CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Gov. Jim Justice’s proposed average 1 percent pay raise for state employees has started moving through the Legislature, with some lawmakers saying they regret the amount isn’t more.
“I do think this is much needed, although it’s not very much of an increase for these employees,” said state Sen. Corey Palumbo, D-Kanawha.
“I will say in the governor’s State of the State speech, which was very thin on policy ideas and specifics, this is one of the main one’s he’s highlighted. But it seems like he’s not pulling back on his promise but maybe not going full force like he seemed in his speech, and to me that’s a little disappointing.”
A bill passed on Thursday by the Senate Government Organizations Committee dealt with teachers, service personnel and State Police troopers. The bill now goes to Senate Finance.
Pay increases for corrections employees, a matter of high priority among state officials because of the high turnover rate, are set out in a different bill.
And pay increases for state employees whose salaries aren’t set by state code are part of the governor’s budget.
What was passed by Senate Government Organization on Thursday represents an average 1 percent raise for teachers for the coming year. That, combined with annual step raises, would land teachers a raise of about $1,000, revenue officials said.
Governor Justice, in his State of the State address, laid out a plan for 1 percent raises for teachers each year for five years. But the plan is to deal with each year as it comes.
“If you’re a low paid teacher, you’re looking at a promise of an aggregate pay raise of $1,000 a year for five straight years for our starting teachers where we need to recruit,” Justice administration Chief of Staff Mike Hall said Thursday morning on MetroNews’ “Talkline. “So it’s aggressive.”
“We believe the money may be there to do more in the out years, but we’re trying to be conservative in the assumptions.”
Last year, the administration proposed spending $21 million to provide average 2 percent pay raises for classroom teachers beyond their annual step raises but, against a tight budget, that proposal didn’t make it through the legislative process.
Earlier this week, public educators rallied at the state Capitol, saying the 1 percent raise backed by Gov. Jim Justice is not really enough to keep up with the inflation rate, healthcare costs or wages offered by other states.
During Thursday’s hearing, Senator Stephen Baldwin asked about whether the 1 percent might affect some employees’ Public Employees Insurance Agency rates.
“I have heard from folks who’ve talked about a 1-percent pay raise affecting their PEIA status, which, in the end, causes them to lose money,” said Baldwin, D-Greenbrier.
State Budget Director Mike McKown acknowledged that could be possible.
“But there are many other factors that would affect the PEIA coverage,” McKown said. “I would expect the one thing that would affect PEIA coverage would be including spousal income into the total income. That certainly would affect it a lot more than just the 1 percent pay raise.”