West Virginia

Senate approves Child Care Tax Credit, House squashes Justices’ other child care bill • West Virginia Watch

Published

1 month ago

October 9, 2024

Senate approves Child Care Tax Credit, House squashes Justices’ other child care bill • West Virginia Watch

Lawmakers came into the special session aware of the state’s child care crisis. West Virginia needs more than 20,000 child care spots. Meanwhile, hundreds of providers have closed down this year — despite waitlists for families — due to financial strain and uncertain state funding.

Gov. Jim Justice put two child care focused bills on his special session call. He focused on affordability, and lawmakers approved his plan for a state level Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit.

Eligible West Virginia families, who already claim the federal child care tax credit, would on average receive around $250 through the state level credit, according to lawmakers. Most families are paying $600 to $700 a month for day care.

The House of Delegates opted to punt on Justice’s other child care bill, which would have given $5 million in funds for a pilot program with an outside company to open five new day care centers and help connect providers with children who could fill spots.

On Wednesday, after the special session concluded, Justice told reporters that the state should have put more money into child care. Justice said he included bills that he thought would be approved.

“When we decide that child care is a real problem and it warrants absolute consideration and concern, then we’ll do something about it and we’ll do something about it in a profound way,” he said. “We didn’t do as much as I wanted to in regards to child care, but we did something.”

House Bill 229, which allocated surplus money for Justice’s pilot program idea, didn’t include the details on how it would be used. Lawmakers said the money would likely go to Wonderschool, a California-based company focused on child care.

“Instead of pouring millions into an out-of-state program, let’s focus on tweaking these programs in West Virginia,” said Del. Wayne Clark, R-Jefferson.

Several lawmakers noted that child care providers had already told lawmakers what they needed, including increased subsidies for day care centers that serve more than 15,000 low-income children in the state.

Del. Joey Garcia, D-Marion

“Honestly, I don’t know who worked for this other than maybe a lobbyist,” said Del. Joey Garcia, D-Marion. “We have heard from the people on the ground that are running these businesses that there are certain things they need. I don’t see [how] giving $5 million to some recruitment agency or some app … how is that not money that’s just going down the drain?”

At Garcia’s suggestion, the House voted 47-40 to table the bill indefinitely. The House and Senate adjourned sine die late Tuesday evening, concluding the special session.

Justice said he had tried to put $20 million into child care but it got whittled down to a $5 million ask for his pilot program.

“Lobbyists were up there going crazy, trying to grab the cheese. The Legislature got tired of it, and said we’re done, we’re not going to do that,” he said.

The Senate signed off on the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit on Tuesday, sending the bill to the governor’s desk on the final day of the special session. It would allow eligible families to claim a credit equal to 50% of the allowable federal child and dependent care credit.

It will cost $4.2 million to implement, according to the bill’s fiscal note.

“The first-ever for working families in West Virginia,” Justice said. “It’s a good start. We’ve got to do more.”

Lawmakers and the state Chamber of Commerce urged Justice to add other child care bills to the special session call. Bills during the regular session, which failed to get up for a vote, had included ideas like helping child care workers pay for daycare and giving businesses an increased tax credit for providing child care.

“We worked hand-in-hand with the leadership and agreed on what’s got a shot and what’s not,” Justice said.

Del. Kayla Young, D-Kanawha, said that she was glad that the special session resulted in some relief for families. “We know every little bit helps,” she said.

Young, who has led child care legislation efforts in the House, continued, “I was disappointed but not surprised to see the governor not follow through on this promise to allocate $20 million to child care providers. I look forward to meaningful work in the regular session. Solving child care means bringing providers, parents, employers, tech solutions and our state agencies to the table.”

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West Virginia

Former West Virginia Jail Officer Pleads Guilty to Civil Rights Violation in Fatal Assault on Inmate

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44 mins ago

November 13, 2024

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Former West Virginia Jail Officer Pleads Guilty to Civil Rights Violation in Fatal Assault on Inmate

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — A former correctional officer in southern West Virginia pleaded guilty Wednesday to a federal civil rights violation in the death of a man who died less than a day after being booked into a jail. Mark Holdren entered a plea agreement in U.S. District Court in which he …

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West Virginia

Celebrating, West Virginia Style – Morgantown magazine

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8 hours ago

November 13, 2024

Press Room

Celebrating, West Virginia Style – Morgantown magazine

Some of the best of Mountaineer Week is still to come.

From beard growing to woodworking and folk dancing to fancy fiddling—plus biscuits and gravy, apple cobbler, and lots more homestyle cooking—Mountaineer Week, November 11–17, is WVU’s celebration of traditional West Virginia ways. A lot of the fun is still to come, and you can get in on the action this weekend with these Mountaineer Week and related events.

Thursday, November 14

A Celebration of West Virginia Folk Music Traditions
6 p.m. in the Mountainlair Gluck Theatre

Friday, November 15

Apple butter making
8 a.m.–4 p.m. in front of the Mountainlair

Pinto beans and cornbread, free samples while supplies last
11 a.m., Mountainlair Commons

Mountaineer Week Arts & Crafts Fair
11 a.m.–7 p.m., Mountainlair Ballrooms

Mountaineer Week Quilt Show
11 a.m.–7 p.m., E. Moore Hall

Bob Shank on hammered dulcimer
11 a.m.–7 p.m., E. Moore Hall

Pat Harper on hammered dulcimer
Noon–4 p.m., Mountainlair Ballroom stage

Line dancing
10 p.m.–2 a.m., Mountainlair Food Court

Saturday, November 16

Apple butter making
8 a.m.–4 p.m. in front of the Mountainlair

Mountaineer Week Arts & Crafts Fair
11 a.m.–7 p.m., Mountainlair Ballrooms

Mountaineer Week Quilt Show
11 a.m.–7 p.m., E. Moore Hall

Bob Shank on hammered dulcimer
11 a.m.–7 p.m., E. Moore Hall

Pat Harper on hammered dulcimer
Noon–4 p.m., Mountainlair Ballroom stage

WVU Bluegrass Band
2 p.m., Mountainlair Food Court

The WVU Mountaineers vs. the Baylor Bears
4 p.m., Milan Puskar Stadium

Jeff Fedan on hammered dulcimer
4 – 7 p.m., Mountainlair Potomac Room

The Hillbilly Biscuits
5 p.m., Mountainlair Food Court

Mountaineer Week Square Dance by Morgantown Friends of Old Time Music & Dance
7:30 p.m., The Encore

Line dancing
10 p.m.–2 a.m., Mountainlair Food Court

Sweaty Hands String Band
10 p.m., Mountainlair Gluck Theatre

Grace Campbell
11:30 p.m., Mountainlair Gluck Theatre

Sunday, November 17

Mountaineer Week Arts & Crafts Fair
11 a.m.–4 p.m., Mountainlair Ballrooms

Mountaineer Week Quilt Show
11 a.m.–4 p.m., E. Moore Hall

Bob Shank on hammered dulcimer
11 a.m.–4 p.m., E. Moore Hall

Pat Harper on hammered dulcimer
Noon–4 p.m., Mountainlair Ballroom stage

Jeff Fedan on hammered dulcimer
Noon–4 p.m., Mountainlair Potomac Room

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Audit finds contract nursing in WV state facilities costs $284M, hiring process typically 688 days • West Virginia Watch

Published

16 hours ago

November 13, 2024

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Audit finds contract nursing in WV state facilities costs 4M, hiring process typically 688 days • West Virginia Watch

State-run hospitals, struggling to fill full-time nursing positions, are heavily reliant on contract positions to fill gaps. It cost the state $284 million since 2015 since contract positions pay more than the state’s own full-time nursing jobs.

The Department of Health Facilities’ lengthy hiring process and questionable budgeting practices combined with a national nurse shortage have led to a reliance on contract labor, according to an audit presented to lawmakers on Tuesday. Meanwhile, contract labor’s price tag has risen.

“From fiscal year 2015 to 2023, the total annual expenditure for contract clinical staff increased 955%,” said Mike Jones, audit manager with the Post Audit Division.

House Speaker Roger Hanshaw, R-Clay

The audit, conducted by the Legislature’s Post Audit Division, reviewed the Department of Health Facilities hiring process prior to it becoming its own agency this year. It found that, on average, it took 688 days to post jobs and hire full-time nurses.

“That’s among the most ridiculous things I’ve heard in a long time,” House Speaker Roger Hanshaw, R-Clay, said in response. “Can anyone respond to that? Anyone?”

Aaron Snodgrass, health facilities finance officer, said he couldn’t provide clarity but noted that the agency was posting jobs much more quickly at this time.

With the likely continued rising cost of contract nursing, the legislative auditor recommended that lawmakers “consider if the continued operation of health facilities by the state is in the best long-term interests of the state and address the issues as it sees fit. “

DHF leaders have said they’re already considering selling four of the state-run hospitals to private providers largely due to operation costs. Snodgrass told lawmakers that the audit was fair and he was not surprised by the findings.

“We are working with a broker to find investors who want to invest in these facilities. I can’t really provide any additional information on that because it’s not my project,” he said.

In DHF’s official response to the audit, it said the department contracted with Lument Securities earlier this year to look for outside buyers. West Virginia Watch on Sept. 23 filed a Freedom of Information Act request for a copy of DHF’s contract with Lument; an attorney with DHF recently delayed possibly sharing the contract until Dec. 20.

DHF operates four long-term care facilities: Hopemont Hospital in Terra Alta; Jackie Withrow Hospital in Beckley; John Manchin Health Care Center in Fairmont; and Lakin Hospital in West Columbia. The department also operates two psychiatric facilities — William R. Sharpe, Jr. Hospital in Weston and Mildred Mitchell-Bateman Hospital in Huntington — along with Welch Community Hospital.

Contract nurses involved in crimes, patient death at hospitals

Lawmakers requested the audit due to concerns about “ambiguous information around expenditures,” cost concerns with state-run hospitals and more.

There was not a line item dedicated to contract nursing, according to the audit.

There are 846 allocated positions in the seven hospitals for full-time clinical nurses. Del. Kayla Young, D-Kanawha, noted that the audit failed to say how many positions were being filled by contract nurses.

The COVID-19 pandemic worsened the state’s reliance on contract nursing, and from 2019 to 2020, the cost jumped from $20 million to more than $40 million.

“These staffing issues are not new or unique to hospitals in West Virginia. They existed before COVID, which only worsened the issue … No single policy has addressed the issue,” Jones said.

The millions of dollars spent on contract nursing were paid out to 33 vendors over the last nine years; 28 of those were out-of-state vendors. Sharpe Hospital, where multiple contract employees have been charged with crimes, spent $30 million on contract staffing last year.

The state spent $3.8 million on contract nursing in Hopemont Hospital in 2023. Three contract employees were fired there this year who were involved in a gruesome death of an elderly patient in a boiling whirlpool.

The audit noted that West Virginia was not immune to issues sparked by the national nursing shortage. Lawmakers and educators have attempted to bolster the state’s nursing programs, including the creation of a West Virginia Nursing Academy that starts for kids in ninth grade. The Legislature provided $20 million in surplus funding for continued education initiatives started in the Governor’s Nursing Workforce Program in 2024.

“Are any of the programs that we have done in the past few years to bolster the nursing programs working?” Young asked.

Snodgrass said that it will take years to graduate more nurses in the state.

“We are seeing positive results within the department,” he said. “When we come back in budget meetings in the spring, if trends continue that we’re seeing, we’ll have good positive results to report for contract nursing.”

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