In Review
Under the Dome delivers a review of issues being considered by the West Virginia Legislature. It provides information on matters that impact WVU and higher education, as well as other hot topics being addressed that affect the Mountain State and its citizens. This edition includes information on the governing board bill, FY 2026 state budget, athletics priorities, and other matters.
WVU BOG
In a 19-15 vote, the Senate passed House Bill 3279, which makes changes to the requirements
and composition of Boards of Governors at state institutions of higher education.
The Senate Government Organization Committee made a change to the bill to address
an issue with quorum, so the bill had to return to the House for concurrence.
Mike Oliverio – senator from Monongalia County – proposed three amendments to the
bill during the amendment stage on Tuesday evening. His amendments would have restored
voting rights to faculty, staff, and students; guaranteed faculty, staff, and student
representatives continue to have access to executive sessions and other BOG processes
and materials; and set a minimum of 5 appointed members per Congressional district.
All three amendments were defeated in close votes. Senator Joey Garcia, who also
represents WVU’s senatorial district, supported the amendments and opposed the
bill.
With just a few hours left in the session, the House took up the amended bill on
Saturday evening and passed it a second time with a vote of 58-39. Both chambers
made the bill effective from passage, so once the Governor signs it or lets it
go into effect without his signature, it will become law.
Budget
In the budget compromise adopted by the House on Thursday, the $15 million to WVU is restored. The budget also includes approximately $273,000 more for better performance in the higher education funding formula. With the increases introduced by Governor Morrisey in his budget, this brings the University’s State appropriations to more than $1.7 million up from last year. The budget also includes $250,000 to the College of Law to assist with its operations and $1.5 million to the Washington Center for Civics, Culture, and Statesmanship.On Friday evening, the Senate approved the compromise and sent it to the Governor
for his signature. The Governor will have up to 15 days from the day he receives
the budget to approve it, veto it, or use his line-item veto power to reduce funding.
Championing Athletics
House Bill 2595, authorizing institutions of higher education to establish a nonprofit
to manage revenue sharing and Name Image Likeness (NIL) opportunities for student-athletes,
and House Bill 2576, prohibiting the NCAA or other oversight governing bodies from
punishing institutions or student-athletes relating to revenue sharing and NIL
opportunities, unanimously passed the Senate Education Committee on Tuesday. Both
bills passed the Senate on Thursday and now go to the Governor for his signature.
Both bills were sponsored by Monongalia County Delegates Joe Statler, Geno Chiarelli,
and David McCormick and were supported by Delegates John Williams, Evan Hansen,
and Anitra Hamilton in the House.
WVU Athletics Director Wren Baker and WVU Football Coach Rich Rodriguez appeared
before the Senate Education Committee to speak in favor of the two bills and thank
legislators for their support:
Supporting UPD
Senate Bill 35, which will permit campus police officers to participate in the Municipal
Police and Fire Pension plan, passed the Senate unanimously on March 26. The House
Finance Committee made minor changes to conform with another bill that had already
passed the chamber. The bill passed the House unanimously and returned to the Senate
late on the final night of session, where Senators approved the amended bill, passed
it, and sent it to the Governor for his signature.
4-H Attendance
Due to issues our county 4-H programs are facing with more stringent attendance requirements
in public schools, Senator Mike Oliverio of Monongalia County introduced Senate
Bill 581 to guarantee that 4-H and FFA programs count as educational opportunities
under school attendance policies. The bill passed both chambers unanimously.
DEI
Senate Bill 474, ending diversity, equity, and inclusion programs, was introduced
by Governor Morrisey at the start of session. It largely codifies Executive Order
3-25 from January 14. However, it contains several exceptions, which if retained,
would protect certain policies and programs at state institutions of higher education.
The Senate passed the bill along party lines 32-2 on March 26. It was considered
and adopted by both the House Education and Judiciary Committees with minor changes,
and the full House passed it 87-12 after extensive debate on the last night of
session.
National Motto
Senate Bill 280, which mandates the display of the national motto “In God We Trust,”
passed the Senate on March 12 and has made its way through the House Education
and Judiciary Committees. Originally required to display the national motto in
all classrooms, the bill now only requires public institutions of higher education
to display it in the common area of a main building on campus. The bill passed
the House and was concurred by the Senate and now makes its way to the Governor’s
desk.
Washington Center
House Bill 3297 establishes the Washington Center for Civics, Culture, and Statesmanship
at WVU. It is based on similar centers in other states, including Iowa, Ohio, and
Texas. However, the original language made it an independent division with no oversight
by the University. The bill was introduced on March 11 and passed the House just
ten days later.
In the Senate, the Finance Committee made significant changes to the bill to make
it an entity under the authority of WVU. On the Senate floor, Senator Mike Oliverio
of Monongalia County successfully amended it to require the director’s appointment
be confirmed by the Senate, and Senator Mike Stuart of Kanawha County amended the
bill to prohibit a sitting member of the Legislature from serving for up to two
years after their term of service ends.
Legislative Calendar
June 22-24 Legislative Interims (at Stonewall Resort)September 7-9 Legislative Interims
October 5-7 Legislative Interims
November 2-4 Legislative Interims (at Pipestem Resort)
December 7-9
Legislative Interims
More Information
To learn more about the Legislature, including district maps, committee assignments,
bill tracking and a summary of daily activities, please visit
wvlegislature.gov
.
To learn more about WVU’s government relations and legislative initiatives, please visit governmentrelations.wvu.edu or contact Travis Mollohan, associate vice president for government relations and collaboration, at tmolloh1@mail.wvu.edu or Dan Kimble, director of state relations, at dkimble3@mail.wvu.edu .