The House of Delegates Finance
Committee made a late night move Monday to restore proposed budget cuts to
several state programs by taking money from state Attorney General Patrick
Morrisey’s Consumer Protection Fund.
The proposal, which totals $12
million, came in the form of an originating bill at the end of a long day for
the committee. The bill was not on the meeting’s original agenda.
The fund has a $19 million balance.
It finances the Consumer Protection Division, which has an operating budget of
$4.1 million. It also pays for consumer restitution. The House bill, plus a
bill that passed the Senate Monday taking another $5 million from the fund to
plug state budget holes, would reduce the fund to less than $3 million.
“We are decimating the Consumer
Protection Fund,” Del. Daryl Cowles, R-Morgan, said. “We are doing this at 10
o’clock without the attorney general being invited.”
But Del. Kevin Craig, D-Cabell,
countered the fund’s balance is too high.
“There’s no reason to have a
balance of 19 million dollars,” Craig said. “We aren’t trying to limit the
attorney general, but these are quality programs.”
Several programs to be funded are
related to health care including the program for seniors that allows them to
remain in their homes. Finance Committee Chair Brett Boggs, D-Braxton, has
previously stated funding the program is a top priority.
Del. Bob Ashley, R-Roane, said providing
the programs funding for one year wasn’t really dealing with the funding
problem. He also questioned the motivation for the bill.
“This is a charade. We are putting
out false hope. Let the attorney general do his job,” Ashley said. He later
voted in favor of the bill.
Reducing the Consumer Protection
Division below its $4.1 million annual operating cost could force program
changes.
The House of Delegates passed a
bill earlier this session that would take some powers away from the attorney
general. The bill has yet to be taken up in the Senate.
Finance Committee Chair Doug
Reynolds, D-Cabell, reminded committee members they’ve voted in favor of taking
money from other funds in this tight budget year.
The vote in favor of the bill was
14-9 with all Democrats voting for the measure and one Republican, Del. Ashley.
All nine votes against it were from Republicans. The bill now goes to the House
floor for consideration.
