Gov. Jim Justice Story Archives - Page 41 of 42 - West Virginia Public Broadcasting

Gov. Justice Considering Mask Mandate For West Virginians While In Buildings Outside Of Homes

Gov. Jim Justice is warning that he may mandate masks be worn in public beginning next week. That warning comes as West Virginia reported its highest daily number of new coronavirus cases since mid-May.

In a virtual news briefing held Thursday, Justice said he is considering an order that would mandate residents wear masks in buildings outside of their homes.

“I want to give you notice that, right now, I am terribly concerned about what’s coming,” he said.

Justice said he will revisit the issue and make a decision next week, possibly as soon as Monday.

“The way you stop this is masks — wearing your mask,” Justice said. “I want everyone to know that I am very, very seriously considering that, at the beginning of next week. We may very well have to go to mandatory masks in buildings, you know, other than your homes.”

For weeks, Justice has urged residents to wear masks but has been reluctant to make them mandatory. At times, he has called the issue “divisive,” although the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recommended that masks be worn in public to prevent the spread of the virus.

“This recommendation is based on what we know about the role respiratory droplets play in the spread of the virus that causes COVID-19, paired with emerging evidence from clinical and laboratory studies that shows cloth face coverings reduce the spray of droplets when worn over the nose and mouth,” according to the CDC’s website.

While mask-wearing has become a partisan debate in recent months, prominent national Republicans such as Vice President Mike Pence and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell have both recently become vocal on the issue by asking Americans to wear masks in public.

Earlier this week, West Virginia Republican Party chairwoman Melody Potter wrote on Facebook that she wants people to be “considerate” of her decision not to wear a mask.

Potter, who cited West Virginia state code that makes masks illegal — with a few exceptions, including emergencies — also quoted one of America’s Founding Fathers, Patrick Henry, and wrote, “Give me liberty or give me death.”

Asked to respond to the leader of his party, Justice said he thinks highly of Potter, but he pushed back on the idea of not wearing masks.

“I would ask her — if we go through a mandatory masking and everything to go in our buildings and everything if we cannot social distance — I would ask Melody not to go into buildings,” Justice said.

Justice went on to say that he and his advisers will review testing data over the weekend. He added that the decision on whether to mandate masks would not be influenced by politics.

“We’re going to gather a whole bunch more information — and we’re gonna make the best decision we can make — but I’m going to make the decision. That is the best decision Jim Justice can make,” Justice said. “Not the decision that is the best political decision. Not a decision that is a party decision. It is going to be the decision as to what I think is the very best for all West Virginians.”

At least a dozen states have mandated the use of masks in public spaces in hopes of quelling the spread of the virus. Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf, issued an order on the matter Wednesday.

The change of tone comes as West Virginia has seen an uptick in cases of the coronavirus in recent weeks. On Thursday, state health officials reported the highest number of new cases since May 23.

Thirty-eight states are reporting an increase in the number of cases in the past 14 days, according to a data analysis by The New York Times. The U.S. reported more than 50,000 total new cases Wednesday, surpassing records that had been set over the past few days.

As of Thursday morning, the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources reported 93 deaths from COVID-19. The agency reported more than 3,000 cases of the coronavirus.

Gov. Justice Defends Decision To Oust Public Health Chief

Gov. Jim Justice is defending his decision to oust the state commissioner of public health after pointing to inaccurate reporting of coronavirus cases.

In a Monday virtual news briefing, Justice fielded questions from reporters about the resignation of Dr. Cathy Slemp, who stepped down last week from her position as West Virginia’s top public health official.

Justice has said other incidents led to him losing confidence in Slemp, but he has not elaborated on those situations.

He said Monday that the data discrepancy that led to Slemp’s ouster — which stems from an error reporting cases at Huttonsville Correctional Center — did not cause resources to be misdirected or unnecessarily used. However, he said those inaccurate reports set off a false alarm to the public.

“While we have been the beacon of the nation, those wrong numbers are inputted directly to the federal government and really and truly, then, we are showing up on every national broadcast and everything else that our numbers are off the chart,” Justice said. “That’s not good for us, either. “

Justice added that there is “more work to do” in looking into the data reporting error at Huttonsville Correctional Center.

He also disputed that Slemp was removed because of her comments about the rise of cases in the state.

On Wednesday — and just hours after relaying that the state had overreported coronavirus case numbers at Huttonsville — Justice announced that Department of Health and Human Services Sec. Bill Crouch asked for Slemp to step down.

In a letter announcing her resignation, Slemp urged Crouch and others to “stay true to science.”

Faculty members at Johns Hopkins University — an institution from which Slemp is a graduate — say they were “stunned and troubled” by Slemp’s resignation and that the country needs public health officials “speaking honestly” about the ongoing pandemic.

According to an analysis of state testing data, West Virginia has seen an 89 percent increase in its positive test rate over the last 14 days.

Gov. Justice Outlines Multifaceted Plan To Fix Budget Hole, Spend Federal Coronavirus Aid

Gov. Jim Justice says his office has found a way to cover what’s expected to be a $250 million budget hole. The governor rolled out the plan in a midday meeting with top lawmakers on Friday before releasing it to the general public.

In a virtual news briefing, Justice outlined the state’s financial situation, which has been negatively impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. His plan routes federal aid dollars to various state agencies and pulls from the Medicaid surplus fund to cover the budget gap.

For weeks, Justice has said he believes federal aid would become available for states to backfill budget shortfalls related to the coronavirus pandemic. Although federal rules released alongside the CARES Act explicitly prevent that from happening, the governor’s office plan appears to replace already allocated state dollars — now being spent on response to the coronavirus — with the federal aid.

Justice said Friday some funds that were already dedicated to state agencies will be replaced by nearly $1.25 billion from the federal CARES Act. Justice explained that the funds from the CARES Act will be directed to local governments, small businesses, local public service districts, highways, hospitals and for unemployment benefits.

Additionally, $150 million from the state’s Medicaid surplus will be directed to the general revenue budget.

“We have CARES money and we have other grant monies that have come into West Virginia,” Justice said, noting that more than $2.2 billion in federal coronavirus aid has so far come to the state. “And we’ve got to find the right — the appropriate — places to put it up.”

During the press briefing, Justice’s general counsel Brian Abraham said the state sought out an outside consultant to make sure the governor’s office had the authority to use federal money to cover the general revenue budget.

State lawmakers from both parties said the plan was explained to them in Friday’s meeting. Some Democrats expressed frustration over not being able to offer input on the budget situation.

Sen. Roman Prezioso, D-Marison, said the governor arrived about 40 minutes late to the meeting with lawmakers. Prezioso, who attended the meeting virtually, said he and other Democrats invited to the meeting wondered why the financial plan doesn’t fall under the Legislature’s purview.

“He’s not gonna muck it up with a special session,” Prezioso said of the meeting with Justice and proposed budget fix. “He’s said he’s not going to have a food fight by bringing the Legislature in.”

Senate President Mitch Carmichael, R-Jackson, described the meeting as “informational” and said lawmakers did not offer input on the plan.

“We accommodated the governor’s request to go meet for the purpose of him explaining his views on spending the CARES money and getting through June 30 and the fiscal year,” Carmichael said, “That was something initiated by the governor’s office.”

Carmichael, who lost a primary election earlier this month, will hand over the gavel when the Legislature returns for its next regular session in February. But as the current leader of the upper chamber, he said he feels as though the Legislature should have control over how the state’s money is spent.

“I always think that all expenditures should be made by the Legislature and allocated by the Legislature. I’ve always felt that way,” Carmichael said. “And now, my understanding is that the CARES Act — and those legal opinions that the governor’s office has provided — that enable governors to have wide discretion on the manner in which this money is invested and spent.”

Justice said the state is expected to wind up with a $10 million surplus once the new fiscal year begins on July 1.

Gov. Justice: Special Session Not Needed To Fix Budget Hole

West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice says the state’s budget will be in good shape despite a significant hole in revenue due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Despite earlier saying he would call the Legislature into a special session to handle an anticipated $300 million deficit for the current fiscal year, Justice said Monday the state has enough cash on hand to make it to the end of the month.

Justice has remained hopeful that federal aid will be made available to cover a shortfall, although congressional rules prevent funds already allocated from being used to cover state budgets.

The governor says he has created a committee that will meet later this week to address revenues.

The state’s fiscal year turns over on July 1.

With coronavirus cases on the rise in the state, Justice has urged residents to wear a mask in public to prevent spread. However, he says he won’t mandate people wear masks because it would be a divisive issue.

Festivals, Fairs To Resume July 1, Justice Provides Minor League Baseball Update

West Virginia continues to reopen sectors of its economy shuttered due to the coronavirus pandemic. At a virtual media briefing Thursday, Gov. Jim Justice announced fairs and festivals would resume on July 1, ahead of the July Fourth holiday weekend.

“There will be very strict guidelines that they must follow,” he said. “The local officials and organizers must make sure we hold these events as safely as we possibly, possibly can.”

Additional guidelines will be released tomorrow on the governor’s website, Justice said.

The governor also announced he was loosening the 25-person limit on public gatherings to 100 people effective at midnight on Thursday.

“Our medical experts have advised me that this is a safe decision and we can go forward with this,” he said. “And we will continue to watch our numbers just like we do every day to make sure that we keep you as safe as we possibly can, while enabling you to try to go on about your life in as close to a normal way as we can.”

That comes ahead of a Black Lives Matter protest planned Saturday at the Capitol. More than 3,000 people have expressed interest in attending according to a Facebook event created for the gathering. Justice urged protestors to peacefully express themselves, but socially distance and wear masks.

Baseball Update

During the press briefing, the governor also provided an update on the status of minor league baseball in West Virginia.

Earlier this year, Major League Baseball and Minor League Baseball proposed reducing by a quarter the number of minor league teams with MLB affiliation, a decision that would affect three West Virginia teams: the Charleston-based West Virginia Power, the Bluefield Blue Jays and the Princeton Rays.

The proposal, which would go into effect after the 2020 season, prompted the West Virginia House of Delegates to unanimously pass a resolution in support of the state’s minor league teams.

In a April 26 press release the West Virginia Power noted no decision had been made and said negotiations were ongoing.

Justice said Thursday that he had been in contact with the MLB and he was “very confident” West Virginia’s imperiled teams would be playing next season.

“The long and short of it is, they’ve assured us that it surely looks like minor league baseball will continue to happen in West Virginia,” he said.

In an email, Jeff Lantz, a spokesperson for Minor League Baseball, said they could not confirm Justice’s comments, “as Major League Baseball has not shared a new list of teams that are proposed for contraction.”

A request for comment from Major League Baseball was not immediately returned.

A spokesperson for the West Virginia Power declined to comment.

Summer Feeding Program

State officials also unveiled an interactive map to help students and seniors locate food banks and other facilities providing food assistance this summer.

More than 600 sites in all 55 counties will provide food to those in need. Those unable to access the website can call 211 and speak with someone from the United Way.

According to Clayton Burch, state superintendent of schools, local school districts across the state have provided 1.4 million meals a week during the pandemic. This summer, he said the Department of Education will operate over 300 sites across the state that will participate in the summer feeding program. Sites will be located in all of the state’s counties.

Justice Announces Timeline To Complete Corrections Testing, RNC Unlikely To Come To W.Va.

This story was updated at 3:55 p.m. on June 3, 2020 to include additional comments by Gov. Jim Justice.

All inmates at West Virginia’s correctional facilities are set to be tested for the coronavirus by June 12, Gov. Jim Justice said at a virtual press conference Wednesday morning.

The system-wide testing comes after an outbreak at the Huttonsville Correctional Center, in Randolph County. As of Monday afternoon, there were 119 prisoners at Huttonsville and eight employees who had tested positive.

Justice said seven of the employees and 21 inmates have since recovered.

“Everything is moving in the direction that we want it to move,” Justice said.

He said testing was underway at additional facilities — three regional jails, two prisons and two juvenile centers — in the state’s two panhandles, with facilities in the Northern Panhandle expected to be fully tested Wednesday.

There are about 9,300 people incarcerated in state-run prisons and jails.

In the wide-ranging briefing, Justice also announced that beginning on June 10, all state and private park campgrounds would be open to out-of-state guests. The state is asking those guests to stay one week or less.

Meanwhile, another round of free COVID-19 testing was announced in Grant, Hampshire and Hardy counties for June 13. The testing will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the following EA Hawse Health Center locations:

Grant County: 64 Hospital Drive #5, Petersburg
Hampshire County: 22338 North Western Turnpike, Romney
Hardy County (three locations): 17978 WV 55, Baker; 8 Lee Street #127, Moorefield; and 106 Harold K. Michael Drive, Mathias

The effort is a part of a state-wide initiative to increase testing for minorities and other vulnerable populations disproportionately affected by the coronavirus.

Scott Adkins, acting commissioner of WorkForce West Virginia also provided an update at the news briefing. He said the agency has received 250,000 unemployment claims over the last 10 weeks — five times the number of claims the agency received in all of 2019 He noted that agency officials are still processing about 5 percent of claims.

National Convention Unlikely

During the press conference, Justice stepped out to take a phone call from President Donald Trump.

Justice said he recently extended an invitation to Trump and the Republican Party to consider moving the Republican National Conventionfrom North Carolina to West Virginia. The event is scheduled to be held in Charlotte, N.C., in August.

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper had expressed concerns about the influx of out-of-town visitors and the ability of a full-scale gathering to adhere to CDC guidelines to protect against the spread of the coronavirus.

During the Wednesday briefing, Justice characterized his decision to extend the invitation to host the RNC in West Virginia as a way to continue to put the state “on the radar” of the president.

“The reality is just this: It is such a long-shot, and it is just something that I will continue to do to market West Virginia, he said, adding “… It’s probably not going to become a reality.”

Later in the briefing, Justice said the call with the president was focused mostly on incidents of unrest across the country in response to the killing of unarmed black people by police. Justice praised West Virginia for holding largely peaceful protests and demonstrations.

He added that he believes his relationship with Trump ultimately benefits West Virignians.

“I wanted him to always know just how welcome he is in West Virginia. And any president, you know,” Justice said. “And we should absolutely welcome all — maybe not Barack Obama — but nevertheless, we’ll welcome any president.”

In a press release sent Wednesday afternoon, Justice said his comments about Obama were “in jest” and related to the Obama administration’s environmental policies.

“Everyone knows that President Obama made it a specific strategy to destroy our coal industry and power plants which, for more than a century, had been the lifeblood of West Virginia’s economy,” Justice stated.

Most industry analysts say low natural gas prices and the continued decline in cost of renewable energy are the main factors driving the decline of coal.