Lawmakers Get Broad Strokes

Associated Press, August 10, 2005

Gov. Joe Manchin is moving away from across-the-board raises for public workers and a day-a-month holiday from the food tax, but still wants action on both topics during a special session next month, legislative leaders said Tuesday after meeting with the governor.

Lawmakers said Manchin also encountered scant support for giving an extra pay boost to teachers and public employees in counties hit by high living costs and competition from surrounding states. "It was discussed for about 32 seconds,'' said House Finance Chairman Harold Michael, D-Hardy.

Michael said leadership was similarly lukewarm about including measures on the session's agenda to allow casino table games at racetracks and tighten the rules governing video lottery machines statewide. Manchin has said he wants a proposal tackling both before he considers adding table games to the session call. "He wants the two issues tied together,'' said House Speaker Bob Kiss, D-Raleigh. "Given everything else that's on the table, I don't think adding that to the agenda is plausible.''

But Kiss said lawmakers agreed with Manchin on a measure devoting about $100 million, mostly from higher-than-expected revenue collections, toward shortfalls in state pension funds. Kiss said the move would primarily aid one of two retirement plans for troopers.

And Manchin could also add a proposal left over from this year's regular session that would limit what an individual can contribute to so-called 527 groups and increase what they must disclose. "We have an election cycle coming up,'' said Senate Judiciary Chairman Jeff Kessler, D-Marshall, a supporter of the proposal during the regular session. "If we have any interest in regulating 527s, we have to do it now.''

Manchin spoke to both House and Senate leaders, fellow Democrats, behind closed doors as the Legislature wrapped up its three-day series of interim meetings, held this month in Morgantown. Afterward, lawmakers said the governor has yet to complete his special session agenda and its proposals. "There are still a lot of loose ends to wrap up,'' Kessler said.

Manchin first began discussing a fall session earlier this year and a venue for addressing pay and working conditions for teachers and other public employees. While the governor appeared disinclined Tuesday to seek blanket raises, he did not offer a specific plan, lawmakers said. "We don't know what his proposal is because he doesn't have one yet,'' Michael said.

Lawmakers set aside roughly $65 million for raises, starting in this year's budget. Kiss said he wants to see the final figures for both pay raises and pension funding before he considers tackling the food tax.

Recently, Manchin vowed to exempt food from the 6 percent sales tax by the time he leaves office. Elected last year, Manchin has discussed a monthly holiday from the tax or reducing the rate on food to 5 percent.

Michael said Manchin met little support for the holiday option. Kessler agreed. "I think the merchants would have more of a problem with having to retrofit cash registers one day a month, and that sort of thing,'' Kessler said.

Manchin has already convened three special sessions this year, including one that began a week after he took office in January. The upcoming session is slated to start Sept. 7.