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After GOP takes stance against road bond, other state leaders meet to organize support

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — One day after news broke that the state Republican Party Executive Committee voted to officially oppose a $3 billion road bond package that’s strongly backed by newly-GOP Gov. Jim Justice, West Virginia movers and shakers gathered in the governor’s office to get the project on track.

Among those in attendance was, awkwardly, the Republican Party chairman.

The governor had previously told several of the participants he wanted to have such a gathering, but some of those who attended said the GOP executive committee vote last weekend was a prominent point of discussion.

Mitch Carmichael

“It would be left to the internal workings of the Republican party to determine if they want to revisit that subject,” said Senate President Mitch Carmichael, R-Jackson, who was one of those who attended today’s meeting.

Carmichael said he and Justice agree that the bond is meant to promote safe roads and should result in greater economic development. Carmichael said the Legislature has already voted to approve the increased gas tax and DMV fees to be the funding mechanism for paying down the bond.

“I respect their opinions but I completely disagree with it. There’s no reason to vote against this road bond amendment and every reason to vote for it,” Carmichael said.

“I said it, I said it on Hoppy today,” referring to his appearance on MetroNews “Talkline. “I said it different times. I said it in the meeting.”

Conrad Lucas

Among those in the meeting was state Republican Party Chairman Conrad Lucas. He did not immediately return a phone call for this story although he was a guest on “Talkline” to talk about the Republicans’ road bond position prior to the meeting with the governor.

Others active in state Republican politics said Lucas went to the meeting under the impression that this was his initial, one-on-one meeting with Justice, who switched his party affiliation from Democrat to Republican on August 3. Lucas believed he would be able to finally do a face-to-face introduction and welcome Justice to the party.

Instead, Lucas walked in to a room filled with people in support of the road bond.

“There was a pretty frank discussion with Conrad and others in the room. Surprise was expressed by some,” said Chris Hamilton, chairman of the West Virginia Business and Industry Council.

Chris Hamilton

The meeting began about 11:30 a.m. Wednesday in the governor’s offices at the Capitol. Some said the meeting went on for several hours.

Those in attendance included the governor, Carmichael, Hamilton, Lucas, new chief of staff Mike Hall, former media executive Bray Cary, Mike Clowser of the Contractors Association of West Virginia, Bill Raney of the West Virginia Coal Association and more.

“There was a general concurrence or agreement with predominant business groups that will join with the teachers federation and other interested groups going forward to help work with the governor to pass the roads bond measure that’s before the people in October,” Hamilton said.

The group also discussed the role of a political action committee in promoting a road bond.

Hamilton said the group discussed the possibility of resurrecting a previous PAC for expediency’s sake but wound up deciding to start a new one to avoid confusion with previous issues. He said, though, that no further decisions were made about its organizational structure or leadership.

“There is a core group probably 10 or 15 strong,” Hamilton said.

That’s in contrast to the Republican Party Executive Committee, which overwhelmingly voted Saturday to oppose the bond package. All but one of about 100 party leaders voted to reject the bond.

In a special election set for Saturday, Oct. 7, West Virginians will decide whether the state should sell bonds to finance the large-scale road projects. Those bonds would be paid off with fees and tax increases approved earlier this year by the Legislature and signed by Gov. Jim Justice.

The GOP committee issued a resolution criticizing the bond for potentially subjecting the state to 25 years’ worth of interest payments.

The Justice administration put out a statement Tuesday night saying the road bond shouldn’t be a partisan issue and disputing the position that it would necessitate a tax increase.

“This is a not a Democrat, Republican or Independent issue. It’s about jobs, safety, your roads and bridges, and hope for our state. The overwhelming majority of our elected leaders, along with myself, are in favor of the Road Bond Referendum and providing our citizens with safe roads and bridges,” Justice stated.

In bold print, the statement continued: “ATTENTION: All West Virginians—The Road Bond Referendum is not going to raise your taxes at all­—ZERO. What we are really voting for on Oct. 7 is whether or not we want to create tens of thousands of good paying jobs and launch our state into an economic recovery, and put us on a pathway to prosperity, that will be remembered forevermore.

“The funding mechanisms to support this bonding have already been put in place by the Legislature.”

Carmichael, in a Wednesday evening telephone interview, said he agrees with the governor’s assessment.

“He feels like me in this regard,” Carmichael said. “We don’t know why anybody would vote against the road bond. It provides a safe, modern efficient transportation system that assures our citizens have safe highways to drive on and allows our economy to grow.

“We’ve already paid for the revenue source to support the bond. It’s almost like going to Dairy Queen and saying ‘I want to buy an ice cream cone; here’s the money for it but I don’t really want the ice cream cone.”

Carmichael said he believes many of his fellow Republicans will come around once they learn more about the funding mechanism already in place for the bond issue.

“I feel like the state Republican meeting took a wrong turn. I respect their opinion. I certainly for one intend to ratchet down the vitriolic barbs sent back and forth between people of differing public policy decisions,” he said.

“I respect their opinions but I completely disagree with it. There’s no reason to vote against this road bond amendment and every reason to vote for it.”





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