Bill Text: WV SJR11 | 2025 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Sheriff's Succession Amendment
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 9-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2025-02-21 - To Judiciary [SJR11 Detail]
Download: West_Virginia-2025-SJR11-Introduced.html
WEST virginia legislature
2025 regular session
Introduced
Senate Joint Resolution 11
By Senators Morris, Barrett, Deeds, Fuller, Hamilton, Martin, Rucker, Thorne, and Willis
[Introduced February 21, 2025; 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 section two, article IX thereof, relating to county organization and sheriffs; modifying term limits for sheriffs; 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 2026, which proposed amendment is that section two, article IX thereof, be amended to read as follows:
ARTICLE IX. COUNTY ORGANIZATION.
§3. Sheriffs.
A person who has been elected or who has served as sheriff during all or any part of two consecutive terms shall be ineligible for the office of sheriff during any part of the term immediately following the second of the two consecutive terms. The person holding the office of sheriff when this section is ratified shall may not be prevented from holding the office of sheriff during the term immediately following the term he that person is then serving: Provided, That If a person is appointed to serve as sheriff to fill a term that has less than two years left in the term, that person may not be prevented from holding the office of sheriff for two consecutive terms immediately following the appointed term that person is serving.
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 1" and designated as the "Sheriff's Succession Amendment" and the purpose of the proposed amendment is summarized as follows: "Permit a person, appointed to fill a term of sheriff that has less than two years, to eligible for election for two consecutive terms."
NOTE: The purpose of this resolution is to amend the sheriff's succession amendment to permit a person appointed to fill a term of sheriff to be eligible for election to two consecutive terms if the appointed term is less than two years.
Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from a heading or the present law and underscoring indicates new language that would be added.
