West Virginia State Register Transforms from Paper to Online

​In 1983, we found out that Darth Vader really was Luke Skywalker’s father, the TV show M*A*S*H went off the air, and the State of West Virginia celebrated its 120th birthday.

That was also the year of the first paper copy of the State Register.

But like the final episode of M*A*S*H it is time to say “Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen” to the paper copy of the State Register.

The final paper copy of the West Virginia State Register was printed in the Secretary of State’s Office on March 28.

The online version of the State Register, which includes important information such as the status of legislative and agency rules and executive orders by the Governor, will still be available for free on the Secretary of State’s website at www.wvsos.com.

The electronic publishing of the State Register is part of Secretary of State Natalie E. Tennant’s push to modernize and streamline all aspects of the office. Secretary Tennant has also promoted the electronic filing of rules in the Administrative Law Division, the online filing of annual reports in the Business and Licensing Division, and in 2013 supported legislation that allows for citizens to fill out a voter registration application online. Secretary Tennant’s initiatives to increase efficiency resulted in returning $3 million dollars to West Virginia taxpayers.

“The paper copy of the State Register is a perfect example of important information being published in a very inefficient manner,” Secretary Tennant said. “By publishing the State Register online and eliminating the paper copy, we will save both time and money. The State of West Virginia will be saving approximately $10,000 per year in production costs and more than 600 staff work hours by providing the State Register online. We are being good stewards of taxpayer money and changing programs that are outdated and wasteful. Citizens will be able to access this important information free of charge rather than paying a $250 yearly subscription fee, and at a fraction of the cost to the State.”