By Autumn Shelton, West Virginia Press Association
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The West Virginia House of Delegates got an early start to the day’s business on Wednesday, which resulted in the passage of more than two dozen bills.
Included in those bills were a pay raise for certain state employees, the establishment of a foster parent information system, and the modification of the amount of grants issued through the Certified Site and Readiness Development Program.
House Bill 4883, a bill requested by the Governor to raise the salaries of State Police officers, teachers and other school personnel passed unanimously.
State Police salaries would increase by $2,900 per year and teachers would see a raise of $2,460 per year. School service personnel would see a monthly salary increase of $140 for each classification, according to discussions in the House.
Additionally, House Bill 4734 would increase the salaries of non-uniform, full-time equivalent administrative staff of the Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation by three percent. Employees must have been employed for a minimum of three years of continuous service to see this raise, the bill states.
This bill also passed the House unanimously. Both of these bills are now on their way to the Senate for consideration.
Next, House Bill 4975 would establish a foster parent information system that would “facilitate communications between those individuals involved in the child welfare system.”
According to the bill, the new system would “provide information regarding visitation, appointments, travel and other services,” as well as provide information on court hearings and provide health records for the foster parent or kinship parent by “connecting with existing health care systems.”
A fiscal note prepared by the Department of Human Services attached to the bill states that “the department anticipates an implementation impact in first year of $7.5 million with potential split of $6.45 million federal/ $1.05 million state.” Afterward, costs would amount to $250,000 annually with an anticipated 50/50 federal/state split.
Del. Brandon Steele, R-Raleigh, stated that he was going to vote for this bill, but added that “society is going to have to start caring,” and legislators need to understand that “we are not legislating people to be good parents.”
“We need to legislate that they be safe parents,” Steele said, adding that “the destruction of the nuclear family is the worst crisis facing this state and this nation today.”
Later, Steele said, “If we don’t figure it out in the next 12 to 18 months, the federal government is going to come in and figure it out for us, because we are taking kids from their parents at a clip that is alarming and, for some reason, we don’t seem to have a problem with that.”
Del. Adam Vance, R-Wyoming, added that he supports the bill as “a proud foster parent.”
Vance said that he had a foster placement once where the child arrived at his house with prescribed medication, but Vance didn’t know what the medication was for.
“This system will put the information in there like that so we know . . . so the foster parent knows if a child’s on medication so they know what to give them, how to give it and if it’s alright to give it to them.”
House Bill 4975 passed the House with 97 votes and is now on its way to the full Senate.
Next, House Bill 4822 would modify the amount of grants issued through the Department of Economic Development’s Certified Sites and Development Readiness Program from $25,000 per site to $75,000 per site.
Delegates in opposition to the bill stated that ready sites often become “empty business sites,” or help bring in nationwide businesses, like fast food restaurants, that take away from local “mom and pop” businesses.
Those in favor of the bill said this increased funding would entice more businesses to come to the state, create jobs and help grow those smaller communities.
This bill passed the House by a vote of 86 to 13 and is now on its way to the Senate for additional consideration.
