Sen. Robbie Morris

Maddy summarySB 710 allows West Virginia residents who pay income tax to foreign countries on foreign earnings to claim a credit against their West Virginia state income tax. This prevents double taxation by reducing the state tax owed on that foreign income, applying only when federal tax rules would otherwise cause duplicate taxation. The credit covers income taxed by foreign governments and is available for taxable years through July 1, 2070, after which it expires. The bill directly affects West Virginia residents with foreign-sourced income who paid taxes to other countries.

Maddy summarySB 711 prohibits West Virginia's Division of Highways from discharging concentrated highway runoff onto private property if it causes flooding, erosion, or damage, unless water is directed to a "lawful outfall" like natural waterways, public drainage systems, or designed retention ponds. The bill authorizes the state highway agency to extend drainage facilities beyond road rights-of-way, acquire necessary easements (including via eminent domain), and perform limited temporary maintenance on private property to address drainage issues. It applies to new highway projects and existing drainage systems where infrastructure has altered natural patterns and caused recurring property damage. The law also limits the state's liability for unavoidable flooding during extreme weather or natural drainage conditions not caused by highway work.

Maddy summarySB 709 amends West Virginia law to clarify how county commissions collect unpaid special emergency ambulance service fees. Currently, counties impose these fees to fund emergency ambulance services, but the process for recovering delinquent payments was unclear. The bill allows counties to use magistrate court or judgment liens to collect overdue fees without paying court costs themselves, and shifts all court fees to the person who owes the debt if a court rules in the county's favor. County commissions may also appoint a representative to handle collection efforts. This change streamlines fee recovery while keeping the fee's purpose - funding emergency ambulance services - unchanged.

Maddy summarySB 700 allows municipal court clerks and city attorneys in West Virginia to file judgment liens against individuals who fail to pay court-imposed fines or costs for traffic violations, minor crimes, or municipal ordinances after missing payments for 90 days. It establishes a structured payment plan system requiring a $25 fee (or five installments), with monthly payments calculated as 2% of annual income (minimum $10) or spread over three years. If payments remain delinquent, clerks may charge $10 monthly late fees and file liens against property or send debts to collections - without reducing the full amount owed - after 90 days of nonpayment. This directly affects residents with unresolved court fines, providing a formal process for debt collection while requiring clerks to notify city attorneys before filing liens.

Maddy summaryThis Senate Resolution (SR 14) formally recognizes James and Lucille Pennington of Bartow, West Virginia, for receiving the 2025 West Virginia Logger of the Year award. The resolution acknowledges their logging business, J & L Trucking, for demonstrating safety, community involvement, and excellence in forest management. It specifically highlights their family legacy in logging, commitment to safety, community donations, and support for the West Virginia Forestry Association. As a ceremonial resolution, it does not create new laws or affect any regulations.

Maddy summarySB 673 imposes a 3-cent tax per milligram of nicotine on all e-cigarette products sold in West Virginia, replacing a previous tax based on product type. This tax applies to both disposable (closed-system) and refillable (open-system) devices, with fallback rates (40mg per unit for disposables, 6mg/mL for refillables) if labeling is unclear. All revenue generated will be directed to the Public Employees Insurance Agency (PEIA) to reduce or stabilize state employees' health insurance premiums, without replacing existing employer contributions. The bill directly affects e-cigarette distributors and manufacturers in the state, effective July 1, 2026.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows classroom teachers who joined the West Virginia Teachers Retirement System on or after July 1, 2015, to sell up to 10 unused personal leave days to their county school board for a cash payment. Teachers would receive 80% of the rate paid to a substitute teacher with a bachelor's degree and 10 years of experience for each day sold, with payment required by June 30. Once sold, the leave days are forfeited and cannot be used for future absences.

Maddy summaryThis Senate Concurrent Resolution (SCR 1) requests the West Virginia Division of Highways to rename specific bridges and road segments after military veterans and community members. It directly affects the Division of Highways, which would implement the proposed names for 15+ existing infrastructure locations across 10 counties. The resolution specifies exact locations (e.g., a bridge in Wayne County to be called the "Hercie Maynard Memorial Bridge" or a section of WV Route 10 as the "Purple Heart Trail") without creating new laws or funding. It is purely a naming request, not a policy change, and honors individuals with military service or local significance. The resolution was quickly adopted by both legislative chambers in January 2026.

Maddy summarySB 667 amends definitions for real estate settlement terms under West Virginia's Good Funds Settlement Act. It defines "good funds" as moneys deposited and irrevocably credited to a settlement agent's account, specifies acceptable payment methods for disbursement (like wired funds or certified checks), and requires settlement agents to be licensed attorneys or have attorney access during closings. This bill directly affects settlement agents, lenders, and parties in real estate transactions by standardizing terminology for the settlement process. It does not create new requirements but clarifies existing definitions to improve consistency in real estate transactions.

Maddy summarySB 660 amends West Virginia's Public Employees Insurance Agency (PEIA) rules to change how spousal health coverage is paid. It removes the requirement for a "spousal surcharge" and instead requires employees to pay for their spouse's coverage based on their own salary and plan tier. This directly affects PEIA-covered state employees who wish to add a spouse to their health plan, particularly when the spouse already has employer-based insurance. The bill specifies that employees must cover the full "actuarial value" of the spouse's coverage (as defined by healthcare actuaries), rather than the previous surcharge model. This change applies to active employees, not retirees or certain other covered groups.