MORGANTOWN – Gov. Jim Justice delivered his postponed State of the State Address Thursday evening in a packed House of Delegates chamber.
He sprinkled some new proposals among his accounts of the state’s accomplishments under his watch, and concluded with a new perspective on Babydog aimed at all the doubters and naysayers.
Before Justice appeared, everyone present stood for the reading of a resolution honoring the late Bob Kiss, who served as speaker of the House for 10 years and came out of retirement to serve as Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin’s Revenue secretary.
Kiss died in November. His widow, Melinda, was joined at the well of chamber by several delegates from Kiss’ district and by several former speakers – Robert Chambers, Rick Thompson, Tim Miley and Tim Armstead.
Justice opened with the comment, “It is an incredible, incredible time to be a West Virginian.” He joked about being frequently late for meetings and press conferences and joked, “I’ve never really been 15 days” late. He remarked on his bout with COVID and the forced the postponement.
He reflected on the state’s growth. “I promised you a rocket ship ride did I not? … There can’t be a human being in this room that doesn’t believe it isn’t real now.”
Justice praised the EMS workers who’ve been physically and emotionally taxed through the pandemic and mentioned the emergency management crisis line created for them with $10 million of CARES Act money. “These people have given so much.”
He mentioned the recent announcements of the Nucor steel mill, the GreenPower electric bus factory and the Owens & Minor medical supply facility all coming to West Virginia. He equated the search for new industry to fishing, and with Nucor’s interest, “Along came Moby Dick.”
Justice expressed his desire for the state’s food banks to be fully funded and for state Homeland Security and law enforcement to do what they can to fight the fentanyl crisis.
He praised the Jobs and Hope drug rehabilitation and job training program, saying 1,500 people have already completed it and 1,600 are now in the program. He introduced program graduate Katie Everly, who fought addiction for 25 years and now works for the Department of Transportation as a heavy equipment operator.
Justice praised the state’s solid financial footing and repeated his earlier statements that the 2023 fiscal year will be the fourth with a flat budget proposal from his office – apart from some pay increases paid out of surplus dollars. He also repeated his plan for a 5% pay hike for all state employees.
Justice had his staff bring out a 10-foot-long paper flow chart that illustrated how a contract flows thought the Purchasing Department. He pledged to streamline the departments of Transportation, Arts, Corrections, and Health and Human Resources. He said Toyota Production Support Systems has promised to help streamline that complicated contracting process.
Justice said he aims to bring all the state laboratories – for agriculture, law enforcement and public health – under one roof in a new building. He will use American Rescue Plan funds for a building “state of the art beyond belief. … Please, lets absolutely move forward and get this done.”
Justice expressed his support for a locality pay proposal to beef up the ranks of State Police, which would need nearly another 800 troopers for round the clock coverage across the state. And he wants to find the money for a new Beckley veterans nursing home.
He praised the success of the Ascend WV program – which drew 10,000 applicants and 2.5 million website hits – and proposed a tax credit for builders to build houses for new immigrants to the state.
Justice proposed three pieces of education legislation. One would stiffen penalties for school staff who abuse students, “so tough they will know I am sitting on their chest.” The second would cover the full cost of college classes for high school students and the third would mandate computer programming and coding classes for high school and middle school.
Justice wants progress on the roads, he said: complete the Nitro-St. Albans Bridge, Corridor H, the Coalfields Expressway, and get the roads paved in Wheeling. He wants continued progress on broadband deployment.
Justice concluded by bringing out Babydog, the furry face of his vaccine campaign and all-around mascot. He talked about the naysayers and doubters who haven’t believed West Virginia could progress.
Then he lifted Babydog up and presented her backside to the audience. “Babydog tells Bette Midler and all those out there, kiss her hiney.”
That ended the evening with laughter and applause.
Tweet David Beard @dbeardtdp Email dbeard@dominionpost.com
