Senate Adds Appeals Court, Removes ALJs, Expands Comp Review Board

The West Virginia Senate on Wednesday approved a bill that would create a new appeals court, but it was amended to change the size and makeup of the Workers' Compensation Board of Review. The Senate voted 19-15 in favor of SB 275, which would add the appeals court between trial courts and the state Supreme Court. The legislation now goes to the House of Delegates, where similar bills have died in recent years. The measure, requested by the governor and favored by business groups, would retain the same number of appeals levels in workers' comp by eliminating administrative l...