By Mannix Porterfield
Register-Herald Reporter
CHARLESTON — House Finance Chairman Harry Keith White unwrapped his chamber’s budget bill Thursday, one that maintains funding for seniors, veterans, libraries and health programs to existing levels.
The House version of $3.7 billion is actually some $18 million below the one advocated by Gov. Joe Manchin.
White, D-Mingo, said the budget also would increase funding for the aged and disabled waiver program for seniors by $10 million.
Delegate Rick Moye, D-Raleigh, the only lawmaker to comment on White’s explanation, applauded him for putting funds into the Mentally Retarded-Developmentally Disabled program.
Whether such funding is contained in the Senate version wasn’t known, since White said he hadn’t actually gone line-by-line through that bill.
But one thing is certain: A standoff typically develops between the two houses, which is why Manchin has already provided for a session extension of up to seven days.
“I want to applaud him for that effort,” Moye said of the MR-DD program.
“That is much-needed funding. I hope the House will hold the line and be very hard-nose when it comes to dealing with that line item.”
One new item is a $342,900 outlay for the Herbert Henderson Office of Minority Affairs.
The budget trims the guaranteed workforce grant program by $1 million and trims the small business development office by $49,147.
Due to higher expenses, White said, the budget would add funds for the Coal Mine Health and Safety Board. Funds also were added for the Tamarack Foundation in line with a Senate bill to give it stand-alone authority.
The budget would put $1,681,720 into the state Department of Education for the so-called high school graduation improvement act.
White said the West Virginia Music Hall of Fame would be moved to the Lottery Commission with $35,000 added.
Money for the Library Commission and services for the handicapped were restored to existing levels, contrasted with the amounts Manchin proposed.
“You’re gong to hear me say ‘restored to (Fiscal Year 2010) levels several times,” White said, preparing delegates for his detailed account of the budget.
Among those to be left at existing levels are aid for local and basic public health services, cardiac projects, the Women’s Right to Know Act, tuberculosis control, maternal and child health, primary care support, emergency response entities and tobacco education programs.
Manchin had deleted a diabetes prevention and education program. The House would allot $70,000 for it.
Other items restored from Manchin’s proposed rollback were the Center for End of Life, osteoporosis, arthritis prevention, child care development, medical service contracts, social services, child welfare system, in-home family education, West Virginia Works and the Colin Anderson placement and renaissance program.
The budget would hike by $500,000 the grants for life and domestic violence program, and add $365,729 for special foster care.
A $100,000 outlay was assigned to the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine in Lewisburg for the rural outreach and emergency response program.
The road fund would get $140 million in increased funding, thanks to an influx of federal stimulus dollars.
Fairs and festivals would be cut by 2.5 percent, contrasted with Manchin’s proposed rollback of 26 percent.
“We have done what the people of West Virginia want us to do,” White said.
“I think we can go back to our communities and tell everybody that we are the people’s house.”
— E-mail: mannix@register-herald.com
