CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The Republican-controlled House of Delegates Finance Committee voted Friday to disperse the programs under the state Department of Education and the Arts and eliminate the cabinet secretary position currently held by Gayle Manchin, wife of U.S. Senator Joe Manchin.
The bill (HB 4006) doesn’t eliminate any of the education and arts programs that are currently under Manchin’s authority but it does eliminate the administrative office and its functions. The Department of Education and the Arts is separate department than the state Department of Education.
Manchin, who was appointed to the job last year by Gov. Jim Justice, defended her job and the cohesiveness of the department before the committee voted Friday.
“What I don’t understand is that when you have something that is working effectively and efficiently and it’s not broken, I don’t see where efficiency comes into play,” Manchin said.
Manchin told the committee that no one has conferred with her on what would be the best way to transition the programs to the state Department of Education and the state Department of Commerce.
“No one has asked me any of those questions. In fact, they just refer to it as ‘stuff’ that has been put there to give me a job,” Manchin said.
She’s paid $95,000 a year.
House Education Committee Chairman Paul Espinosa (R-Jefferson) reminded Manchin of several meetings he’s held with her about the possible elimination. Manchin agreed the meetings had taken place, several at her request.
In his support of the bill, Espinosa referred to a performance audit from a few years ago that recommended changes. Espinosa said things like professional development for teachers would be handled by local school districts. Espinosa also addressed the criticism of the bill and its projected savings of $750,000.
“Some people may say three-quarters of a million dollars is no big deal. Well, if we’re trying to identify efficiencies and make sure that every dollar that we spend in education is benefiting our children, I’d have to differ with that approach,” he said.
Delegate Larry Rowe (D-Kanawha) said he feared the bill would take the arts out of the spotlight by putting it underneath the Division of Commerce.
“This vote to get rid of the secretary of Education and the Arts is the beginning of that slippery slope. We are taking that first step toward the destruction of an arts program in West Virginia,” Rowe said.
Delegate Isaac Sponaugle (D-Pendleton) apologized to Manchin for a bill where he said politics were evident.
“Frankly, I think it’s cowardly that we attack the spouses and the children of other elected officials,” he said. “I’m not going to go on with this charade. I think it’s ridiculous and I think as a professional courtesy to other elected officials we should not go down that road.”
The bill passed 14-10, which was mainly along party lines. It now heads to the full House for consideration.