Teacher Raise Bill Sent to Committee

The West Virginia Senate voted Thursday to not immediately consider a pay raise bill for school and state employees on the floor and to instead refer it to the Senate Finance Committee. It calls for giving education-related employees and State Police a 5 percent raise. Pay raises were part of the deal Gov. Jim Justice included in an agreement with union leaders in an attempt to halt a statewide strike. The deal also includes appointing a task force to look at a long-term fix for the Public Employees Insurance Agency.