Governor Justice Proposes Special Session to Create Arts Department

West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice has proposed calling a special legislative session in May to deal with creating a Department of Arts and Culture and History.

Justice says he has been working with legislative leaders to create the new department.

Justice recently signed a bill to eliminate the Department of Education and the Arts.

The Legislature passed the bill to dissolve the agency on the final day of session. It eliminates the department’s secretary position and divvies up agencies and programs under the department’s purview.

Justice says the new department would not have a secretary but a curator of the arts.

He says he’ll move different programs and agencies into a newly created Department of Arts and Culture and History but did not give any specifics.