FILE – West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice delivers his annual State of the State address in the House Chambers at the West Virginia Capitol in Charleston, W.Va., Jan. 11, 2023. Justice is set to make an announcement Thursday, April 27, ending speculation about whether he will seek the U.S. Senate seat currently held by Democrat Joe Manchin. (AP Photo/Chris Jackson, File)
During his weekly administration update on Wednesday, West Virginia Governor Jim Justice emphasized the need for a recurring resiliency fund to assist West Virginians affected by natural disasters, a topic he also discussed in his 2024 State of the State address.
Gov. Justice said he will encourage the Legislature to take up this issue and will place it on the call for an upcoming special session to allocate $50 million to the West Virginia Flood Resiliency Trust Fund.
The Governor believes more could have been done this session to help West Virginians during emergencies, as they’ve done in the past, and wants to make sure people have all the help they need.
Justice said in 2016 funds were earmarked for the Governor’s Office to use during the floods. That fund was sporadically used during parts of the pandemic to aid the National Guard and other State agencies, as well. The remaining funds are being held for the outstanding balances of Kanawha and Nicholas counties’ school reconstruction. Nothing has recently been appropriated in any fund for emergencies.
Concerning the Civil Contingent Fund, the Governor maintains that these funds are to be utilized for purposes outlined by the Legislature during the appropriation process, such as economic development, water and infrastructure projects, higher education capital improvements, and, most recently, to maintain our jails and prisons.
“We can find no instance when any Governor’s Office has directly distributed payments to members of the public for natural disasters, which is why he continues to emphasize the need to fund the resiliency account, which provides the explicit authorization to do so,” the Governor’s Office said.
The Governor’s Office said regarding their immediate response to the crisis, the office said multiple State agencies are actively engaged and have maintained ongoing communication with the impacted communities to meet their needs and ensure the well-being of our residents.
“If lawmakers genuinely support the Governor utilizing the other contingency monies, he is fully prepared to employ them as a down payment. Additionally, he is willing to meet with them to negotiate fully funding the resiliency account. The Governor will engage with leadership in the upcoming weeks and establish a clear plan of action, a move that will undoubtedly benefit the people of West Virginia,” the Governor’s Office said.
