By Andrea Lannom The Register-Herald of Beckley Charleston, W.Va. — As rumblings of a teachers’ strike persist, hundreds of teachers, school service personnel and other public employees poured into the state Capitol Friday morning. When asked if a strike was imminent, the leader of the West Virginia Education Association said there[Read More…]
Government
WV Construction Trades Job Fair attracts hundreds of applicants for Roads to Prosperity projects
By Jim Workman West Virginia Press Association SOUTH CHARLESTON, W.VA. — Thousands of jobs are expected to be created in the highway construction industry in West Virginia this year due in large part to the funds created by the Roads to Prosperity Bond passed by voters last fall. Hundreds seeking[Read More…]
WV construction trades job fair attracts hundreds
By FRED PACE The Herald-Dispatch of Huntington SOUTH CHARLESTON, W.Va. — With the passage of the road bond referendum expected to bring thousands of construction jobs to the Mountain State, hundreds of people crowded into BridgeValley Community & Technical College’s Advanced Technology Center in South Charleston on Friday in search of[Read More…]
More W.Va. school employees shut down systems with Capitol rally
By Ryan Quinn and Phil Kabler The Charleston Gazette-Mail CHARLESTON, W.Va. — A second wave of public school employee work stoppages hit the state Friday, this time shutting down seven public school systems, up from three counties two weeks ago. Southern West Virginia counties weren’t the only ones with walkouts[Read More…]
At The Capitol: Teachers, tension both visible at Capitol as WV Legislative session finishes five weeks
By Phil Kabler For the West Virginia Press Association As the 60-day regular session neared the two-thirds point, tensions at the Capitol were on edge as a second teachers’ rally wrapped up the fifth full week of the session. With teachers filling the Capitol, and packing the House and Senate[Read More…]
Editorial: WV Legislative action is necessary on regional jail fees
From The Bluefield Daily Telegraph: For many years now, counties across southern West Virginia have been struggling to pay a burdensome monthly budgetary drain known as the regional jail bill. The fees associated with housing inmates in the Southern Regional Jail have been particularly problematic for the deep south counties. The continued high[Read More…]
Editorial: WV Legislature must really tackle school issues
From The Intelligencer of Wheeling: West Virginia legislators have been set up for a failure that could affect public schools throughout the state, perhaps seriously. It is time to call a “time out” to address not just the current confrontation but more important, the systemic dysfunction of which this is[Read More…]
WV Senate Finance Committee approves correction officers pay raise
BY DAVID BEARD The Dominion Post CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The Senate Finance Committee quickly approved on Friday a bill to give corrections officers pay raises. It then spent about an hour hashing over a bill to end windmill tax breaks. The corrections bill is HB 4142.It gives three annual raises[Read More…]
WV Consolidated Public Retirement Fund seeking remedy for delinquent pension payments
By Jim Workman West Virginia Press Association CHARLESTON, W.Va. — A bill making it a crime for employers failing to make required, timely payments to the West Virginia Consolidated Public Retirement Fund on behalf of its employees has moved in the House of Delegates. House Bill 4449 passed through the Judiciary[Read More…]
Editorial: Education means jobs in WV
From The Dominion Post of Morgantown: What does free education have to do with free enterprise? Many might think, “Nothing,” but a unanimous state Senate declared “Everything” last week. In a 34-0 vote, the Senate approved SB 284, which increases access to community and technical college. Though as initially skeptical[Read More…]
