NEW ATTORNEY GENERAL Attorney General-Elect Patrick Morrisey Lays Out 17-Point Plan
Reported by: Deborah Linz
Videographer: John Tincher
Web Producer: Deborah Linz
Reported: Nov. 8, 2012 6:36 PM EST
Updated: Nov. 9, 2012 5:59 PM EST
EYEWITNESS ONLINE WEBCAST VIDEO C L I C K T O P L A Y
Charleston
, Kanawha County
, West Virginia
West Virginia's newest attorney general is speaking out. Patrick Morrisey defeated 20-year incumbent Darrell McGraw to become the first Republican attorney general in 80 years.
"The election is over; it's time to govern," Morrisey said.
Patrick Morrisey,44, has a detailed 17-point plan for his first 100 days in office. First up, he wants to address ethics. He also said he plans to send future lawsuit settlement money back to the state Legislature and taxpayers and work with lawmakers on a new policy for distributing these funds.
"So what's happened in recent years never happens again," he said.
McGraw has been criticized for spending millions of dollars in settlement funds without legislative approval. Morrisey also vows to eliminate self promoting trinkets.
"I'm going to ban the use of trinkets with my name on them," Morrisey said.
Morrisey also plans to establish an Office of Federalism and Freedom, which will focus on protecting West Virginians from far reaching federal policies that may hurt the state and its residents.
That includes taking on the EPA and what he calls its job-killing regulations, something he said McGraw failed to do. Morrisey maintains he will be vigorous on consumer protection and said he doesn't plan to fire all the workers in that office, but said he will research performance reviews.
"You don't throw the baby out with the bath water. If people are doing good work, you keep them in place," Morrisey said.
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Deborah Linz
