Gas tax relief highlights W.Va. special session

The House and Senate took up Gov. Joe Manchin's special session agenda Tuesday, with most of the resulting 19 bills clearing their committees.

The items include a proposed remedy to an election campaign disclosure law ruled partly unconstitutional by a federal judge. It attracted the most questions in both the House and Senate judiciary committees, largely along party lines.

While lawmakers hope to wrap up Wednesday, the Democratic leadership said they would stay until Thursday if necessary to ensure a final vote on that bill.

The governor's plan to ease fuel costs appeared more palatable. The plan would keep the gas tax from rising an estimated 6 cents per gallon starting Jan. 1. Lawmakers would offset any resulting loss in state highway revenue with $40 million from this year's surplus.

Most of the other funding measures are needed before the new budget year begins July 1. They vary: $25 million for transferring teacher pension accounts; $24 million to pay off long-term debts; and $6 million to help county schools and Meals on Wheels programs with fuel costs.

The finance committees pared down a $30 million request for a unified state accounting computer system. Reducing it to $5 million to reflect estimates on immediate need, lawmakers placed the balance in a special reserve account for possible use in the future.

Manchin has also requested supplemental budget measures for his office, the State Police and the Development Office, among other agencies.

The agenda proposes to revise several previously vetoed measures. They include proposals to fund training tracks for West Virginia greyhounds and to crack down on scrap metal and catalytic converter thefts.

Blocking the gas tax hike requires legislative action. Manchin froze 2006's scheduled increase through executive order, but that was allowed because Hurricane Katrina had distorted the wholesale market.