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Subject: Governor signs proclamation calling legislature into special session

Author: Judy

[ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ] Date Posted: 09/11/05 Sun Governor Signs Proclamation Calling Legislature Into Special Session - September 06, 2005 Contact: Lara Ramsburg, 304-558-2000 CHARLESTON, W.Va. - Gov. Joe Manchin today signed a proclamation calling the members of the legislature into special session, beginning at noon, Wednesday, Sept. 7. "The main goals of the special session are to continue to pay down our debt, increase teachers pay to keep our best and brightest educators, and reduce the state's food tax, the governor said. 'These items are important to continue moving West Virginia forward. The governor's proposed agenda includes legislation that will dedicate an excess of $93 million additional dollars towards debt reduction, increasing the funding level to 90 percent for the Trooper A retirement plan and bringing the total additional debt payments made since the Governor took office to $318 million dollars, saving the taxpayers at least twice that amount in future interest payments. In the area of teachers pay, the governor proposes a raise of $1,350 per teacher this year plus benefits (amounting to $38,320,000), plus a one-time payment of $24 million to the state's retirement fund to keep this raise from adding to the debt that already exist in our teacher's retirement system. In addition, Governor Manchin is committed to filling in the missing steps of the teacher's current annual experience increment system by investing an additional $77 million - starting this year and continuing during the next three years. The increment system has been in place for many years but never before has taken into account providing increments throughout a teacher's entire career. Funding these steps will help us to keep our most experienced teachers in West Virginia and also reward those who have furthered their education, the governor said. This will also make us much more competitive with other states and ensure that we have the best teachers to educate the workforce that we need for the jobs that should and will be in West Virginia in the 21st Century. This four-year teacher compensation package, the first comprehensive plan to be proposed in over 15 years, is something we believe is a significant step in the right direction and is the right thing to do. As for the food tax, Governor Manchin is committed to a one percent reduction of the tax this year with the goal of eliminating the tax during his administration. This tax must be reduced and eventually eliminated, but in a responsible manner, stated the governor. Our state cannot afford for decisions to be made based upon what is politically popular, we need, and the people deserve, for decisions to be made based upon what is financially sound both now and in the future. This proposal is financially sound. In terms of the details on state employee pay raises - again, the governor focused on the importance of taking a responsible approach. We targeted employee groups who after five years of service were still only making 25 percent of what their pay scale allowed (child protective services, correctional officers, etc.) “ as well as state troopers “ and allotted each of these employees a $1,350 increase. Remaining state employees will each be allotted $900 increases. We also have developed a proposed pay grade schedule for executive appointments that gives us more flexibility to attract the best managerial candidates. The bottom line is that we believe we have put a package together for all of these areas that is fair and that uses the state's resources as responsibly as possible, added the governor. [ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ]