Teachers chant in opposition to the education omnibus bill during the 2019 regular session

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Teachers unions say they’ll have a significant presence on Saturday as senators consider changes to West Virginia’s education system.

“Our members are telling us they want to be there. They want to be communicating with legislators,” said Fred Albert, president of the American Federation of Teachers-West Virginia.

AFT-West Virginia put out the call to the Capitol on its Facebook page.

“ALL HANDS ON DECK THIS SATURDAY AT THE CAPITOL,” the union wrote.

Senate President Mitch Carmichael wants senators to gather on Saturday to consider an omnibus education bill in one day.

The 144-page bill includes a variety of proposed changes to the education system, including pay raises, charter schools, increased support personnel for schools, open enrollment, incentives to fill in-demand positions and financial support for small or struggling counties.

Much of the bill is similar to one that prompted a two-day strike during the regular legislative session.

Teachers filled Capitol corridors those days. They also filled the Capitol the prior year during a strike about pay, the stability of insurance programs and additional education issues.

School is ending for the year across the state, so a strike is impractical.

But West Virginia Education Association members will be at the Capitol this Saturday, said Dale Lee, president of the union.

“Our members want them to know we’re watching,” Lee said. “It doesn’t matter when they do this. We’re watching closely.”

Passing the bill out of the Senate in one day would require suspension of a rule to consider legislation on three separate days. Suspending the rule would require four fifths of senators present.

The West Virginia Senate has 20 Republicans and 14 Democrats.

So if all senators were present, then eight Democrats would need to be on board to suspend the rule.

Senate Democrats planned a conference call on Wednesday afternoon to discuss the matter, said Minority Leader Roman Prezioso.

“It’ll be lively this afternoon. I guarantee it,” Prezioso said on MetroNews’ “Talkline.”

Prezioso said he would be OK with considering the omnibus bill in a day or two.

“Personally, I do support suspending the rules. There’s nothing in the bill we haven’t heard before,” said Prezioso, D-Marion.

Democrats in the Senate introduced seven individual bills last week when the Legislature was in special session for one day to consider other matters.

They wanted those bills to be considered right away, but they were assigned to the Senate Education Committee, where they seem unlikely to be taken up.

Prezioso said that although he personally is willing to suspend rules to consider the omnibus bill, his preference is voting on individual bills.

“Let’s take these individual topics one at a time, vote it up and down, have a complete airing of the subject,” Prezioso said. “The problem now is you have this omnibus bill. You take one, you take all.”

The House of Delegates still plans to gather June 17, break into four select committees and consider individual bills.

“At that time, the House will begin consideration of bills House members plan to introduce, as well as anything that might be passed by the Senate then,” stated House Speaker Roger Hanshaw.

Delegate Jeff Pack, R-Raleigh, who runs House Republican caucus meetings, said there is no rush in the House.

Pack said breaking into committees and considering individual bills suits the House, which still has to determine where most members stand.

He alluded to speculation that lawmakers have waited until the end of the school year to avoid the repercussions of a strike. Pack said that’s not the case; delegates have just needed time to consider education policy.

“I’ve heard people say they’re just waiting until teachers getting out of school. From the House’s perspective, we still don’t have a consensus. It’s hard to go in not knowing what you’re going to do,” he said.

Delegate Mick Bates, D-Raleigh, said the House approach has been vastly different from the Senate’s.

“The House has no intentions of taking this thing up any sooner than the 17th, and it’s made it clear there’s no interest in an omnibus bill,” Bates said on WJLS. “We’re not only not on the same page, we’re not even in the same book.”