Members of a state legislative interim committee struck down a proposed bill Monday that would have added magistrates to five counties.
The original proposal was to add one magistrate to Monongalia County but by the time Monday morning’s vote was taken Kanawha, Berkeley, Wood and Raleigh were added.
The committee was told before the vote that adding a magistrate costs about $80,000 and adding an assistant would be about half of that.
Monday’s defeat in no way keeps a lawmaker from proposing a similar bill during the 60-day regular session that begins Feb. 13.