West Virginia Senate

01/14/2026

Senate Calendar and Committee Schedule for Wednesday, January 14, 2026 — https://www.wvlegislature.gov/News_release/pressrelease.cfm?release=4169.

12/03/2025

The Senate is seeking per-diem committee attorneys for the upcoming 2026 Regular Session. For more information or to apply, visit https://t.ly/lbrTf.

08/13/2025

News Release: Senator Patricia Rucker Supports State’s Charter Schools Decision to Accept Vaccination Exemptions

https://www.wvlegislature.gov/News_release/pressrelease.cfm?release=4156

02/12/2025

Senate Calendar and Committee Schedule for Wednesday, February 12, 2025 -- https://www.wvlegislature.gov/News_release/pressrelease.cfm?release=4091.

Lawmaker Press Release

06/06/2024

Please see the following statement on behalf of Senate President Craig Blair, R-Berkeley, regarding today’s press conference relating to findings from the investigation into the handling of a child fatality in Boone County:

“We’d like to thank the Governor’s Office, Department of Human Services Secretary Cynthia Persily, State Superintendent Michele Blatt, and Maj. Jim Mitchell from the West Virginia State Police for their efforts today to update the public and the media about this heartbreaking situation that occurred in Boone County.

What has become apparent above everything else is that this child was failed by her local network of safety nets. Through a series of circumstances, she became lost in the system, and she tragically lost her life. As Legislators, we have an obligation to protect our most vulnerable citizens, especially our children.

This case has highlighted that our current system of checks and balances has cracks. To that end, we will work with the Governor’s Office, the Department of Education, the Department of Human Services, and the State Police to discuss ways that we, legislatively, can improve our regulations related to homeschooled children to ensure that no children suffer this same outcome.

We encourage our colleagues in the House of Delegates to sit down with us as we start working toward these plans. We must act quickly to ensure that something of this magnitude doesn’t happen again.”

05/21/2024

On Monday, both the House and Senate commemorated the life of Robert Gene “Bob” Ashley, committed husband, father, grandfather, and lifetime public servant.

Bob followed his father into elected service in the West Virginia House of Delegates in 1984, spending two legislative terms as Minority Whip; two terms as Minority Leader; one session as Vice Chairman of the House Finance Committee; and was later appointed to the West Virginia Senate, serving a total of 30 years with the West Virginia Legislature, where he represented the people of Roane, Jackson, Clay, Gilmer, Wood, and Pleasants counties.

You can read the full House Concurrent Resolution 101 below.
https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Status/bills_text.cfm?billdoc=hcr101%20intr.htm&yr=2024&sesstype=1X&i=101&houseorig=h&billtype=cr

05/17/2024

Senate President Blair and Senators Jefferies, Plymale, Woelfel, and Woodrum joined Marshall University President Brad D. Smith, West Virginia University President E. Gordon Gee, Speaker Hanshaw, U.S. Senator Capito, and representatives from the Department of Defense to break ground on the new Institute for Cyber Security.
Last August, the Legislature was able to approve $45 million to help build Marshall’s Institute for Cyber Security. The Legislature has been focused on economic development and the creation of high-tech, high-demand jobs. This Institute of Cyber Security will help create hundreds of highly skilled workers ready to stay here in West Virginia or use their skills to defend our infrastructure worldwide.

A ceremony was held Friday.

05/13/2024

Senators Plymale, Jeffries, and Nelson joined with members of the Justice Administration and officials from Marshall University today at the Bill Noe Flight School in Charleston to celebrate the University's new partnership with Airbus and to welcome the Flight School's first Airbus Helicopter for its rotor-wing program.

04/30/2024

Senate President Craig Blair issued the following statement on behalf of the Senate Majority Caucus today relating to the decision by Harrison County Schools to suspend five-student athletes from competition.

04/30/2024

Senator Eric Nelson (R-Kanawha) and Senator Glenn Jeffries (R-Putnam) joined members of the House of Delegates and the Justice administration at the West Virginia Regional Technology Park in South Charleston today to break ground on the new West Virginia State Laboratories facility. The new facility will
include labs from seven state agencies along with Marshall University and West Virginia University.

You can learn more about the project here:
https://www.wvtechpark.com/post/west-virginia-regional-technology-park-celebrates-groundbreaking-of-new-state-laboratories-project

04/23/2024

Congratulations to this year's Academic Showdown Grand Champion, Morgantown High School! Over 90 high schools signed up to participate and 14 high schools made it to the state championship. Each team did a fantastic job representing their schools and showed that West Virginia has so much potential in our next generation of scholars and leaders.

The Academic Showdown was created in 2022 at the request of West Virginia Senate President Craig Blair. Senator Blair has been a staunch advocate for academics to be celebrated with the enthusiasm and pageantry as athletics are throughout our schools.

Please visit West Virginia Department of Education to learn more about the Academic Showdown.
https://wvde.us/middle-secondary-learning/academic-showdown-highlights/

04/15/2024

Senate President Blair spoke at the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia's open house and information session today, April 15, 2024. The Supreme Court gave an overview of the fundamentals of the judicial system and tours of the new judicial learning center.

https://westvirginialegislature.zenfolio.com/p493692435