PEIA Director: No Funding Increases will Result in Higher Costs

On The Legislature Today, Republican Legislative leaders have expressed no intention to increase funding for the state’s Public Employee’s Health Insurance Agency, the healthcare coverage for government employees. That means potential increases in premiums and costs for those covered under the plan.

Dept. of Administration Sec. John Myers and PEIA Director Ted Cheatham discuss the funding for PEIA.

Delegates today took on a bill eliminating the state’s courtesy patrol. It’s an issue that’s been debated several times at the statehouse over the past few years as a way to cut government spending.

A Senate Committee is also looking for ways to increase funding for road construction and maintenance.Senators are supporting increasing taxes and fees for new revenue. The proposal presented to committee members today has been in the works for several years and has taken several forms, but this year, appears to have bipartisan support.

During the 2015 legislative session, lawmakers approved a plan to reintroduce elk into the state. It took almost two years for that plan to come to fruition, but in December former-Governor Earl Ray Tomblin celebrated the release of a small population into southern West Virginia.