TO: West Virginia Senate, West Virginia House of Delegates

FROM: Joe Manchin, III, Governor

DATE: September 3, 2005

RE: Special Session

A special session of the Legislature will convene at 12:00 pm on September 7, 2005.

The final call will be completed on Tuesday, September 6. However, in an effort to keep you informed, I am sending the attached list of items that I expect the call to cover.

Special Session

Special Session will begin at 12:00 pm on Wednesday September 7, 2005.

Items on the call:

• Additional payments to reduce the unfunded liability in our pension funds

[Looks like the Governor will try to put some of the surplus toward our debt. This could be a trick move from the Governor. If enough money can be put toward the debt, then the legislature won’t have enough to have a food tax reduction greater than the 1% the Governor wants.]

• Public employees’ pay, benefit and personnel issues
• Bureau of Employment Services: a bill that is necessary to meet a federal mandate and prevent the loss of federal matching funds
• HB 2963 - Clarifies that excess levy elections can be allowed at primary elections: it is necessary to pass this now to allow time for counties to prepare their ballots
• Food sales tax reductions
• Technical adjustments to the workers’ compensation legislation
• SB 348 - Clean up of grant auditing procedures

[ The grant process in West Virginia is so bad, we pay too much many times due to excessive red tape. Any positive reform is welcome. ]

• Legislation requiring the Division of Juvenile Services to establish a multidisciplinary treatment planning process for certain juveniles in its custody
• Allow the term “banking,” etc., in the name of a business that is not a bank
• Legislation relating generally to the development of a thoroughbred breeding industry and authorizing the Racing Commission to establish a special fund to be used for the payment of breeders awards, restrictive races and stakes purposes

[ I discussed this legislation in my September Special Session update ]

• Supplemental appropriations
• Certain resolutions
• Certain campaign finance and election reform
• HB2984 - Technical clean up to pension reforms contained in this bill