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Governor backs media right to attend meetings

 MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin said Tuesday, July 28, that the state Division of Highways (DOH) should not exclude The Dominion Post — or any media — from public meetings.
Also on Tuesday, state Department of Transportation Secretary Paul A. Mattox Jr. apologized for comments made by District 4 engineer Ray Urse to “not invite The Dominion Post” to a meeting. Maddox said he was going to have a discussion with the engineer to ensure it doesn’t happen again. He added that he believes in transparency.

In a statement from his office, Tomblin said while he understands the frustration the division experiences over editorials critical of the DOH, it is inappropriate to discourage media coverage of meetings.

“Our goal is not to keep any media outlet — including The Dominion Post — from covering any meeting,” said Chris Stadelman, Tomblin’s director of communications.

On Sunday, July 26, the newspaper reported that Urse told the organizers of a meeting in Preston County that he would “strongly suggest you not invite The Dominion Post…

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