UPDATE | W.Va. House passes standalone pay raise bill

The West Virginia House on Friday has passed the pay raise bill that includes teachers and school service personnel.

The bill was approved in an 89-8 vote in its third reading.

House Bill 2730, also known as the standalone pay raise bill, was considered after the education reform bill (Senate Bill 451) died earlier this week. That bill had multiple amendments that lawmakers in the House and Senate could not find common ground. Controversial issues, including charter schools and Education Savings Accounts, led teachers to walk out two days this week after three education unions authorized a strike.

The estimated cost for the pay raises, according to the State Department of Education, is $67.7 million.

It also includes raises for state police. Last fall Gov. Jim Justice requested the raises, which still need Senate approval. The latest bill would give annual salary increases of $2,120 to teachers, $2,370 to state police and $115 per month for school service workers.

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The House Finance Committee swiftly passed a standalone pay raise bill that includes teachers and school service personnel.

Educators, who were still on strike over a separate omnibus education bill, packed the committee room.

Discussion of the bill lasted only a few minutes. The bill passed on a voice vote with only one no heard. The bill now goes to the House floor.

“Let’s support this and let’s move forward and let’s put the teachers back to work,” said Delegate Doug Skaff, D-Kanawha.

There is also a public hearing set for 8 a.m. Friday on the bill. It was requested by Kathie Crouse, an advocate for homeschoolers.

The estimated cost for the pay raises, according to the State Department of Education, is $67.7 million.

The bill that was passed by House Finance also includes raises for State Police personnel, whose pay scales are in state code. The estimated cost of the raise for State Police is $1,821,518.

Other promised raises for state employees would be handled through the regular budget process instead of in a specific bill.

The movement on the pay raise bill came a day after the collapse of a broader education bill in the House of Delegates. That one wrapped the pay raises with charter schools, education savings accounts, funding for counselors, more local control of levy rates, pay flexibility for counties with particular hiring needs and more.

Gov. Jim Justice on Tuesday afternoon said he is glad that version of the bill is done and said lawmakers should consider the pay raise he first proposed.

“Today, right now, I’m calling the legislators to pass my pay raise bill, the bill I sent up, the clean bill,” Justice said. “I’m calling upon them to do that now. Do that right now. I think there’s a real opportunity to move forward here.”

Delegates indicate the pay raise bill probably won’t have a problem passing that house. But it’s less clear what would happen in the Senate.

Justice acknowledged he had not received indication from senators that they would consider the pay raise bill by itself.

“No, I have not,” he said.

Speaking on MetroNews’ “Talkline,” Senate President Mitch Carmichael reiterated commitment to a pay raise.

“We’ll evaluate it when it comes over here,” he said. “We’re on record supporting a pay raise.” He added, “We’ve never taken that position that it’s all or nothing. We’re very confident there will be a pay raise bill. We’re going to do what we have to do to get a pay raise.”

West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice is asking lawmakers to consider

. This comes after the state House of Delegates voted to indefinitely postpone any action on Senate Bill 451, an omnibus education bill that led to a statewide teacher strike this week.

"My bill's clean," said Justice. "Do this right now. Pass my bill and then take up this bill [SB 451] separately."

With a vote of 53-45, delegates adopted a motion Tuesday to

. The House then recessed until 6 p.m.

Justice said earlier in the day that he would veto the omnibus education bill if it reached his desk.

"That education bill is dead and I'm glad of that," said Justice. "I wanted us to celebrate the goodness and how far we've come... We all know we've got a long way to go."

Justice said he sees several problems with the current version of the SB 451, including the vouchers for kids in need at charter schools. He said charter schools will eventually run out of money and the children will end up back in public education.

"It just doesn't make sense to me," said Justice.

The governor said more needs to be done for public education before the state tackles charter schools.

Instead, he wants lawmakers to pass his bill,

, that does not include charter schools or major education reform.

HB 2730 would raise the annual salaries for West Virginia State Police, public school teachers, and school service personnel.

"Today, right now, I'm calling them to pass my pay raise bill," urged Justice. "The bill that I sent up -- the clean bill that's a pay raise bill for all government employees -- I'm calling on them to do that now."

Schools in 54 of 55 West Virginia counties closed Tuesday due to a

.

Justice told a room of reporters that he wants educators to go back to work. He said that employees have the right to make their own decisions, but he believes it is best for West Virginia for schools to be in session.

Teachers fear calling off the strike now might open the door to the controversial legislation making a comeback.

"He (Justice) can't be sure that it's going to happen, and he said that," Rondia Smith, a teacher at Cross Lanes Elementary, said. "He might think he knows, but I'd like to have proof."

"Whatever they decide to do, I will be respectful of the voice," said Justice. Encouraging educators to go back to work, he repeated the phrase, "Smarter minds need to rule the day."

Regardless of lawmakers' intent, Justice said this process did not need to happen.

"We didn't need, I don't think, to just blow our legs off for the sake of blowing our legs off," said Justice.

The governor also spoke about the state's highs and lows. "I'm on a mission from God," said the governor. He spoke about the drug epidemic, jobs, roads, and other topics before addressing the education system.

As teachers cheered behind him, Gov. Jim Justice said he would veto an omnibus education bill that has prompted a strike if it reaches his desk.

“I would,” he said.

The governor stopped short of saying educators have a right to strike. But when asked for his view, he did say they have a right to express their opinion.

“These people are very concerned about what they do in life. We shouldn’t be judgmental about what they decide to do to exercise their voice. I wish we weren’t on strike. But they have every chance to exercise their voice,” Justice said.

This is West Virginia’s second teacher strike in two years.

Last year, the walkout focused on pay and the stability of health insurance.

This year, the dynamic is different.

Justice promised another teacher pay raise back in October and said today that bill should have gone through on its own. Instead, it was bundled with other provisions.

“We should have moved this thing through. Now we’ve got a situation where kids are out of school, parents are disrupted. Educators are unhappy. And we go back to the thing I said before, Why?” Justice said.

He later commented, “You talk about blowing our own leg off.”

Justice’s comments came this morning on MetroNews’ “Talkline.” Teachers gathered behind him as he talked.

The three educators unions called a strike on Monday night as the Senate started passage of an omnibus education bill open to seven charter schools and 1,000 education savings accounts, which provide funding for students leaving public schools for private education.

All school systems in West Virginia except one county were closed today.

Justice, a Republican, finds himself on the opposite side of the issue from the Republican-led Senate.

“I’m sure the senators are reasonable people, and they’re trying to do the right thing,” he said. “But they’re not doing the right thing.”

He said his own leadership is necessary to resolve the differences.

“In all honesty, I’ve got to be the coach. I’ve got to be the leader,” he said. “I stand ready to meet with all the parties and try to push this thing across the finish line.”