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COMMENT by Bob Weaver
It's been a memorable legislative session, with such initiatives as banning Barbie dolls, drug testing welfare recipients, restoring the death penalty, and allowing guns on the Capitol grounds.
Drug testing welfare recipients seems appealing to some Republicans, not likely conservative thinkers, failing to recognize it as a "can of worms" measure that is fraught with enforcement problems and serious downsides, including what to do when parents are caught and where to place their children.
Such legislative items overshadows serious measures, including a bill that would remove further taxation authority from counties to Charleston, disallowing county commissions the authority over solving tax problems.
The bill is a further extension of the state taking-over the oil, gas and mineral taxation authority a few years ago.
When local taxpayers come to county commission meetings to get relief, they discover they must call Charleston.
Perhaps a shining example of political clout is a bill that was intended to inform WV residents of calories in their food at restaurants.
Legislators, long time friends of former state senator Oshel Craigo, carefully crafted the bill to eliminate such postings at his Tudor's Biscuit World (with lots of gravy) and his Gino's Pizza outlets, among the state's calorie kings.
Craigo told the Charleston Gazette he believes any menu-labeling requirement should apply to all restaurants, convenience stores and grocery stores that serve prepared foods.
Still, his outlets are exempt under an amendment to the bill, targeting only restaurants with locations in West Virginia and at least 10 other states.
UPDATE:
CHARLESTON GAZETTE
Legislation to require fast-food and chain restaurants to post calorie contents for menu items advanced in House Health and Human Resources Committee Thursday evening - with a controversial Senate amendment removed.
The House version of the bill (SB419) eliminates a controversial Senate amendment that would have exempted the Tudor's Biscuit World and Gino's pizza chains, operated by former Putnam County Sen. Oshel Craigo.
A committee amendment restored the original standard, applying the requirement to all chain restaurants with 15 or more locations nationwide. The Senate version limited that to chains operating in 10 or more states.
It also eliminates exemptions in the Senate bill for convenience stores and grocery stores that serve ready-to-eat prepared foods.
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