The West Virginia Legislature Fails Its Budget Responsibility
“Do Your Job!” This was a constant refrain heard from the thousands of citizens, many of them teachers, who filled the halls of the state capitol in late February and early March. They were calling for investment in public education, and for decent salaries for themselves and thousands of other seriously underpaid public employees. The Legislature was dragged kicking and screaming into granting an average 5% raise. This raise was critically important. But there is another critically important job the Legislature failed to do.