Del. Jarred Cannon

Maddy summaryHCR 65 is a West Virginia legislative resolution urging the U.S. Congress and Department of Energy to fulfill federal obligations under the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982 regarding spent nuclear fuel. It highlights that over 90,000 metric tons of spent fuel are stored at 76 sites nationwide, with taxpayers bearing $9 billion in costs and nuclear customers having prepaid $46 billion for disposal, yet no permanent repository exists. The resolution specifically requests Congress and the DOE to implement recommendations from the Blue-Ribbon Commission, streamline regulations, and establish a deep geologic repository. It directly affects nuclear utilities, taxpayers, and communities hosting nuclear sites that face long-term storage challenges. The resolution is procedural and non-binding, aiming to prompt federal action on a decades-old policy gap.

Maddy summaryHB 2747 amends West Virginia's DUI statute (§17C-5-2) to clarify that fleeing the scene after driving under the influence is treated as part of the DUI offense itself, not a separate violation. This change directly affects drivers who flee after being impaired, ensuring such conduct is prosecuted under DUI penalties rather than as a separate charge. The key mechanism adds language to the statute explicitly stating that fleeing constitutes a DUI offense when combined with driving while impaired. The bill does not alter existing penalties but corrects a legal inconsistency in how fleeing DUIs are classified. This is a procedural amendment to the existing DUI code.

Maddy summaryHB 2593 requires West Virginia state government agencies and public entities to obtain written certification from companies before entering contracts for goods or services. This certification must confirm the company has no financial ties to specific foreign nations deemed to hold values "antithetical" to West Virginia, including state sponsors of terrorism (like Iran and Saudi Arabia) and nations aligned with communist ideology (like China, North Korea, Cuba, and Vietnam). Companies must provide documented proof of their ownership structure, tracing to individual natural persons, to verify compliance. Contracts failing this requirement are void under public policy, directly affecting all state procurement processes involving private vendors.

Maddy summaryHB 2061 modifies how lottery revenues from racetrack video games are distributed in West Virginia. It redirects all funds that would have gone to specific programs (like racetracks and workers' compensation debt reduction) into the State Excess Lottery Revenue Fund, effectively stopping those payments starting in 2014. The bill also allows the Governor to temporarily redirect half of these lottery revenues to the General Revenue Fund during severe budget shortfalls (over $100 million) until the state's workers' compensation debt is fully covered. This directly affects how state funds are allocated from lottery activities, shifting money away from targeted programs toward a central lottery fund.

Maddy summaryHB 2380 would amend West Virginia law to impose a life sentence for individuals convicted of knowingly selling fentanyl. Specifically, it targets dealers who handle fentanyl classified as a Schedule II controlled substance, escalating penalties from the standard 3-15 year sentence for other Schedule II drugs to life imprisonment. The bill applies only to fentanyl sales (not other drugs or lower-schedule substances) and requires proof the dealer knew the substance was fentanyl. This change modifies Section 60A-4-401 of West Virginia Code, directly affecting fentanyl dealers convicted under this provision.

Maddy summaryHB 2155, the Electronic Right to Repair Act, requires manufacturers of digital electronic equipment (like smartphones) to provide independent repair shops and owners with necessary documentation, parts, and tools at fair and reasonable terms. Specifically, it mandates that manufacturers make repair documentation available free of charge (with minimal cost for physical copies), provide tools without requiring internet access or special authorization, and offer parts at the same cost and terms they provide to their own authorized repair shops. This directly affects manufacturers (such as Apple) and benefits local independent repair businesses and consumers who want to repair devices without relying solely on manufacturer services. The law aims to increase competition in repair services by removing barriers that previously restricted third-party repair access.