2024 West Virginia legislative session

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2023
2025


2024 West Virginia legislative session
Seal of West Virginia.svg.png
General information
Scheduled session start:    Jan. 10, 2024

Scheduled session end:    March 9, 2024

Leadership
Senate President
Craig Blair (R)

House Speaker
Roger Hanshaw (R)
Majority Leader
Senate: Tom Takubo (R)
House: Eric Householder (R)
Minority Leader
Senate: Mike Woelfel (D)
House: Sean Hornbuckle (D)

Elections
Next Election:    November 5, 2024

Last Election:    November 8, 2022

Previous legislative sessions
202320222021202020192018
Other 2024 legislative sessions


In 2024, the West Virginia State Legislature was scheduled to convene on January 10, 2024, and adjourn on March 9, 2024.

The legislators serving in this session took office following the 2022 elections. West Virginia won a 30-4 majority in the Senate and an 88-12 majority in the House. The party also controlled the governorship, creating a Republican state government trifecta. At the start of the 2024 session, West Virginia was one of 20 state legislatures where Republicans had a veto-proof supermajority in both chambers.

At the beginning of the 2024 legislative session:
  • Republicans held a majority in the West Virginia state House and state Senate.
  • West Virginia was one of 23 Republican state government trifectas.
  • West Virginia's governor was Republican Jim Justice.
  • Leadership in 2024

    West Virginia State Senate

    West Virginia House of Representatives

    Partisan control in 2024

    See also: State government trifectas

    West Virginia was one of 23 Republican state government trifectas at the start of the 2024 legislative sessions. A state government trifecta occurs when one political party holds the governor's office, a majority in the state Senate, and a majority in the state House. For more information about state government trifectas, click here.

    West Virginia was also one of 20 state legislatures where Republicans had a veto-proof supermajority in both chambers. Veto overrides occur when a legislature votes to reverse a veto issued by an executive such as a governor or the president. If one party has a majority in a state legislature that is large enough to override a gubernatorial veto without any votes from members of the minority party, it is called a veto-proof majority or, sometimes, a supermajority. To read more about veto-proof supermajorities in state legislatures, click here.

    The following tables show the partisan breakdown of the West Virginia State Legislature in the 2024 legislative session.

    West Virginia State Senate

    Party As of January 2024
         Democratic Party 3
         Republican Party 31
    Total 34

    West Virginia House of Representatives

    Party As of January 2024
         Democratic Party 11
         Republican Party 88
         Vacancies 1
    Total 100

    Standing legislative committees

    See also: Standing committee and List of committees in West Virginia state government


    A standing committee of a state legislature is a committee that exists on a more-or-less permanent basis, from legislative session to session, that considers and refines legislative bills that fall under the committee's subject matter.

    At the beginning of the 2024 legislative session, there were 74 standing committees in West Virginia's state government, including 27 joint legislative committees, 20 state Senate committees, and 27 state House committees.

    Joint legislative committees

    • Council of Finance and Administration
    • Economic Development Committee
    • Education Accountability Committee
    • Education Committee
    • Employee Suggestion Award Board Committee
    • Equal Pay Commission
    • Finance Committee
    • Forest Management Review Commission
    • Government Operations Committee
    • Government Organization Committee
    • Government and Finance Committee
    • Health Committee
    • Health and Human Resources Accountability Committee
    • Infrastructure Committee
    • Intern Committee
    • Interstate Cooperation Committee
    • Law Institute Committee
    • Minority Issues Committee
    • PEIA, Seniors and Long Term Care Committee
    • Pensions and Retirement Committee
    • Regional Jail and Correctional Facility Authority Committee
    • Rule-Making Review Committee
    • Special Investigations Committee
    • Technology Committee
    • Veterans' Affairs Committee
    • Water Resources Committee
    • Workforce Investment for Economic Development Committee

    Senate committees

    • Confirmations Committee
    • Energy, Industry and Mining Committee
    • Military Committee
    • Natural Resources Committee
    • Pensions Committee
    • Senate Agriculture and Rural Development Committee
    • Senate Banking and Insurance Committee
    • Senate Economic Development Committee
    • Senate Education Committee
    • Senate Enrolled Bills Committee
    • Senate Finance Committee
    • Senate Government Organization Committee
    • Senate Health and Human Resources Committee
    • Senate Interstate Cooperation Committee
    • Senate Judiciary Committee
    • Senate Outdoor Recreation Committee
    • Senate Rules Committee
    • Senate School Choice Committee
    • Transportation and Infrastructure Committee
    • Workforce Committee

    House committees

    • Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee
    • Energy Committee
    • Energy and Manufacturing Committee
    • Fire Department and Emergency Medical Services Committee
    • Fire Departments and Emergency Medical Services Committee
    • House Banking and Insurance Committee
    • House Education Committee
    • House Enrolled Bills Committee
    • House Finance Committee
    • House Government Organization Committee
    • House Health and Human Resources Committee
    • House Interstate Cooperation Committee
    • House Judiciary Committee
    • House Pensions and Retirement Committee
    • House Rules Committee
    • Industry and Labor Committee
    • Jails and Prisons
    • Political Subdivisions
    • Political Subdivisions Committee
    • Prevention and Treatment of Substance Abuse Committee
    • Senior Citizen Issues Committee
    • Senior, Children, and Family Issues Committee
    • Small Business, Entrepreneurship, and Economic Development Committee
    • Technology & Infrastructure Committee
    • Technology and Infrastructure Committee
    • Veterans Affairs and Homeland Security Committee
    • Workforce Development Committee

    Legislation

    Enacted legislation

    The list below shows up to 25 pieces of legislation in the 2024 legislative session that most recently passed both chambers of the legislature, were signed by the governor, or were approved by the legislature in a veto override. If no bills are displayed below, no legislation met these criteria in 2024. This information is provided by BillTrack50.

    Election administration legislation

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    The table below lists 2024 election-related legislation in West Virginia. The following information is included for each bill:

    • Bill number
    • Official name or caption
    • Most recent action date
    • Legislative status
    • Topics dealt with by the bill

    Bills are organized by bill number. The table displays up to 100 results by default. To view additional results, use the arrows in the upper-right corner of the table. For more information about a particular bill, simply click the bill number. This will open a separate page with additional information.


    Legislatively referred constitutional amendments

    In every state but Delaware, voter approval is required to enact a constitutional amendment. In each state, the legislature has a process for referring constitutional amendments before voters. In 18 states, initiated constitutional amendments can be put on the ballot through a signature petition drive. There are also many other types of statewide measures.

    The methods by which the West Virginia Constitution can be amended:

    See also: Article XIV of the West Virginia Constitution and Laws governing ballot measures in West Virginia

    The West Virginia Constitution can be modified through constitutional conventions and legislatively referred constitutional amendments. West Virginia does not feature the power of initiative for either initiated constitutional amendments or initiated state statutes.

    Legislature

    See also: Legislatively referred constitutional amendment

    A two-thirds vote is required during one legislative session for the West Virginia State Legislature to place a constitutional amendment on the ballot. That amounts to a minimum of 67 votes in the West Virginia House of Representatives and 23 votes in the West Virginia State Senate, assuming no vacancies. Amendments do not require the governor's signature to be referred to the ballot.

    Convention

    See also: Convention-referred constitutional amendment

    According to Section 1 of Article XIV of the West Virginia Constitution, the state Legislature can vote to refer a constitutional convention question to voters. A simple majority vote is required in the Legislature.


    Historical partisan control

    The table below depicts the historical trifecta status of West Virginia.

    West Virginia Party Control: 1992-2024
    Nineteen years of Democratic trifectas  •  Seven years of Republican trifectas

    Year 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
    Governor D D D D D R R R R D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D[1] R R R R R R R
    Senate D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D R R R R R R R R R R
    House D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D R R R R R R R R R R

    Historical Senate control

    Between 1992 and 2022, partisan control of the West Virginia State Senate shifted in favor of the Republican Party. The table below shows the partisan history of the West Virginia State Senate following every general election from 1992 to 2022. All data from 2006 or earlier comes from Michael Dubin's Party Affiliations in the State Legislatures (McFarland Press, 2007). Data after 2006 was compiled by Ballotpedia staff.

    West Virginia State Senate election results: 1992-2022

    Year '92 '94 '96 '98 '00 '02 '04 '06 '08 '10 '12 '14 '16 '18 '20 '22
    Democrats 32 26 25 29 28 24 21 23 28 27 24 16 12 14 11 4
    Republicans 2 8 9 5 6 10 13 11 6 7 10 18 22 20 23 30

    After the 1992 elections, Democrats held a 32-2 majority. Republicans gained six seats in the 1994 elections, moving the chamber to 26-8 in favor of Democrats. From 1994 to 2012, the partisan balance of the state Senate would fluctuate, with minor gains being shared by Democrats and Republicans from election to election. In 2014, Republicans gained eight seats and took control of the chamber. The GOP picked up another eight seats between the 2016 and 2022 elections, resulting in a 30-4 Republican majority.

    Historical House control

    Between 1992 and 2022, partisan control of the West Virginia House of Delegates shifted in favor of the Republican Party. The table below shows the partisan history of the West Virginia House of Delegates following every general election from 1992 to 2022. All data from 2006 or earlier comes from Michael Dubin's Party Affiliations in the State Legislatures (McFarland Press, 2007). Data after 2006 was compiled by Ballotpedia staff.

    West Virginia House of Delegates election results: 1992-2022

    Year '92 '94 '96 '98 '00 '02 '04 '06 '08 '10 '12 '14 '16 '18 '20 '22
    Democrats 79 69 74 75 75 68 68 72 79 65 54 36 37 41 24 12
    Republicans 21 31 26 25 25 32 32 28 21 35 46 64 63 59 76 88

    After the 1992 elections, Democrats held a 79-21 majority. Republicans began moving the partisan balance of the state House in their favor in 2010. The GOP picked up 25 seats between the 2010 and 2012 elections. In 2014, Republicans gained 18 seats and took control of the chamber. Democrats gained five seats total in the 2016 and 2018 elections. Republicans increased their majority to 88-12 in the 2022 elections.

    See also

    Elections West Virginia State Government State Legislatures State Politics
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    External links

    Footnotes

    1. Gov. Jim Justice switched his registration to Republican on August 4, 2017.