BabyDog Story Archives - West Virginia Public Broadcasting

Gov. Justice And Babydog To Headline Team Trump Road Trip Event

Gov. Jim Justice and Babydog are slated to campaign for former President Donald Trump in Waynesburg, Pennsylvania on Thursday.

Gov. Jim Justice and Babydog are slated to campaign for former President Donald Trump in Waynesburg, Pennsylvania on Thursday. Justice announced the event in a Tuesday press release.

At his Wednesday press briefing, Justice said this event is one in a series of Trump campaign events he is scheduled to attend in swing states, with two in North Carolina and three Pennsylvania, to “target some more of the rural counties.”

“I’m not going there in Pennsylvania to sit and talk about me, I mean, for crying out loud, and I’m not into running all over the place, campaigning for me, because the people of this great state, they know me,” Justice said. “We got a lot, a lot of great stuff that’s happening in West Virginia, and we need to tell the West Virginia story.”

Justice said he might schedule more Trump campaign events in Pennsylvania.

“I really believe the entire election hinges on Pennsylvania,” Justice said. “I want to try to help President Trump in any way I possibly can.”

Justice continued that he was “very close to the Trump family.” Justice announced his 2017 post-election party switch in 2017 at a Trump rally.

Justice said Trump was not confirmed to attend the event himself, although the governor said that Trump may “surprise” attendees at some points in Justice’s road trip schedule.

The event will start at 6 p.m. at 52 East High Street, Waynesburg, Pennsylvania.

Justice Renews Call For Special Session To Cut Personal Income Tax Further

The timeline for the session will be mid to late August, but Justice conceded it could be pushed back a little further.

For weeks, Gov. Jim Justice has indicated his desire for the legislature to return for its second special session of the year in order to implement further cuts to the state’s personal income tax.

Justice signed a law in 2023 that slashed income tax by more than 20 percent. The law also provided a mechanism for additional tax cuts once the state revenue surpassed its total from 2019, which has already resulted in a 4 percent cut this year.

“The bottom line to this state is there is nothing that will drive population to this state any greater than cutting the personal income tax,” Justice said. “It’s the people’s money. For crying out loud on top of that, we’ve got $826.6 million in surplus now but in addition to that we’ve got $400 (million) plus interest money in the reserve fund for the personal income tax that’s sitting there on top of that, and a billion plus dollars in a rainy day fund.”

He touted a state map from the Tax Foundation that showed West Virginia ranked 19th in the nation for inbound population migration. The Tax Foundation is an international research think tank based in Washington, D.C., that collects data and publishes research studies on U.S. tax policies.

Justice stated that the states on the map with the highest population growth don’t have a state income tax or are on the way to getting rid of their state income tax. He said that was part of his motivation to ask the legislature for a further five percent cut to the state’s personal income tax on top of the four percent triggered earlier this year.

“There’s no driver on the planet that’s gonna be better than that,” Justice said. “I hope that you will ring and absolutely urge them to pass that dollar that those monies on to you when we call him back into session.”

The timeline for the session will be mid to late August, but Justice conceded it could be pushed back a little further.

When asked if any other issues would be included in the special session call at his regular press briefing Thursday, the governor reiterated that beyond seeing former President Donald Trump elected in November, cutting the personal income tax is his top priority.

Appearance At RNC

The governor started the briefing by going over his presentation at the Republican National Convention Tuesday night. He said he crafted his speech not as a political statement but rather in order to talk about what he called “the bottom line to the whole everything that’s going on in this country.”

“The bottom line to one thing is exactly what I’ve said so many times: If we continue on the pathway for four more years that we’re on right now, I don’t know what’s gonna happen to this country,” Justice said. “Therefore, I think we’ve got to elect Donald Trump hands down. That’s the bottom line.”

Justice repeated his belief that “we become completely unhinged as a nation if Donald Trump doesn’t win,” a statement that has drawn criticism from those that perceive it as a possible call to violence.

Babydog’s Painting

Justice was joined on the RNC stage by Babydog, to the delight of the national audience. On Thursday he was asked about a possible lawsuit for misappropriation of state funds after the image of an English bulldog was included in recently revealed historic murals in the Capitol rotunda.

He replied by saying he would not comment on pending litigation, but that he was not consulted on the choice.

“From what I understand the artist said he felt like a dog ought to be in the thing,” Justice said. “And then folks said, ‘Well, look, I don’t know how in the world we can have anything better than maybe one of Babydog’s descendants’ and everything. So that’s how it came into being. I mean, give me a break.”

Watch the full briefing here:

Spot The Difference: Baby Dog Shows Up In Capitol Murals

Last week the governor unveiled a series of murals in the capitol’s rotunda. Onlookers noticed multiple changes in the murals from when they were previewed in April, most notably the addition of a painting of a dog that resembles the Governors pet.

Gov. Jim Justice’s English Bulldog, Baby Dog, has been a common political prop, appearing in official campaign photos and also being present at many of the governor’s speeches. Baby Dog’s likeness was portrayed in one of the murals unveiled on Thursday.

The mural that was previewed to the public in April.

*Courtesy of the Governor’s Office*

Critics say that immortalizing Baby Dog’s likeness in the state murals is a misuse of taxpayer dollars. The total cost of the project is $350,000.

Any substantial changes to the appearance of the capitol building’s interior or exterior must be approved by the Capitol Building Commission.

Secretary of Arts, Culture and History Randall Reid-Smith oversaw the project and has defended the decision.

“I want to say thank you to everybody in the press, because people are coming to see those murals because of Baby dog. Because they love her,” Reid-Smith said at a press conference held by the governor.

Reid-Smith went on to say that the governor did not have a role in deciding what would be included in the murals but was responsible for getting them commissioned.

“The only involvement that Jim Justice had in these murals is that he gave us the money to pay for these murals that had not been done in 92 years,” Smith said. “And I thank you for that, governor.”

Justice said an English Bulldog was portrayed in the mural in part as a nod to times before the American Revolution when the English ruled. Either way, he says Baby Dog has brought himself and the state a lot of joy.

“I think it’s kind of a neat thing. I love it to death,” Justice said. “And so just be happy, I mean, for crying out loud, don’t we have enough to worry about.”

West Virginia Public Broadcasting is part of the Department of Arts, Culture and History.

Air Monitoring, Trans Rights And Babydog, This West Virginia Week

On this West Virginia Week, we are back with more coverage of the West Virginia Legislature. Plus, we’ll discuss a failed Senate bill that aimed to increase border security, a debt owed by one of Gov. Jim Justice’s companies, and ongoing medical difficulties facing the governor’s bulldog, Babydog.

On this West Virginia Week, we are back with more coverage of the West Virginia Legislature, where bills regarding school discipline, gender identity and air monitoring continue to spark debate. We’ll revisit conversations with some of the lawmakers helming these bills.

Plus, we’ll discuss a failed Senate bill that aimed to increase border security, a debt owed by one of Gov. Jim Justice’s companies, and ongoing medical difficulties facing the governor’s bulldog, Babydog.

Jack Walker is our host this week. Our theme music is by Matt Jackfert.

West Virginia Week is a web-only podcast that explores the week’s biggest news in the Mountain State. It’s produced with help from Bill Lynch, Briana Heaney, Chris Schulz, Curtis Tate, Emily Rice, Eric Douglas, Jack Walker, Liz McCormick, and Randy Yohe.

Learn more about West Virginia Week.

Justice Discusses Business Debt, Project Financing And Babydog

A Virginia bank has moved to auction off the Greenbrier Sporting Club owned by the Justice family, but Gov. Jim Justice says it won’t happen.

Carter Bank and Trust, one of the Justice family’s biggest lenders, is moving to auction off the Greenbrier Sporting Club to satisfy millions in debt. In a regular briefing Wednesday afternoon, Justice said he did not believe a sale would happen.

“We want to protect the sporting club and all those members in every single way,” he said. “I want to tell you the track record through and through of exactly what’s happened. And I’ll be able to do it someday, but I can’t do it right now. All I would say is stay tuned. Watch what’s going to happen.”

In November, Justice and several of his companies, including the Greenbrier Resort, sued the Virginia-based bank for $1 billion. Justice said that at the time of the death of the bank’s founder, Worth Carter, in 2017, his companies owed the bank around $780 million but has paid down $480 million in the intervening years.

“I want Carter Bank to be paid off in full, but really and truly Carter Bank has got a real dilemma on your hand,” he said. “Because on one hand, we may very well owe Carter Bank $300 million. But on another hand, we feel like they owe us in excess of a billion, and so all this stuff is gonna come out.”

In a legal notice published in the Charleston Gazette-Mail Tuesday, Feb. 6, Carter Bank and Trust estimated the value of the Greenbrier Sporting Club to be $250 million.

Justice insisted his focus will continue to be on the duties of his office.

“My kids got it, they got it and they’re on it,” he said. “I’m way, way, way in the background, and there’s no way on earth that I’m going to take one second of focus off of what my job has been since day one. I put up with this nonsense the whole time I’ve been here and everything. But absolutely, there’s no way I’ve taken my eye off the ball.”

The governor is not directly involved in the day-to-day operation of his family’s business dealings, which are overseen by his children. Earlier this month, two other creditors agreed to sell a helicopter to help settle a debt from another Justice-owned business.

Other Business

Earlier in the briefing, the governor announced funding for several programs as well as the success of several others. He began with broadband, announcing $33 million in Line Extension Advancement and Development (LEAD) Grants awarded to 10 projects by the West Virginia Broadband Investment Plan.

“These awards will enhance the broadband access in nine counties impacting 5,200 families and businesses together that previously lacked significant connectivity,” Justice said.

Justice also gave an update on Operation R.I.P. Potholes. Announced last week, the initiative aims to take advantage of recent clear weather to conduct road repairs.

“In that time, our DOH road crews have patched approximately 1,600 miles of roadway and laid down 1,250 tons of asphalt,” he said.

The governor also highlighted the recent graduation of 53 new West Virginia Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation officers, as well as recognizing zero staff vacancies at the Southern Regional Jail in Raleigh County.

“This accomplishment is especially noteworthy considering the facility had a 30 percent vacancy rate in September of 2023,” Justice said.

The Southern Regional Jail has been a focal point for community activists calling for reforms following the indictment of six former correctional officers in the beating death of Quantez Burks and the death of an additional inmate. Addressing the staffing shortage across the state’s correctional system was a focal point of the governor’s State of State address this year when he proposed $21 million for the pay increases for correctional officers.

Babydog

At the end of the briefing, Justice gave Babydog’s, his pet bulldog, prediction for the upcoming Super Bowl Sunday. He also acknowledged Babydog will undergo two surgeries to address leg injuries and asked for prayers.

“She’s got some probably tough stuff ahead,” Justice said. “Only thing is a Bulldog getting put to sleep two different times on two fairly significant surgeries isn’t any fun. But we’re going to take care of that and hope and pray everything comes out great there.”

WVNS’ Jessica Farrish first reported that the governor mentioned the impending surgeries Monday during an event at Midland Trails High School. He previously mentioned Babydog’s injury to explain her absence from the announcement of LG Electronics’ investment in the state at the start of the year. At the time, Justice said Babydog was injured due to her weight after jumping down from a chair.

Babydog gained national attention as the mascot for the state’s vaccination efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic.

WV Day Celebrations Kick Off At Culture Center

West Virginia became a state 160 years ago on June 20, 1863 in the midst of the Civil War. West Virginians participate in activities around the state to commemorate the day.

West Virginia became a state 160 years ago on June 20, 1863 in the midst of the Civil War. West Virginians participate in activities around the state to commemorate the day.

Gov. Jim Justice and First Lady Cathy Justice kicked off the celebration at the West Virginia Culture Center along with Arts, Culture and History Curator Randall Reid-Smith and other dignitaries. The celebration included a performance of one of West Virginia’s four state song “The West Virginia Hills” as sung by the students participating in the Ambassadors Camp.

Gov. Justice read a quote from President John F. Kennedy from when he visited the state for the 100^th anniversary in 1963. He read: “It (West Virginia) has known sunshine and rain in 100 years, but I know of no state—and I know this state well—whose people feel more strongly, who have a greater sense of pride in themselves, their state and their country, than the people of West Virginia.”

Cathy Justice was honored for her work with education in the state by being made an honorary knight of the Golden Horseshoe.

Cathy Justice also announced the winner of the West Virginia Birthday Punch Contest. The contest invited West Virginians to submit an original (non-alcoholic) punch recipe, with the winning recipe being served at the celebration.

The official birthday cake of West Virginia, “Ms. Van’s Blackberry Skillet Cake” by Kim Wymer of Scott Depot which was awarded at last year’s birthday celebration was served at the reception.

The day also featured a Golden Horseshoe Reunion, open to all former recipients of the Golden Horseshoe Award in recognition of their knowledge of West Virginia history.