MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Monongalia County Delegate Barbara Evans Fleischauer said debate over teacher pay has consumed the Capitol.
And, she added, that’s for a good reason.
“Education is something that we need to invest in,” she said. “It’s our future, and you get what you pay for. It’s very easy for people like our county, which is a border county, to walk across the road.”
As we near the deadline to submit new pieces of legislation, time becomes more sensitive. But Fleischauer said there’s a means to pay for teacher and public worker raises: forget about the business inventory tax repeal.
“Right now that inventory tax break is in the budget,” she said. “So if we don’t move forward on that, there would be room for teacher and state employee pay raises.”
Details are still being discussed regarding where the money for the pay increases will come from along with an exact amount of how much the increase will be. The State Senate previously passed a five-year, one percent pay raise bill. Earlier this week, the House of Delegates passed a pay raise bill — but structured with a 2-1-1-1 breakdown over four years.
“Teachers and state employees are being heard,” Fleischauer said. “What was once talked about as a one percent pay raise, I don’t think we’re there anymore and the squeaky wheel kicks the grease.”
That bill passed 99-0 in the House, but not before debate over a three year, three percent pay raise was defeated. Fleischauer supported that amendment, and she said how quickly the issue is resolved matters, as talk of the first teacher work stoppage in 28 years becomes closer to reality.
Another hotly debated bill in Charleston centers on concealed carry on college campuses, a bill Fleischauer adamantly opposes.
“I’ve had an overwhelming number of communications from constituents in our county and also from WVU, they feel very strongly about it, Fairmont State feels strongly about it,” she said describing the amount of feedback she heard against the bill.
House Bill 4298 is expected to be voted on by the end of the month.