CHARLESTON, W.Va. — New calculations show that the state Legislature has kept its costs for meetings and travel down compared to other recent years.
The Legislature has spent $4,616,762 so far this year for the regular session, special sessions and interims — plus travel for legislators and staff, according to a spreadsheet compiled by Legislative Services.
Last year, the Legislature spent a total of $4,655,573.
In 2014, legislative spending was $5,325,656. And in 2013 it was $5,605,651.
Those figures take into account the $600,000 cost for the 17-day special session the Legislature had to go through to come up with a budget for this fiscal year.
“Since taking over leadership last year, we have worked diligently to be good stewards of the taxpayers’ money and run the Legislature in a more efficient manner,” stated House Speaker Tim Armstead, R-Kanawha.
“We streamlined our interim committee process, brought our printing in house and cut back on travel spending for staff and lawmakers.”
Legislative auditor Aaron Allred, whose office compiled the figures, cautioned that the data’s scope is limited.
“The spreadsheet just deals with compensation and interim meetings and travel,” Allred said. “We didn’t look at anything but compensation and travel. We were just asked to pull the data together, which we did.”
State government spending was one issue of contention in the last gubernatorial debate between Republican Bill Cole, the state Senate president, and Democrat Jim Justice, the billionaire owner of The Greenbrier.
“I think we have many, many opportunities in state government to cut the cost,” Cole said.
Justice shot back, “Why in the world can a man that’s had the reins for two years and absolutely controlled the House and the Senate, and they couldn’t pass a budget, and it cost every one of you $600,000?”
Total legislator compensation was one major area where costs have gone down in recent years.
In 2013, total compensation for legislators stood at $874,234 for the Senate and $2,483,525 for the House.
By 2015, total compensation for legislators was $785,932 for the Senate and $2,220,525 for the House.
So far this year, those numbers are $803,900 for the Senate and $2,264,076 for the House.
“Even with this year’s special budget sessions, the legislature’s compensation costs for the past two years are down more than $1 million compared to the two years immediately before Republicans took control,” Armstead stated. “We have made good on our promise to run the legislative branch in an efficient and effective manner.”
Legislator travel was also down.
In 2013, that amounted to $473,541 for the Senate and $1,318,460 for the House.
In 2015, legislator travel was $345,606 for the Senate and $970,647 for the House.
So far this year, it has been $379,783 for the Senate and $1,102,031 for the House.
A major difference has been staff travel.
That amounted in 2013 to $93,183 for the Senate and $66,054 for the House.
By 2015, staff travel was $14,587 for the Senate and $4,524 for the House.
So far this year, it’s been $14,522 for the Senate and just $370 for the House.
“We’re doing more and more online,” Allred said. “Plus we’re not sending anyone to national conferences. The House and Senate aren’t sending anyone to national conferences.”
Allred said improved technology makes it easier for his office and others to stay in place, rather than traveling.
“It’s just the computer age, you can get more and more stuff off the web,” Allred said. “Anything we can get online and not have to physically do, we try.”
Armstead added, “Given these tight budget times, it’s more important than ever that the Legislature, and all agencies of government, tighten their belts to ease the burdens on our taxpayers.”