CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Gov. Joe Manchin will get a chance to sign all 15 of the bills he placed before the Legislature in this week's special session. 

Lawmakers wrapped up the session Tuesday after three days, passing every item on the agenda. Those included a tax break for parents of children with autism; a plan to expand the Office of Coalfield Community Development's authority to develop post-mining land use plans for mountaintop-removal sites; and three of the governor's education initiatives that didn't make it through the regular legislative session.

Lawmakers also approved two supplemental appropriation bills: $26 million from the Rainy Day Fund to help southern counties hit by recent floods, and $21 million from lottery revenues to catch up on payments the state owes to court-appointed lawyers.   

The Manchin administration had worked with legislative leaders to come up with an agenda most lawmakers would support. 

They did "a lot of work" before the special session started, House Speaker Rick Thompson said.

"We pretty well looked at items we could do in an expedited fashion," said Thompson, D-Wayne. 

During the regular session that ended in April, lawmakers had already taken up many of the bills they addressed this week -- but differences between the House and Senate had stalled them.   

"Sometimes it's just minor differences that keep the bills from passing," Thompson said.

Still, a few items generated debate among lawmakers Tuesday.

One was Manchin's bill to favor stand-alone liquor stores in the liquor-license bidding process. It would let those stores opt out of competitive bidding. Instead, they would renew their licenses by paying the minimum bid plus 10 percent.

Proponents say the changes will protect local, independent liquor stores from being outbid by chains like Kroger and Rite Aid.

But Delegate Bill Wooton, D-Raleigh, called the plan "a sweetheart deal" for the state's 65 standalone stores. Delegate Barbara Fleischauer, D-Monongalia, criticized a section of the bill that will let liquor-store owners pay up to 50 percent of their licensing costs at low-interest rates.

Lawmakers wrapped up the session Tuesday after three days, passing every item on the agenda. Those included a tax break for parents of children with autism; a plan to expand the Office of Coalfield Community Development's authority to develop post-mining land use plans for mountaintop-removal sites; and three of the governor's education initiatives that didn't make it through the regular legislative session.

Lawmakers also approved two supplemental appropriation bills: $26 million from the Rainy Day Fund to help southern counties hit by recent floods, and $21 million from lottery revenues to catch up on payments the state owes to court-appointed lawyers.   

The Manchin administration had worked with legislative leaders to come up with an agenda most lawmakers would support. 

They did "a lot of work" before the special session started, House Speaker Rick Thompson said.

"We pretty well looked at items we could do in an expedited fashion," said Thompson, D-Wayne. 

During the regular session that ended in April, lawmakers had already taken up many of the bills they addressed this week -- but differences between the House and Senate had stalled them.   

"Sometimes it's just minor differences that keep the bills from passing," Thompson said.

Still, a few items generated debate among lawmakers Tuesday.

One was Manchin's bill to favor stand-alone liquor stores in the liquor-license bidding process. It would let those stores opt out of competitive bidding. Instead, they would renew their licenses by paying the minimum bid plus 10 percent.

Proponents say the changes will protect local, independent liquor stores from being outbid by chains like Kroger and Rite Aid.

But Delegate Bill Wooton, D-Raleigh, called the plan "a sweetheart deal" for the state's 65 standalone stores. Delegate Barbara Fleischauer, D-Monongalia, criticized a section of the bill that will let liquor-store owners pay up to 50 percent of their licensing costs at low-interest rates.

Some lawmakers also balked at legislation that will increase racetrack counties' share of table-games revenues if all four "racinos" in the state offer such gaming -- meant to sway Jefferson County voters to approve table games there.  

House Minority Leader Tim Armstead, R-Kanawha, said the bill underscores the state's dependence on the gambling industry. 

"We have no long-term <t40>...<t$> economic development plan for the state of West Virginia that has been put forth by this administration," he said.

Legislators also approved Manchin's bill intended to spur power companies to rely on alternative and renewable energy sources to provide 25 percent of all electricity generated by the year 2025.

Sen. Frank Deem, R-Wood, said efforts to reduce the nation's reliance on coal was part of an "Al Gore conspiracy" to convince the public that global warming is a real threat.

"There's no absolute truth that what they say is true," Deem said.

Education-related bills passed Tuesday are meant to help struggling third- and eighth-graders; better recruit teachers by changing hiring dates; and let counties establish "school innovation zones."  

The Legislature also approved a measure to increase pay at the state's two psychiatric hospitals, and to let county commissions restrict locations for strip clubs and other "exotic entertainment" businesses.

They will take up at least two more supplemental appropriation bills before the new fiscal year begins in July, Thompson said: One for higher education and another to transfer $40 million from the state Insurance Commission to the Unemployment Compensation Fund.

He predicted that health care and jobs-creation would be the big topics of the next regular session.

"We did the items that we could do" in the special session, he said. "Obviously, there's more to do."

Staff writer Phil Kabler contributed to this report. Reach Alison Knezevich at alis...@wvgazette.com or 304-348-1240.