MAGISTRATE PAY RAISES Pay Raise Clash May Set Tone For WV House Races
Reported by: Associated Press
Web Producer: Heath Harrison
Reported: Feb. 24, 2013 4:06 PM EST
Updated: Feb. 24, 2013 4:38 PM EST
Eyewitness News Photo
Charleston
, Kanawha County
, West Virginia
At least some House Republicans hope their failure to block proposed magistrate court pay raises will pay off in the next election.
The party-line vote tested the GOP's newfound strength in the House. The bill passed 53-45 after more than 90 minutes of debate. Just one Republican delegate supported the measure.
Its passage followed an earlier GOP-led effort to derail it. Democrats accused Republicans during both debates of hypocrisy and grandstanding. But GOP delegates believe that voters will take note of these and other party-line clashes as the session continues.
One Republican freshman said that allied groups contacted more than 40,000 voters in advance of the bill's passage Wednesday. The contacts are part of a plan focused on the 2014 elections, to build on November's 11-seat GOP House gain.
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Associated Press
