MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Senator Ben Queen, R, Harrison, was pleasantly surprised with the state financial portfolio presented to lawmakers during legislative interim meetings.
On WAJR’s “Talk of the Town,” Queen said the financial forecast was better than expected, and there are many areas of agreement with the governor as preparations for the next regular session or a potential special session continue.
“The governor thought we would have a pretty large deficit heading into our budgeting season,” Queen said. “And we proved we could all work together and make a few cuts and make a few funding priorities—all while continuing to cut taxes, and I think we’re headed in the right direction.”
The Public Employees Insurance Insurance agency continues to be a topic of much debate, but outside of the governor’s four-part plan recently unveiled, there have been no other proposals. Parts of the plan from the governor include a new plan for new workers, removing spouses with their own coverage from the plan, controlling drug costs, and setting up a fraud detection unit.
“Make sure we have a balanced approach to that, and I think pay raises have to come into consideration,” Queen said. “I think we’re estimating it will cost an additional $30 million on the state side, and not only are our cities and counties dealing with that, but our employees are too.”
Changes to PEIA need to be carefully considered and must keep the plan competitive and the employees satisfied. As the private sector continues to grow in the state, it could become increasingly difficult to compete for workers at the state level.
“I think we need to make sure those are comparable, and we can compete in trying to keep them,” Queen said. “Make sure our families and our people who are employed by the state know they are valued, and we thank them for going to work every day.”
In addition to the $100 million surplus allocation earlier this summer, Queen believes there will be more. Senate President Randy Smith, R, Preston, said he knows the importance of maintenance and expects another surplus funding allocation for roads.
“For a guy from Preston County, road maintenance is a top priority for Randy Smith,” Queen said. “I will almost predict with 95 percent certainty that you will see another round of surplus road funding in the budget next year.”
Queen has not shut the door completely on a special session before the end of the year. Talks are ongoing on a wide range of issues, and if consensus is reached, a special session could be called to possibly address PEIA.
“We are here in four weeks, and I believe the governor’s office tries to build coalitions, not just on PEIA; he talks about several issues he’d like to champion, maybe before the 2026 legislative session,” Queen said.