5% teacher, police pay raise heads to West Virginia Senate floor

(The Center Square) – Legislation that would give some West Virginia public sector workers a 5% pay raise advanced through the Senate committee process and it’s scheduled for its first reading on the Senate floor Friday.

Senate Bill 531 was introduced by Senate President Craig Blair, R-Berkeley, who is also the lieutenant governor. The bill was requested by Gov. Jim Justice.

The pay increase would affect public school teachers, school service personnel, the state police and other state police employees. The legislation would cost the state between $110 million and $120 million.

Lawmakers are considering pay raises for other employees, but those potential increases are not part of this bill. Pay raises for other public employees would be included in the final budget bill if lawmakers choose to include it.

The House advanced abortion-related bills to the floor. This includes House Bill 4004, which would ban abortions after 15 weeks and House Bill 4005, which prohibits the sale, transfer and transportation of fetal body parts acquired through an abortion.

The legislature is half way through the legislative session.

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