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NEWS BRIEFS
Speaker elevates House health committee
CHARLESTON -- House Speaker Rick Thompson has elevated the House of Delegates Health Committee to a major standing committee, giving it the same workload and status of the Finance, Judiciary, Education and Government Organization committees.
Thompson, D-Wayne, says the change is in recognition of the health care needs and challenges that West Virginians face.
"By allowing the House Health Committee to meet as often as the other four long-standing major committees, much more time and energy can be dedicated to health-related legislation," Thompson said in a prepared release.
Delegate Don Perdue, D-Wayne, is chairman of the House Health Committee. He said he and Thompson have discussed elevating the committee for years and both believe now is the right time.
"Health care comprises more than 22 percent of our state budget in terms of expense. It is assuming larger importance not only for our state, but nationally, and our demographics lend themselves to an ever-increasing share both fiscally and sociologically to the fabric of our government," Perdue said.
