Raney, the president of the West Virginia Coal Association, said it’s a new day for the coal industry after Donald Trump’s presidential victory and Patrick Morrisey’s successful re-election bid as West Virginia’s attorney general.
“I think it’s enormously important,” Raney said of Trump’s victory. “It’ll be a differeant and positive attitude toward the coal industry from the White House, and we certainly haven’t had that for the last eight years.
“It changes a lot of things. It changes people’s perspectives of the industry.”
Raney noted Hillary Clinton’s vow to shut down coal mines and put coal companies out of business. He said Trump promised the opposite.
“He made his pledge to West Virginia and to coal miners to them back to work,” Raney said. “So, yeah, everybody is feeling real good today. We are looking forward to him getting in office and helping us do what Americans and West Virginians do best, and that’s making our own coal and our own steel. We want to help get the economy straightened out.
“This war on coal that has been perpetrated by the White House … we hope to get fair treatment and get people back to work. This incoming administration will recognize the significance of the coal industry to our state and our nation.”
Raney also said it was vital to his industry that Morrisey won a second term.
“It’s extremely important because General Morrisey has been as aggressive as anyone in the country fighting for the coal industry and coal workers,” he said. “And, he has the most professional staff, I suspect, across the country. If you look at the qualifications of those people, it’s quite impressive.
“They’ve successfully fought for coal and for West Virginia all the way to the United States Supreme Court. We need people like that in our attorney general’s office.”
Raney also said he is optimistic that Jim Justice will help the coal industry as governor. The Coal Association had endorsed Republican Bill Cole.
“Jim’s a coal man,” Raney said. “He knows the significance of what coal means to the state and the nation. We pledge to help him in any way we can.
“Jim knows that a healthy coal industry will help West Virginia. It will mean more revenue for the state. And, I feel as if Jim has that on his agenda to make sure the coal industry thrives.”