CHARLESTON – West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey announced his office will send $1 million back to the state’s general fund and Governor’s Office in hopes it will reduce the backlog of drug tests at the West Virginia State Police crime lab.
The $1 million marks the sixth time the Attorney General’s Office has voluntarily returned significant money to the state’s general fund – a cumulative total of $34.5 million.
The attorney general believes the $1 million demonstrates his administration’s efforts to help West Virginia battle against drug abuse.
“We must eliminate the backlog of drug tests awaiting analysis at the state crime lab,” Morrisey said. “Expediting these test results will expedite justice and help prosecutors put drug traffickers in prison.”
The $1 million announcement marks the second time this year the attorney general will transfer money to fight drug abuse.
In April, he sent $10 million in hopes it would be used to spur drug abuse treatment and reduce the backlog.
Morrisey recognizes that his office is not the arbiter of how these funds are spent, but he remains hopeful the additional $1 million will be used to dramatically reduce the backlog.
The money will be transferred from the office’s Consumer Protection Fund.
In doing so, Morrisey recognizes from a consumer protection perspective, “there is no greater priority than fighting substance abuse.”
Morrisey returned $10 million in April, $5 million in March, $2 million in 2015, $9 million in 2014 and $7.5 million in 2013.
