid formula.

We need to make some changes.

But more than that, we need to make a greater financial commitment of our general revenue dollars to public education.

Well, and, Senator Wolf, I'll let you jump in in a moment, but that was that leads me to my next question.

The school aid formula, I don't think, has been looked at in 30 years, roughly something like the portions have been untouched for more than 30 years.

So how do we fix it?

And I'm sure there have been meetings goin on behind the scenes.

Whatever.

But this is this feels like it's getting more imminent.

You know, when can we see effects?

When can we see changes, or how do we do it?

Let me jump in with the first fix, and we'll let him jump after.

One of the things we've been working on in the Senate Education Committee is a formula where we would dole out dollars based on the severity of a child's disability.

You know, all children have needs.

Some have greater needs.

Some have profoun needs based on their disability.

And right now, we really through the formula w treat every child identically.

And so this legislatio that's that's moving in Senate education would have a weighted system where at the more profound students, more profound disabilities, would receive a little greater funding.

And our superintendents statewide have told us that that's needed.

What's happenin is we're having a small increase in the number of students with disabilities, but it's having a profound impact because many students without disabilities are leaving the school system.

They're leaving to be homeschooled or private school options.

Parochial school options.

So the percentage overall of the children left in that public school system, where we have that responsibility to provide that thorough and efficient education, the percentage of those students with disabilities that's becoming a greater percentage is exactly right.

West Virginia is fifth in America with, the number of special education or special needs students that there are out there in in my home county of Campbell and many other counties, 25% of our students have been identifie through testing or other means, 25%, as special needs students.

And so additional services are going to be needed with those kids.

The governor says that you've got to find, money to do that and there won't be extra money unless you can take it from here and put it over here.

Well, and I have a lot o respect for Governor Morrisey.

However, we if we have enough money to do a 10% tax increase, as the governor says we do, and now we're fully fundin the Hope scholarship, at about $230 million, it started out as a sort of a pilot project.

I was here, early, earlier this decade.

So, you know, the money is there.

The governor has indicated the money's there.

We've got to educate these.

All of our children.

Again, it's a constitutional protection and a right they have.

I'm not saying you're going to throw money at every issue and solve it, but this, you know, the situation as we have now can't be sustained in most counties.

You can all county where we sit at the moment.

Campbell.

Man, those are the big population counties.

But some of these smaller rural counties, even just bussing issue in some of these small counties are costing a lot of money and attracting teachers.

And that kind of thing is, is a continuing problem.

Actually, thank you for that.

And just for the record, for the audience, you're not on the education committee, but you're on the finance committee.

So you're seeing this, this, this discussion from the other side.

How do we handle this monetarily?

Well, there are always, many demands for our for our tax dollars.

And I've found in my 12 sessions here that if it's an important issue to the powers that be, the money will be found.

The money is there.

So, you know, again, we have to spend our money wisely, being mindfu that these are taxpayer dollars.

But, you know, our state has changed dramatically, as the senator indicated.

Lost 1600 kids have left Wayne County school system.

That's in my district.

1600, in ten years.

So we've had two small schools closed down at the southern part of the county, and tha just breaks up that community.

It's horrible.

And I'm a big fan of small schools.

I would if I had been here when consolidation was the order of the day, I would not have been in favor of that.

We and and you're exactly right.

Yesterday or at the Board of Education, meeting this week, it was the to 2 small elementary schools, I think about 150 student each or so in in Wayne County.

The.

So I guess this leads into the, you know, the how do we how do we kee how do we keep paying for that?

I'm going to quote somebody and I don't remember who said this quote, I'm sure one of my listeners will will or one of our viewers but it's you, your priorities.

Or I can show you priorities where you spend your money.

You know, are we are we focusing on the right things in this state?

Is and I don't I'm not personally opposed to Hope scholarship, but can we do both?

I guess is part of the question.

You know, the Hope scholarship was a policy decisio the legislature made years ago.

I was not in the legislature at the time, but, you know, with full implementation of that this fall, you know we're seeing dramatic increases.

But but do remember tha you know, just a few years ago, we made a commitment to reading for our children.

And and we rolled out a pla where we spent an additional $30 million three years in a row, for a total of almost $100 million more to put, teacher aides in all of our first, second, and third grade classes and a study done recently by Harvard showed that West Virginia had had a significant increase in our reading skills.

And one of the things we concluded was, you know, you spend kindergarte to third grade learning to read and then fourth grade on reading to learn.

And so so we have made some progress.

We've made meaningful investment.

I think both of us agree more is needed.

As Senator Wolf pointed out, the public education is constitutionally mandated.

You know, we we have to provide a good, good education to all of our kids.

So, how do we balance that?

Well, you know, somebody will file a lawsuit, as occurred back in the 80s, for Lincoln County.

And, they had horribl funding of their school system.

And that's really the last tim the whole system was evaluated.

And it was done pretty much in a courtroom.

So we don't want to ever get to that position again.

I want to say that I think Paul Hardesty does a great job.

He's over there.

You know at the state Board of Education.

The gentleman that's just been appointed.

Yeah, he's got skepticism, but I think we all do.

So give him a chance to do what he can and let his voice be heard.

But, you know, when we look at priorities, these children are going to be in our communities, and they've got to be educated so they can be productive citizens.

We're down to just a couple of minutes.

I'm going to give you both kind of a a final, final minute or so.

I the thing that comes to mind or pops into my head right now is if we want economic development, if we want good employees for for these new jobs, we have t have an educated workforce, too, whether it's micro-credentials or whether it's, vocational education or whatever comes to but, Senator, you want to I'll give you a last minute or so.

You know, I look at educating our schoolchildren.

I look at the promised scholarship.

I look at my own business.

And I always think you can spend money to train and educate this next generation.

And they might leave.

Or you can choose not to spend money to train, educate the next generation.

And they might stay and we will have an uneducated workforce.

So I think it's always, of great value to invest in education.

Prepare for the next, future workforce.

All the types of things, the certifications, the credentials, all those types of things.

A lot of that can start even i the later years of high school, and give kids an opportunit right out of high school to, to enroll in further education, to go into employment or to enlist in the militar and get the military experience like I had.

Fair enough.

Yeah.

I just want to say that, for your viewers and listeners, if you're a school personnel, service personnel, a teacher, a parent, a grandparent.

Reach out to your legislators if this is important to you.

Please, do we pay attention to those emails and those phone calls?

Also, get out and vote.

Make sure that when May comes around, you vote for peopl that support public education.

And and let your voice be heard.

Fair enough.

Gentlemen, I appreciate your time.

Thank you very much.

Thank you.

Thank you for having us.

Senators Mike Oliverio and Mike waffle speaking with Eric Douglas about school funding issues.

That's it for tonight.

Thank you for joining us.

Catch the legislature today, Fridays at 6 p.m.. And remember, West Virginia Public Broadcasting covers the session in our daily radio news program, West Virginia morning and on our news site at WB public.org.

West Virginia Public Broadcasting also has a new podcast of all our radio stories throughout the week called The Legislature.

This week it drops at 5 a.m.

Saturday mornings so you can listen with your Saturday morning coffee.

We also broadcast the daily floor sessions of both the House and the Senate on the West Virginia Channel.

I'm Randy Zoe.

Good evening and we'll see you here again next week.

Oh my God.

Support for the legislature today is provided by West Virginia University.

Serving our stat with pride, impact, and purpose through education, health care, and discovery.

Let's go visit wvu.edu.