The West Virginia Coal Association website saw over 2900 visitors for the month of December.  The website saw over 7100 page views with 2.42 pages per visit.  Over 71% of all visits were from first time visitors.  Our visitors came from over 66 countries and territories with search engines bringing in over 76% percent of our total traffic.

The West Virginia Business & Industry Council (BIC) will once again hold weekly meetings throughout the regular Legislative Session.  This year the meetings will be held in the Governor’s Press Conference Room (next to the Secretary of State’s Office) each Wednesday beginning on January 19.  Unless communicated otherwise, each meeting will begin at 11:00 a.m.  If you wish to join any of the meetings, please let us know at the Association.   

The 2011 regular session of the West Virginia Legislature is scheduled to begin Wednesday, January 12. That evening, Acting Governor Earl Ray Tomblin will deliver the State of the State Address, in which he will detail his legislative agenda.

This is expected to be an unusual regular session for lawmakers. Issues expected to be on the agenda this term include funding for higher education, retiree benefits and the state budget.

State Senator Jeff Kessler, D-Marshall, who appears likely to be named Acting President of the West Virginia State Senate during the upcoming session, has been making strides behind the scenes to unveil a new leadership team to the West Virginia Legislature when the body convenes Jauary 12.

The Senate is expect to re-elect Tomblin as Senate president for its first order of business and then to adopt Senate rules with the amendment to create the position of acting president for the upcoming session while Tomblin serves as Acting Governor. It is expected Kessler will be elected to the position.

Kessler has said he will name Sen. John Unger, D-Berkeley, as Senate Majority Leader, replacing Truman Chafin, D-Mingo, in that position. Kessler also plans to name Sen. Brooks McCabe, D-Kanawha, as President Pro Tempore, a position Joe Minard, D-Harrison had occupied, and Sen. Richard Browning, D-Wyoming will be named Majority Whip.

Kessler named his committee chairmen Wednesday. Sen. Roman Prezioso, D-Marion, will be chairman of the Finance Committee with Douglas Facemire, D-Braxton, as co-chairman. Corey Palumbo has been named chairman of the Judiciary Committee(Palumbo's father was chairman of the same committee). Herb Snyder, D-Jefferson, has been named chairman of the Government Organization Committee with Mike Green, D-Raleigh as his vice chairman and Ron Stollings, D-Boone has been named chairman of the Health Committee with Dan Foster, D-Kanawha, as his vice chairman.

Today, Congresswoman Shelley Moore Capito, R.-WV, and Congressman David McKinley, R-WV introduced the “Protect America's Energy and Manufacturing Jobs Act.”

“As my first piece of legislation in the 112th Congress, I have introduced a bill which seeks to delay for two years any action by the EPA to regulate carbon dioxide and methane gases under the Clean Air Act,” Capito said in announcing the legislation. “I cannot imagine an issue more timely or more relevant to the West Virginia economy than preventing the EPA’s regulatory overreach from killing jobs and raising energy prices across the board.”