CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Gov. Jim Justice issued the following statement Saturday after the passage of House Bill 2730:

“I am very pleased that the House of Delegates voted overwhelmingly to pass my clean pay-raise bill yesterday. I am now calling on the Senate to do the same and pass the bill as soon as possible.”

“My proposal gives a raise to teachers, school service personnel, State Police, and all state employees and fulfills the promise we made to the people of West Virginia last October. This is an opportunity for us to move West Virginia forward and take care of our employees and our citizens.

“I remain an advocate of reforms that will truly make education better in West Virginia and I am hopeful that some proposals such as reforming the school aid formula to allow our smaller counties to be adequately funded are taken up in the remaining days of the legislative session.”

Update: The state Senate voted down a motion Saturday to bring the bill to straight the floor and instead referred it to both the education and finance committees.

Sen. Bill Hamliton posted a short note on Facebook explaining his vote:

“I voted no on a procedural motion today in reference to the teachers pay raise bill,” Hamilton wrote. “The democrats wanted to work the bill on the Senate floor today, but I voted no so the bill could be worked in the Senate education and finance committees. The bill is not dead.”