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Gov. Justice proposes billions for budget

CHARLESTON — Gov. Jim Justice’s administration is proposing a general fund budget of $5.22 billion, a figure that includes a few proposed tax cuts along with spending increases such as pay raises for state workers. The administration is setting a revenue estimate of $5.265 billion, an amount that the administration has been intentionally keeping low to keep state spending in check. By comparison, the revenue estimate for the current fiscal year is $4.88 billion. “Our revenues are strong again,” acting Revenue Secretary Larry Pack told reporters on Wednesday, the first day ...

Governor tells lawmakers: ‘Keep sawin’ the wood’

CHARLESTON — During his final State of the State address, Gov. Jim Justice struck a reflective tone but also urged West Virginians to keep moving forward. “The first time you saw me, I stood before you pledging to fight for the soul of our state. We were staring down a dark tunnel. Our state was bankrupt. Our jobs and our people were leaving, and our spirit was broken,” Justice said during his annual address before state officials Wednesday evening. “You remember those days? You remember what that was like? It wasn’t any fun, was it?” Justice said the state has made ...

2024 Legislative session begins with new bills and Babydog

MORGANTOWN — The 2024 legislative session began Wednesday afternoon at the state Capitol. As usual, the opening floor sessions were largely formalities, but Babydog sparked a brief debate on the House floor, and the Senate continued its recent practice of accelerating passage of certain ...

Justice gives final State of the State address tonight

CHARLESTON — In his first State of the State address seven years ago, Gov. Jim Justice spread his arms wide, moaned and gave his formal audience an impression of Frankenstein’s monster — his version of the shambling financial beast that had stalked the state’s budget. “I always thought, if you got caught by Frankenstein, you deserved to die,” Justice said at the end of his address and inspiring the laughter of delegates, senators and Supreme Court justices. “Let me tell you just this. If we don’t do anything, if all we do is kick the can down the road and all we do ...

DOH gearing up for West Run widening work

MORGANTOWN — Morgantown’s Anderson Excavating has been awarded a $14,475,154.74 contract to widen a portion of West Run Road.  Dirar Ahmad, representing DOH Traffic and Engineering Division, told The Dominion Post in July the state was acquiring rights-of-way for the project ...

Finance chair questions disaster relief hiring practice, items taken

The Senate Finance chairman grilled the director of West Virginia Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster about its financial practices. The organization is involved with disaster relief in West Virginia, drawing down public dollars to support those efforts. VOAD was among the organizations leading relief efforts from West Virginia’s devastating 2016 flood, along with the National Guard. VOAD’s former finance and operations manager, Benjamin Cisco, was charged last spring with several counts of fraud and money laundering. He has a sentencing hearing at 11 a.m. Thursday ...