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Legislative Improvement Amendment

The Legislative Improvement Amendment was one of several amendments to the West Virginia constitution that took effect during the first two terms of Governor Arch Moore. These amendments, which also included the Modern Budget Amendment and the Judicial Reorganization Amendment, collectively restructured state government.

The Legislative Improvement Amendment made changes to the operation of the state legislature, rewriting several sections of Article 6 of the West Virginia constitution. Among other things the amendment provided for a regular 60-day session each year and established a seven-member citizens’ commission to approve pay raises to state legislators. The amendment also provided that the legislature would convene as usual on the second Wednesday in January, in 1973 and every fourth year thereafter, then adjourn until the second Wednesday in February to allow the newly elected or reelected governor time to get settled and to prepare his state budget proposal. In other years, the legislature would continue its session uninterrupted from the second Wednesday in January onward. The amendment also set dates for the submission to the legislature of the governor’s proposed budget.

The Legislative Improvement Amendment was proposed by a joint resolution of the state legislature in 1970 and approved by the voters in the regular fall election that year. The vote was 208,032 for and 141,970 against.