MARTINSBURG, W.Va. – The issue of locality pay will be back on the table during the upcoming legislative session as long as Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Tom Willis, R-Berkeley, has his way.
The discussion of higher wages for state employees in high-growth areas is not a new one, but Willis is making it a priority as he enters his second session representing the 15th senatorial district.
“I have a couple priorities that I’m intent on focusing on, one of those being really fighting hard this year for locality pay for our teachers and our state employees in the area and for our state troopers,” he said Tuesday on Panhandle Live! on MetroNews affiliate WEPM.
Talk of locality pay grows each year as the cost of living rises in the rapidly expanding Eastern Panhandle counties that Willis represents. He said he runs into people in his day-to-day life that cross state lines to be able to live more comfortably.
“I have friends that are teachers, and they ask me, ‘Tom, I can drive to Loudoun County, VA, Frederick County, VA, Washington County, MD, and make an extra 15 or 20 thousand dollars as a teacher. What would you do?” and I said, ‘I don’t blame you,'” he said.
Lawmakers have considered locality pay bills several times in recent sessions, but nothing has made it onto the books yet. Willis believes this year could be different thanks to Eastern Panhandle legislators, including himself, having more power.
“For one, I’m chairman of the judiciary committee in the senate, and then we have Senator (Jason) Barrett, who is chairman of the finance committee, both from here in the Eastern Panhandle. That’s very unusual. I don’t know if that’s ever happened before, frankly,” he said.
Armed with his priorities for the session, Willis sees an opportunity to use locality pay to help his constituents. He also sees a lot of the votes needed to get it done.
“I think that we can appeal to reason, and we have the votes on the Senate side. There’s still a couple holdouts on the House side,” he said.