During Tuesday’s Joint Committee meeting on flooding, there was discussion on the draft legislation that would allow for more flexible free-hiring practices for at-will workers in Emergency Management. The purpose of the bill is to instigate more effective methods of hiring and firing workers and reducing the time required for obtaining or removing employees.
Senator Baldwin of Greenbrier raised concerns regarding the potential removal of workers under this legislation, questioning what was to become of individuals under civil service protections and whether they would be removed, and if the incentive is to reduce the number of workers altogether.
Homeland Security and Emergency Management officers assured Baldwin that the purpose of the legislation is not to lay off workers but to reduce the time and resources spent on hiring and firing, and to tailor teams according to specific needs. This would involve potentially redirecting workers to other natural disasters. The legislation was adopted for the 2020 session with no new amendments.
The Joint Committee also approved two other bills to help facilitate response to natural disasters.
