W.Va. Gov. Justice reveals change of heart on DHHR split

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WSAZ) – From beginning to loss of life, the West Virginia’s Division of Well being and Human Assets touches each side of your life. The mammoth entity additionally spends extra of your tax {dollars} than every other state company.

But, state lawmakers say its shortcomings are many, together with points with foster care and assist for the mentally disabled.

The state Senate has taken fast motion this week — its first vote on Wednesday, 32-1, to reorganize the DHHR.

The proposal, Senate Invoice 126, splits DHHR into three completely different businesses by December — a Division of Well being Services, Division of Human Companies and a Division of Well being.

The senate’s majority chief, Sen. Tom Takubo, R-Kanawha, instructed WSAZ it provides every workforce its personal head coach. He used a sporting analogy, explaining it’s more practical than having one head coach on your little one’s baseball, basketball and soccer groups with each sport being performed on the similar time.

“You can provide laser focus to the issues in every of these divisions, in order that we are able to streamline it and it advantages the individuals probably the most,” he mentioned.

Takubo mentioned different advantages embrace much less pink tape for faster hiring and higher accountability.

“Human nature would say, in case you and I are on the identical workforce, I don’t wish to blame you and also you don’t wish to blame me, and on the finish of the day, whose harm by that? It’s the folks that’s being served,” he mentioned.

However West Virginia has been right here earlier than.

Final 12 months, Gov. Jim Justice vetoed a invoice to separate DHHR in two. He then paid $1 million in taxpayer funds to the McChrystal Group for a report that in its conclusion, ”disagrees that splitting DHHR into two departments.”

Two months after touting the report, the governor seems to have a change of coronary heart this week in his interview with WSAZ NewsChannel 3 Investigative/Political Reporter Curtis Johnson.

“DHHR. Senate Invoice 126. Splitting it into three businesses,” Johnson requested. “Are you for or towards that.”

“I’m actually not towards it,” Justice replied. “You recognize, lots of people would say, ‘Ah, Justice, you’ve acquired to be useless towards that,’ and all the pieces. Nope. I’m not. I’m towards us leaping and completely doing one thing that will not be good.”

Justice spoke of latest management at DHHR — Interim Secretary Jeff Coben, state COVID Czar Clay Marsh and Joint Interagency Activity Pressure Director Jim Hoyer — calling them “superstars.”

The trio assigned Dec. 12, 2022, to steer DHHR reforms after the retirement of former Secretary Invoice Crouch.

“These issues have been right here for many years, however so far as dividing it up and all the pieces, I’m not in opposition to that,” Justice instructed Johnson.

“You vetoed it final 12 months,” Johnson requested in response. “You’re saying you’ll really signal it this 12 months?”

“It was a really shortly put collectively factor, that would have been an actual mistake,” Justice replied “A two-page, in a short time put collectively state of affairs final 12 months.”

That proposal was really eight pages, though it was launched on the thirty sixth day of final 12 months’s 60-day legislative session.

But, Takubo agreed, this 12 months’s invoice is healthier thought out.

“Yeah. I agree,” he instructed Johnson. “I agree and there’s been much more dialogue over the previous 12 months and much more enter by people within the know.”

“Now we’ve had loads of time and all the pieces, and if the powers that be come to me with one thing that makes respectable sense and all the pieces, I’ll be on board as a result of like I’ve mentioned, I solicit all the nice concepts,” Justice instructed Johnson.

“So that you see Senate Invoice 126 as completely different from what previous final 12 months?” Johnson requested in response.

“It might very effectively be,” Justice mentioned. “You recognize, I haven’t checked out it and all the pieces intimately but.”

Takubo mentioned he believes Justice is “palms in” on reforming the company.

“He needs to see West Virginia higher, simply as we wish to see West Virginia higher, and DHHR is tackling among the most troublesome issues that we’re going through,” he mentioned.

Senate Invoice 126 now awaits motion within the state Home.

Delegate Amy Summers, chairwoman of Home Well being and Human Assets, tells WSAZ NewsChannel 3 that she stays in dialog with the governor’s workplace and her committee will take up an equivalent invoice on Tuesday.

In different legislative information, Justice’s 50% reduce within the state’s revenue tax has superior from committee and was obtained on the Home ground Friday morning.

Copyright 2023 WSAZ. All rights reserved.