CHARLESTON, W.Va. — There’s a little bit of conflicting circumstances currently taking place in the Mountain State surrounding the Juneteenth holiday.

This comes after Governor Patrick Morrisey announced that he would not be giving state workers the day off this Thursday, June 19 for the federal holiday.

However, many counties and municipalities across the state have made the motion to close courthouses and judicial buildings that day to continue observance of Juneteenth– the day that celebrates a major milestone toward the eradication of slavery in the United States on June 19, 1865– despite the governor’s decision.

J.B. McCuskey

Former Governor Jim Justice signed a proclamation last year declaring Juneteenth a state holiday and gave state workers the day off, however, Morrisey has chose not to continue that policy.

Attorney General J.B. McCuskey said on 580 Live Tuesday that a lot of counties have asked him what the nexus is between when a federal holiday is not on the same day as a state holiday, and his answer is that state code says that courtrooms in the state follow federal code.

“So, if there is a federal holiday, it is our opinion that the courtrooms themselves be closed and we are working closely with the Supreme Court as they issue guidance on what that means and how it should be carried out in courtrooms across the state,” McCuskey said.

Kanawha County is among those making the decision to close their buildings in observance of Juneteenth.

The Kanawha County Commission stated the following in a release Tuesday:

“In accordance with guidance issued by the West Virginia Attorney General and pursuant to West Virginia Code §2-2-1 and §7-3-2, which requires county commissions to manage courthouse operations and observe federal holidays, the Kanawha County Commission has announced the closure of the Kanawha County Judicial Annex and Courthouse on Thursday, June 19, 2025, in observation of the federal Juneteenth holiday.”

Kanawha County Commission President Ben Salango gave a follow up on that announcement on 580 Live. He said this has essentially caused an administrative nightmare for county commissioners all over the state.

Ben Salango

However, Salango said this isn’t to be critical of Governor Morrisey as he has the right and authority to pick state holidays that aren’t included in state code, but he said the problem is, county commissions have to recognize federal holidays.

“In this instance, we initially closed just the county commission building, which would be the county clerk’s office, the county commission office, fiduciary, those things,” Salango said. “Yesterday, Attorney General J.B. McCuskey correctly pointed out that county commissions all over the state have a duty under West Virginia code to recognize federal holidays.”

Salango said that the county commissions control the judicial buildings as well, such as the judicial annexes, in addition to the courthouses where the commission usually sits. He said this has obviously created some conflict.

“The reason that’s an administrative nightmare is because you’ve got state workers who do not have the day off, but have nowhere to go, like they can’t go to the judicial annex, and the county workers do have the day off, we do that at the beginning because we’re acknowledging the federal holidays,” he said.

Salango said he believes the West Virginia Supreme Court will have to weigh in on this matter as well, because, most of the employees who work in the judicial annex are employees of the WV Supreme Court.

He said they’re hoping to have some guidance from the governor as to what those supreme court employees are to do before Thursday.

Salango said regardless, county employees are required to get the day off that day.

“The county commission does not have the luxury, if you will, or the authority to pick and choose which holidays to recognize, we are required by code to recognize all federal holidays, including Juneteenth, which I think has been a federal holiday now for four years,” Salango said.

Salango added that he’s glad county employees get a four-day weekend.

“I’m glad that the county commission employees and the county employees will be able to take the day off and also then followed by West Virginia Day.”

West Virginia Day is this Friday, the day after Juneteenth.

The City of Charleston also made the announcement that their offices will be closed Thursday in observance of Juneteenth.