West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice has ordered state agencies to stop issuing new regulations and review old ones to determine if they’re outmoded or excessive and should be continued, modified or repealed.
He called for reviews of current regulations by Nov. 1.
Justice wrote that “continuing to reduce the heavy regulatory burden on West Virginians … will promote citizens’ freedom to lawfully engage in individual, family and business pursuits.”
The governor, whose family businesses include coal mines, farms and resorts, switched from Democrat to Republican last year at a rally with President Donald Trump, whose administration has emphasized cutting federal regulations on businesses.
Justice’s moratorium on new regulations contains exemptions for complying with federal requirements, reducing the regulatory impact of current rules and “improving the quality of West Virginia’s workforce.”