MORGANTOWN – The state Senate approved the governor’s state employee pay raise bill on Tuesday and it will go to the House of Delegates.
SB 531 proposes a 5% raise for four categories of state workers.
State Police will see an increase of $2,550 per year, for a total cost of $2,236,327. Teachers will see a raise of $2,240 per year, for a total cost of $49,341,893.
Student support staff will also see a raise of $2,240 per year, for a cost of $3,382,772. And school service personnel will get an additional $122 per month, for a total cost of $16,400,807.
The total cost, Finance chair Eric Tarr, R-Putnam, said, is $71,361,799. The cost has already been factored into the budget bill proposed by the governor. The raises will be effective July 1, the start of Fiscal Year 2023.
Two Democratic senators proposed amendments.
Minority Leader Stephen Baldwin, D-Greenbrier, proposed one to order a study of the best way to provide future raises so state employees won’t need to rely on additional government assistance. The amendment was ruled not germane to the bill.
Sen. Richard Lindsay proposed one to require that whenever the balance of the state’s two Rainy Day Funds – A and B – exceed $1 billion, $50 million would be transferred to the General Revenue Fund to provide additional 3% raises.
Tarr opposed the amendment, saying it would treat the Rainy Day Fund like a checkbook and bind future Legislatures, which isn’t allowed by law.
The amendment failed in a 10-23 vote.
Sen. Mike Romano, D-Harrison, asked why other state employees aren’t included in the bill. Tarr explained that the pay of the four categories in the bill are the only ones subject to legislative action by law. All others are just included in the budget and they also will receive raises.
There was no debate and the bill passed 33-0.
SB 33 requires notice to be given to customers before automatic renewal of a subscription service agreement – regarding goods or services – takes effect. It allows for civil actions for unauthorized renewals. It considers goods sent without consent to be deemed an unconditional gift.
Judiciary chair Charles Trump, R-Morgan, said similar bills have passed in previous years and died in the House.
It passed 33-0 and goes to the House.
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