| West Virginia politics are heating up.
House Speaker Bob Kiss was endorsed to
run against state Supreme Court Justice Warren McGraw yesterday from members
of the West Virginia Chamber of Commerce at the group's 67th business summit at
The Greenbrier resort.
McGraw, according to a national news story, is being targeted for defeat.
Kiss expressed concern that the court is holding up the $226 million in grants issued by the
Economic Development Grant Committee that would fund projects across the state,
including a new baseball park in Charleston and other projects labeled to bring jobs
to the state.
Chief Justice McGraw told members this week he had been unfairly labeled as
anti-business. The first-term Democrat who is up for re-election next year said he is
the Chamber's "No. 1 target." Money is
expected to be placed in the state to defeat him.
Kiss, D-Raleigh, a strong advocate of the coal and gambling industries, said the
court plays too large a role in state politics and hurts the Legislature's ability to
react "quickly to social and economic challenges."
Kiss blamed the court for much of the Worker's Compensation problem, ruling
overwhelmingly in favor of workers' compensation claimants.
Kiss is expected to announce a run against McGraw.
A West Virginia Poll showed this week that citizens have minimal confidence in the
state's legislature to solve problems.
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