Last week’s election in West Virginia went as expected – Republicans won comfortably. We will have another Republican governor, our only non-Republican congressional seat will turn red, and the supermajority in the state legislature has grown.
Gov. Jim Justice will be heading to the U.S. Senate in Washington, DC with Babydog in tow, but it sounds like he’ll be leaving his wife Cathy behind. Shortly after he won his election, the governor appointed his wife for a nine-year term to the state education authority.
Members of the West Virginia Board of Education must be residents of the state, but the justices are technically supposed to spend significant time in D.C. as often as the Senate is in session.
When questioned during his administrative meeting on Thursday Instruction Commenting on the appointment, Justice said: “There is no way you can find someone more qualified for this job than Cathy Justice, no matter where they are.”
The governor said Cathy has a secondary education degree from Marshall University and she biography The state’s website briefly mentions that she works as a substitute teacher in Raleigh County.
Sen. Joe Manchin, IW-Va., also appointed his wife, Gayle Manchin, to the state education committee after his election to the Senate, but he has extensive credentials — a bachelor’s degree in education and a master’s degree in reading from years of public teaching Schools in Marion County and Fairmont State University.
Justice was not particularly present during his term as governor. It took a legal battle for him to agree to live at the Governor’s Mansion in Charleston, and even after his defeat he still drove from Lewisburg to the Capitol on days he was actually at the Capitol. He was on the protocol He says several times that “not a single fiber” of his wants to go to DC
During his last briefing, he said he plans to travel back and forth “a lot” and hopes to be in West Virginia “a lot.” He is too said He will continue to coach his high school girls’ basketball team.
“I’m the most impatient guy in the room all the time. I’m respectful,” said Justice, who was overdue to almost every virtual administrative meeting public events.
In the run-up to the election, Judge has said that he would like to be included in the Energy Committee or Finance Committee. He and his family have been struggling financially for a long time. Most recently, her property, The Greenbrier Hotel, was almost auctioned off due to a loan default. The family then refinanced with another bank to postpone the auction of the property.
As Justice would say: For crying out noisy.
One thing about Governor-elect Patrick Morrisey is that he will be more present in Charleston than the judiciary has ever been. This can be bad or good depending on what he is working on.
Things are not looking good for public school teachers. Morrisey, who claimed to be a teacher advocate during the one gubernatorial debate, spoke out against teacher strikes in 2018, saying their strike for better wages and benefits was “unlawful“ and that he was ready to act.
West Virginia is a state with a affluent history of unions fighting for their rights. I think we have to excuse New Jersey native Morrisey for ignoring this story.
During his acceptance speech, Morirsey said he wanted to expand the state’s school choice laws. The Hope Scholarship is already that widest Education savings account (also known as school voucher program) in the country. It provides $4,400 per student for private schools or homeschooling and has few restrictions. Beginning in 2026, the scholarship will be available to all West Virginia students. How can this be any more comprehensive?
Meanwhile, teacher salaries in West Virginia are the worst in the country, and the Public Employees Insurance Agency has suggested so Premium hikes from 14% to 16%.
Morrisey was attorney general last year Lawsuits filed about a transgender kid who just wanted to be on his school’s track team.
Last year, lawmakers failed to pass the law Women’s Bill of RightsThis is an anti-trans bill with a misleading name that did little for women but actively harmed transgender women. This bill will certainly come up again this year and may find more favor with Morrisey.
Morrisey is a massive supporter of President-elect Donald Trump and often boasted about being the first Republican gubernatorial candidate to endorse Trump. It’s likely Morrisey will also be supportive Project 2025a plan written by people who worked in Trump’s first administration. The plan includes, among other things, the elimination of access to abortion, mass deportations, the abuse of unauthorized surveillance and the rollback of transgender rights.
Project 2025 has a section titled “The family agendawhich states that “married men and women are the ideal, natural family structure because all children have a right to be raised by the men and women who fathered them,” and that the Department of Health and Human Services “a Biblically based structure should be maintained.” , social science based definition of marriage and family.”
Sorry, single moms. Sorry, LGBTQ parents. Sorry, people who aren’t Christians. At least you have inexpensive gas and groceries. Just kidding. Trump’s tariff proposals will cost you dearly over $2,600 per year.
