March 5th, 2018 by WCBC Radio
A conference committee is scheduled to meet at 4 p.m. today to begin its task of working out differences between the House and Senate on a pay raise bill, as so many teachers, school service personnel crowded the Capitol Monday that the building had reached capacity by 1 p.m.
Committee Co-Chair Del. Paul Espinosa, R-Jefferson, said in a morning press release that the time of the meeting could be delayed, depending on the length of full House-Senate sessions and earlier meetings taking place in that room.
Doors to schools in all 55 counties are closed again today. Traffic turning into the Capitol was lined down Greenbrier Street and out onto the highway. Lines of people waiting to enter the Capitol stretched from the public entrance to the Cultural Center and wrapped around the building from the other public entrance.
At mid-morning, the West Virginia Department of Military Affairs and Public Safety said 3,700 people entered the Capitol building. But by 1 p.m. the department said the size and density of the crowd inside the Capitol prompted a capacity concern. Capitol Police and the West Virginia Fire Marshal said no further visitors were being admitted at that time.
The Senate on Saturday passed a reduced pay raise for teachers, service personnel and state police only after discovering it had voted on the wrong version of the bill. Sen. Greg Boso, R-Nicholas, proposed an amendment that lowered the total raise from 5 percent to 4 percent with the intention of dedicating 4 percent to state employees too, which would have to be managed under the budget and not the bill itself.
Because the House did not concur with that change, both chambers appointed members to a conference committee to work out an agreement.
Committee member Senate Majority Leader Ryan Ferns said Senate members are open to hearing a compromise from the House.
“We at this point have said we're willing to take every available dollar the state has that is not going to essential government services and dedicate to public employees,” he said, “to whatever extent the House has suggestions of a compromise position that doesn't cause us to risk blowing a hole in the budget.”
Ferns said he believes the budget can only sustain a 4 percent increase for teachers and public employees.
“When we met with finance, I did not think we would have the ability to get to 4 percent,” he said. “I thought the best case scenario would be 3 percent. We brainstormed for hours and looked at every line. We were able to cut enough to get to 4 percent, not only 4 percent for teachers, service personnel and state police but all public employees. This is supposed to be about all public employees but there was an obvious disparity between 5 percent and 3 percent amongst teachers and public employees.
“Four is the highest we can go with the money we have,” Ferns later said. “We looked at how high we could go to keep everyone at a level playing field. We were able to cut enough out of the budget to take everyone to 4 percent, but the money isn't there to take everyone to 5 percent."
Committee member Robert Plymale, D-Wayne, said he supports the 5 percent raise. He says he believes the committee can come to an agreement.
"I think that we're on a timetable that we have to complete some action, whether it's tomorrow, the third day, or extend it another day. I do think we will come to some resolve."
The conference committee has 72 hours to reach an agreement, which ends on Tuesday. However, the conference committee can extend that amount of time. A majority of committee members from each chamber has to agree before an agreement can be reached in the conference committee.
Senate members are Ferns, R-Ohio; Senate Finance Chair Craig Blair, R-Berkeley; and Plymale. House members are Delegates Bill Anderson, R-Wood; Espinosa, and Brent Boggs, D-Braxton.
U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin weighed in on the walkout as well.
"It's time to get our kids back to school and the only group standing in the way is Senate Republicans," Manchin said in a Monday statement. "Everyone else agrees on the deal to reopen our schools — a bipartisan coalition of educators, parents, Democrat and Republican House legislators and the governor. But for some reason, Senate Republicans are choosing to keep our schools closed and kids at home over 1 percent. West Virginia families deserve better."
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