The Committee on Finance met this morning. House Bill 4004 was heard. The bill establishes the Recharge West Virginia Program, which reimburses West Virginia employers for the costs of upskilling their workforces. The bill request the employer increase the employees wage 25 percent upon upskilling.
Then, budget hearings were held by the Attorney General’s Office and the Department of Homeland Security.
The Governor’s recommended budget for the Attorney General’s Office is $6,023,360. The Office is requesting an additional $2,500,000 – $2 million to recruit specialized attorneys to reduce reliance on outside counsel, which is a high expense for the Office. The $500,000 is for infrastructure needs and increasing office expenses. The funds are not to come from the general revenue fund, but from the reappropriation of funds from successful settlements.
The Department of Homeland Security noted proposed supplemental appropriations for FY26. The Department is requesting $132,000 to move the Fusion Center, $230,000 to move the Emergency Management Offices, $1 million for the Mulholland Contract, $2,754,676 for a partial-year increase in the medical contract, $1 million for LIAM legal mal processing, and $500,000 for body cameras for correctional officers.
Jail per diem rates are insufficient to cover the actual daily cost of housing inmates. The actual daily cost is about $90, and the pay base for counties is only $67.27. Food and medical contracts have increased and are expected to continue to increase in future years.
The Department of Homeland Security’s FY27 Governor’s recommended budget is $610,779,990. The Department is requesting an additional $21,851,162 to address budget improvements, including rent increases, vehicle replacements, body camera maintenance, operating shortfalls, medical costs, transitional housing, and BRIM rates.
