Thread by @BradMcElhinny

@WVGovernor About ready to start. Governor says to wait just a minute. "Hope y'all are doing good."

Justice: "What we're here about today is one thing" -- and that's Michael Bloomberg and his $500 million to lobby against coal-fired power plants plus natural gas.

Justice: "As journalists, it's really time that we get out of the drama and focus on something that could be catastrophic to the state of West Virginia."

Meaning the Bloomberg thing.

Justice: "We cannot afford this level of attack on us."

Justice: "This is the story because this single-handedly destroys West Virginia."

Justice: "We have to let our voices be heard," says Justice, who is flanked by five representatives of the coal and gas industries.

Up first is Chris Hamilton, who says he is speaking from the perspective of the Business and Industry Council. "We are proud to stand with you, shoulder to shoulder.'

Hamilton: "I think it's un-American that someone would use their wealth to try to destroy a major piece of our industrial base and try to put people out of work."

Hamilton: "In some ways, maybe it's good that he's picked on everybody here," describing unity between coal and gas.

Now speaking is Charlie Burd of the Independent Oil and Gas Association: "It's unfathomable that we would take our industries we rely on here, our extractive energies, and shut them down."

Anne Blankenship of the West Virginia Oil and Natural Gas Association: "We stand together with coal on this."

Blankenship: "We stand with the governor and we appreciate the opportunity to speak out against it today." (The Bloomberg thing.)

Bill Raney of the WV Coal Association: "This ol' boy comes along, and it's limousine liberal. He turns loose and doesn't care a thing about West Virginia."

Justice, naming each lobbyist here: "I can't fathom if we just think of the number of people they represent and families they represent in West Virginia."

Justice: "Here you've got a New York superliberal who lives in an absolute bubble who is going to donate $500 million -- and it could cripple us."

Justice: "$500 million in the right spots, before you know it, we could just be a memory."

Justice: "Sure I'm afraid. Go to a coal mining company and ask that question Kennie."

Chris Hamilton: "I don't think Bloomberg can succeed, but I'm worried about our miners."

Justice: "We're for good sense. We're for defending West Virginia. And we're for good logic and good sense."

Mark Curtis of WOWK asks about Republican infighting.

Justice: "Division within our own party is not good. I think of Craig Blair and Mitch as halfway friends. The problem I have is, I think they've dug themselves a hole and I'm not going to help them dig." He's talking about the education issues.

Justice describes weeks before 2018 election advocating more money toward raises and PEIA. "They came back and they said 'We're in.' And we stood shoulder to shoulder. And then what happened?"

Justice: "Craig Blair is a bully. A bully. That's all there is to it."

So, Justice says, the omnibus education bill was rolled out without Justice being consulted.

Justice: "I am not a union guy, but I believe I should be talking to the unions and we all should be working together."

Justice on halting extracurriculars in instances of work stoppages: "What if there is a national chess tournament? What if it's the state basketball tournament?"

Justice on Carmichael: "All I did was not invite somebody to my fundraiser."

Justice: "You need me to lead. And if Republicans are going off a cliff and I know it, then you need me to lead."

Justice: "You elected me to lead you somewhere, and I have."

Justice on businesses: "You need to quit worrying about my stuff, and the drama."

Justice on Blair's call for resignation: "Ridiculous. Craig's trying to be a bully. I'll tell you. Craig's a good man. Mitch is a good man. They're digging themselves a hole and I'm not going to help them."

Justice: "Sure, there's real reform that needs to take place, and absolutely we all want to be better and better and better."

Justice: "Betsy DeVos told me the other day. And she got way out over her skis. But here's the deal. She told me West Virginia we're 38th in the nation. Now let's just be fair. State of WV, I don't think we've received our fair share of federal dollars."

Justice: "We remained dead last in everything coming or going. We were almost conditioned to think that we were not deserving or backward or whatever it may be. And now today we have the state's No. 1 in drugs in the nation." Meaning worst drug problem.

Justice: "38th considering those obstacles you'd have to say there's a bunch of good stuff going on in the schools."

Justice in response to a Kabler question about climate change: "Phil, I love ya. And I want you to know I do."

Justice: "I'm not about to go blow West Virginia's legs off because of some theory."

Justice on finances: "Our businesses are doing better than they have in years." "Our businesses are doing great."

Justice: "I want to be able to present to you not only the taxes that I pay, but the taxes that I pay for somebody else. I want to present to you the work I've done for other people."

Justice: "I've gone through a heck of a two weeks, I'll give you that."

Justice: "Don't worry about my stuff. Don't worry about my businesses. Don't worry about a thing in the world except for this state. Things are going to be fine in my business world."

Justice: "I'm going to lead. I'm going to lead all the time."

Justice on Senate leaders: "They released our revenue numbers. When has that ever been done before? It's just petty."