FAIRMONT, W.Va. — State Senate Minority Leader Roman Prezioso says both sides are right and both sides are wrong in this week’s flushgate controversy at the state capitol.
Speaking Friday on MetroNews “Talkline,” Prezioso (D-Marion) said the Senate has the money to do the eight restrooms in need of repair but now is not the time to do the work.
“We should never endeavor in this—we tried it in 2012 and it was too much and right now is not a good time to do it,” Prezioso said.
Gov. Jim Justice made the situation a political issue when he criticized the Senate in a news release earlier this week. Senate President Mitch Carmichael fired back wondering if Justice had “lost his mind.”
Prezioso said it shouldn’t be a political issue.
“If you’re going to remodel these bathrooms let’s do it to the historical fact to which they were first presented—the timing is absolutely wrong,” Prezioso said.
Senate Clerk Clark Barnes said Thursday the work on the $860,000 project is already underway.
Prezioso said it’s the state’s spending plan that needs work.
“We don’t need to make a political issue out of this, we have more important things to do. This budget is in chaos,” he said. “We’re all at fault, Democrats, Republicans, the governor. We should all take the blame and get down to business and let’s get it done right.”