LWVWV Legislative Scorecard 2026 Overview

Before the start of each legislative session, LWVWV adopts a set of legislative priorities.  Bills that fall within these priorities tend to be the ones we follow most closely during the legislative session.  Those priorities were the starting point for this scorecard.

What did the Legislature do during the 2026 Regular Session?

• 2777 bills introduced for consideration (not counting resolutions)
• 120 of those bills were requested by the Governor 
• 306 completed bills (passed both House and Senate; 153 House, 153 Senate)
• 284 completed bills signed into law by the Governor
• 10 completed bills became law without the Governor’s signature
• 12 bills were vetoed by the Governor; plus there were 12 line-item vetoes for the budget bill.

Obviously, that is too much for any voter to consume.  It is also the case that bills vary in importance, and the Scorecard is designed to focus on substantive bills.

To construct this Scorecard, we reviewed all 294 bills that became law to select the ones that fit into the four LWVWV legislative priority areas and the ones that were most substantive in terms of content.  From those, we selected 20 bills to highlight in the Scorecard.  Selections were made without regard to bill sponsors or which legislators voted for or against them.

These 20 bills do not provide a complete or representative view of any legislator’s work product.  The focus was LWVWV priorities.

Voters who disagree with those priorities may still find the Scorecard useful because each bill is presented with full transparency.  Whether the League supported or opposed each bill is clearly noted.  For more information, every bill is linked to its legislative history on the WV Legislature website.

How does this Scorecard deviate from prior ones?

Before 2025, LWVWV did not include the state budget with all its complexity in the Legislative Scorecard.  LWVWV believes that budgets are a reflection of the government’s values.  Therefore, for 2025 and now again in 2026, we have included the state budget bill (SB 250) in the Legislative Scorecard.

LWVWV’s opposition to this bill is included, not because of what it contained but what it did not.  We call your attention, in particular, to the Governor’s budget message that focused on this budget’s priorities.

Another bill, SB 392, which will reduce the personal income tax by 5% is also included in this Scorecard because it is tied inextricably to the budget and the state’s dwindling revenue sources.  WV already has in place a law to cut personal income taxes when objective criteria are met. Despite those criteria not being met, SB 392 creates an additional 5% income tax cut. This means WV is prioritizing unsustainable tax reduction, and taking revenue away from other priorities, such as road maintenance, public education, and the care of struggling children and families.  Evidence shows that the bulk of tax relief under this bill will go to wealthy West Virginians while the majority of West Virginians will see very little benefit.

Both the budget bill and income tax reduction are classified under Protecting Children and Families because these budget priorities will likely have overwhelmingly negative impacts on funding for programs that historically support children and families.