WEST virginia Legislature

2018 regular session

Introduced

Senate Joint Resolution 6

By Senator Ojeda

[Introduced January 12, 2018; Referred
to the Committee on the Judiciary; and then to the Committee on Finance]

Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the State of West Virginia, amending article VI thereof by adding thereto a new section, designated 51a, relating to authorizing legislative oversight of the judiciary budget proposal; allowing the Legislature to decrease or increase judiciary budget line items; numbering and designating such proposed amendment; and providing a summarized statement of the purpose of such proposed amendment.

Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia, two thirds of the members elected to each house agreeing thereto:

That the question of ratification or rejection of an amendment to the Constitution of the State of West Virginia be submitted to the voters of the state at the next general election to be held in the year 2018, which proposed amendment is to read as follows:

ARTICLE VI.

§51a. Legislature may increase or decrease judiciary budget line items.

Notwithstanding the first clause of the first proviso in subdivision (5), subsection B, section fifty-one, article VI, of this Constitution, the Legislature may increase or decrease any item contained in the budget bill or any supplemental appropriation bill relating to the judiciary.

Resolved further, That in accordance with the provisions of article eleven, chapter three of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, such amendment is hereby numbered “Amendment No. 1” and designated as the “Judicial Budget Oversight Amendment” and the purpose of the proposed amendment is summarized as follows: “To provide the Legislature with oversight of the Judiciary’s budget by authorizing the Legislature to decrease or increase any line item relating to the Judiciary contained in the budget bill or other appropriations bill.“

NOTE: The purpose of this resolution is to propose an amendment to the West Virginia Constitution providing the Legislature with more budgetary oversight of the Judiciary.

Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from a heading or the present law and underscoring indicates new language that would be added.