If he hears nonsense, Shawn Fluharty calls it out.
It takes place when he is serving as a lawmaker and when he is serving as a client’s lawyer. Fluharty is good at it, too. Call it a talent, one developed as a child growing up in a trailer park in Marshall County.
Fluharty represents, and he does it very well, but it wasn’t without trials and tribulations. He campaigned twice for one of two seats representing the Third District in the state House of Delegates, but he lost. Undeterred as many have been, Fluharty ran again, and yes, the third time proved the charm. Since, the young man has not been afraid to push for fairness for all West Virginians, especially those of us who reside in the Northern Panhandle.
His penchant for calling out nonsense, though, has just been fun for his constituents, and it hasn’t mattered if it involved partisan politics, the cannabis industry and its potential in West Virginia, or Republican attempts to kill the greyhound industry.
He disputes dishonesty because, in his mind, he has to and because he is best when it comes to fighting for what he believes to be the best for his clients and his constituents.
How have you handled your job, owning a home, and social distancing?
I am a bit of an extrovert, so I think the extended social distancing has probably been the biggest hurdle. I think it has been an adjustment for everyone, but technology has certainly helped during this time. For instance, my grandmother turned 92 years old, and we were unable to spend family time together to celebrate her birthday. However, we were able to make sure she still had a cake delivered.
What has been your go-to, stay-at-home dinner during the pandemic, and what is the recipe?
I’ve been utilizing my slow cooker. Basically throw in chicken or pork, add onions, peppers and mushrooms. The hardest decision is usually what type of hot sauce to use.
In your opinion, how has W.Va. Gov. Jim Justice handled this COVID-19 crisis?
I think he got off to a rocky start. During the legislative session it wasn’t even on his radar, and it should have been at that time. We tried to set aside more money during the budget process for the incoming pandemic knowing that a shutdown was potentially going to happen. If we had been prepared from that point, I believe we would be in a better position to handle the unemployment claims and would have been better able to provide guidance for small businesses going forward instead of blindly pushing executive orders.
However, I will say that following his Saturday night debacle, where he had the entire state confused as to what direction we were going in, he took a backseat and let experts play a larger role, and that has helped him. For instance, bringing Dr. Marsh in from WVU was a key addition. As we prepare to open things back up, I believe it will only come back based on the confidence people have going forward. That means confidence that we can safely interact with each other and that proper precautions have been taken. If we had widespread testing and widespread antibody testing available, I think people would have the confidence necessary to return to a semblance of normalcy. I think there needs to be an urgency at the national and state level in that regard.
What state issues could have been handled in better fashion?
The handling of unemployment claims has been a disaster. With every press conference Jim Justice would give assurances that it was all under control. It was obvious that when you shutdown a state you’re going to get a major influx of claims related to the pandemic. Instead of making that a focal point and preparing accordingly, weeks went by without it being addressed.
The people at Workforce are doing their absolute best and working tirelessly, but the governor’s office did not adequately prepare for the enormity of the situation. I have received countless messages and e-mails about this issue as have my colleagues. People are struggling, and they have been incredibly patient. The governor’s office is getting a better grip on the situation now, however, it was something that we knew was on the horizon and would require more proactive action.
In what ways do you believe West Virginians will suffer the most when it comes to covering the multi-million dollar shortfall and balancing the state budget?
It remains to be seen if we will have a multi-million dollar shortfall. If we can use the federal money which Jim Justice seems to believe will happen, then we can fill the budget gap. However, if that’s not the case, we will be hundreds of millions of dollars in the red. That will require a special session to address that issue. Ohio is facing a similar problem. They made major cuts to K-12 and higher education just last week.
Once the dust settles, there might be some very tough decisions our state will have to make about our budget. One thing is certain; passing revenue-generating legislation must be a focal point going forward.
