Tag: Govenrment

Justice Halts State Vehicle Purchases

In a memo signed by his deputy chief of staff, Gov. Jim Justice has placed a moratorium on state vehicle purchase, prohibiting them “indefinitely.”

Any exceptions, according to the memo, “will only be granted in the most extraordinary circumstances” and must be approved by the Governor’s Office.

The memo sent from Gov. Jim Justice’s Office Friday.

Since taking office in January, Justice has made reducing the size of the state’s vehicle fleet a top priority. So far, state agencies have handed over the keys to more than 300 vehicles, which will likely be auctioned off. 

In the memo, Deputy Chief of Staff Jason Pizatella wrote he expects that number will increase.

Pizatella also reminded cabinet secretaries and agency heads that the hiring freeze implemented by former-Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin would remain in effect “due to the current budget crisis.”

Hiring will be allowed in areas that are deemed “critical to the public safety and welfare of the state.”

The latest revenue estimates from Justice’s office predicts a $497 million shortfall in the 2018 fiscal year. 

Lawmakers are also attempting to fill a $123 million shortfall in the 2017 fiscal year that ends June 30.

Justice has been highly critical of lawmakers for not sharing a budget plan at the halfway point of the Legislative Session, but Republican leaders say lawmakers have never put out a budget before the end of the session because they are still considering bills that have financial implications for the state.

Senate-Approved Bill Allows for W.Va.-Owned Broadband Network

Members of the West Virginia Senate approved a bill to create a government-owned middle mile network, expanding access to broadband Internet in the state. 

The measure passed 29-5 during Thursday’s Senate floor session.

The bill, sponsored by the chamber’s youngest member, Republican Sen. Chris Walters, allows private Internet providers to present a business plan to connect to the state-owned middle mile network to the West Virginia Water Development Authority. Once a business plan is deemed viable, the authority would be able to bond the construction project.

Walters described that middle mile as a highway system from which providers could build off-ramps into rural communities, but he said the state would not build those miles until providers assure them they want to connect to the network through the business plan.

The bill also directs several state agencies, including the Department of Education and the Department of Health and Human Resources, to apply for federal grants. 

Some members of the Republican majority spoke against the bill, saying they did not believe the state should get into a business that can be handled by the private sector.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch Carmichael shared that sentiment. Carmichael is employed by Frontier, one of the largest Internet providers in West Virginia, and has spoken loudly against the bill. 

After the vote, Walters said he was hopeful members of the House of Delegates would take a favorable look at the bill. He said he will be meeting with committee chairs and offering himself to testify at any House committee meetings. 

Tomblin Commemorates 9/11 on Capitol Grounds

Governor Earl Ray Tomblin, Secretary of State Natalie Tennant and members of the State Police, National Guard, Air National Guard and others rang the ceremonial bell on the state Capitol’s north courtyard Friday after laying a wreath at the memorial for fallen firefighters.

  .@govtomblin lays a wreath at the Fallen Firefighters Memorial on the state Capitol grounds to commemorate 9/11. #NeverForget A video posted by West Virginia Public News (@wvpublicnews) on Sep 11, 2015 at 7:00am PDT

The governor shared his memories of September 11, 2001, after the bell ringing. Tomblin was tying his tie, getting ready for a special session of the West Virginia Legislature as the first plane hit the World Trade Center. At the time, he was serving as Senate President.

“Any American who was alive and old enough to remember that day and the attack on our country is one that they will remember for the rest of their lives,” he said.

Ceremonies of remembrance were held across the state Friday morning to commemorate the anniversary. 

W.Va.'s AG to Argue EPA Standards in Federal Court

Attorney General Patrick Morrisey’s office will present oral arguments before a U.S. Court of Appeals Thursday fighting the Environmental Protection Agency’s proposed carbon emission standards. 

The proposed standards were released for comment last summer by the federal EPA. They would require states across the country to reduce their carbon emissions by 30 percent in 15 years, focusing particularly on emissions from coal-fired power plants.

Thursday Morrisey’s office will present arguments in from of the U.S. District Court of Appeals in D.C., leading the effort for a bi-partisan group of states.

West Virginia’s lawsuit claims the proposed regulations are illegal because emissions from coal-fired plants are already regulated under a federal hazardous air pollutant program. Morrisey said Wednesday the Clean Air Act prohibits double regulation of such emissions.

“So, we’re trying to argue that the court should provide relief to us now and not go through years of court cases needlessly spending money,” he said.

Twelve other states have joined West Virginia in the legal fight against the proposed rules. They include other coal producing states like Kentucky and Wyoming.

Tomblin Signs Comparative Fault Legal Reform Bill

Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin has signed a bill changing legal protections when multiple parties are deemed at fault in a lawsuit.

Thursday, the Democratic governor approved a comparative fault bill passed by the Republican-run Legislature.

Currently, if a party can’t pay its share of damages and another party was deemed more than 30 percent responsible, the second entity may be required to cover all remaining damages.

The new law would scale back how much other entities have to pay for some damages the insolvent party can’t cover. The amount would depend on how much the entity was deemed at fault.

Tomblin also vetoed a medical malpractice reform bill, but referenced only technical errors.

Both measures are part of a legal reform push by the GOP this legislative session.

West Liberty Faculty Vote No Confidence in President Capehart

The West Liberty University faculty senate has voted no confidence in President Robin Capehart, who is facing an ethics complaint.
 
The vote Monday was 13-6, according to media reports.
 
The vote follows a complaint in January by the West Virginia Ethics Commission alleging Capehart used university resources to promote his film company’s movie “Doughboy.”
 The complaint states that Capehart used a state credit card to promote the film and a university television station to advertise the movie, among other claims.
 

Capehart has denied the allegations.
 
The university’s board of governors is expected to discuss the matter at its March 11 meeting.
 

The Ethics Commission has scheduled a public hearing for April 16 in Charleston.

    

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