West Virginia House Speaker Roger Hanshaw stepped to the podium inside the House chamber Tuesday afternoon and set a clear tone for the upcoming session: economic development and jobs.
“We know that the best way to achieve the goals that are important to all of us is through a robust economic development and jobs agenda,” Hanshaw said. “We know that the way we best advance West Virginia is by empowering local people in local communities to make decisions about their own economic future.”
Nail, meet head.
Dubbed the “Jobs First Economic Opportunity Everywhere Agenda,” the plan makes job creation the state’s top priority. It’s anchored by House Bill 1, TEAM-WV*, which would establish a statewide nonprofit – modeled after JobsOhio – to coordinate site development, partnerships, and business growth. Hanshaw emphasized that putting people in good-paying jobs is the foundation for strengthening both West Virginia’s economy and its communities.
The agenda also addresses workforce development, infrastructure, and investment. Proposals include expanded job-training and education initiatives, flexible tax credits to attract major investment, faster approvals for energy infrastructure, and measures designed to lower construction costs and increase housing supply.
Veteran newsman Brad McElhinny filed a full report at the website.
Hanshaw is pragmatic. We need more of that. He knows when to push and when to pull – what to do and what not to do. In a bicameral system that envisions the Senate as the more deliberative body – meant to cool and temper legislation for better results – many would argue the House has filled that role during the 87th Legislature. Hanshaw’s leadership deserves credit for that feat. West Virginia would be worse off had the House capitulated on several issues from vaccines to de-banking (when did it become conservative to tell a private entity how to risk assess its books) and all that falls in between.
By contrast, the Senate last session focused primarily on social issues. Non-social legislation that did pass that chamber was widely viewed as anti-business, leaving pro-business groups playing defense – trying to kill bills seen as harmful to the economy rather than advancing policies designed to improve West Virginia’s business climate. Traditional conservative senators who primarily value a pro-economy, pro-business focus were – and remain this year – outnumbered in the body.
Hanshaw’s early move, alongside his House colleagues, to lay out a clearly defined, pro-economy agenda sends a message to the Senate: not this year, this year we focus on what really matters.
House Finance Chairman Vernon Criss didn’t mince words. “We can fix a lot of problems if people are working. We can fix a lot of social issues if people are working,” he said.
Notice the sequence. Criss puts work first. Purposeful or not, that triage is exactly right.
The Senate would be wise to leave social issues at the door this session. If it doesn’t grow the economy, help children or help a West Virginian get a job or learn a new skill – short of some egregious wrong crying out for justice – leave it alone.
Odds are many of those issues won’t move in the House given Tuesday’s rollout. It’s fair warning: there’s no reason to waste time.
But if certain legislators insist on returning to the same old social agenda, especially in the Senate, they should understand the risk. Voters don’t care. They want jobs and opportunity. Fail to deliver, or outright oppose, and the May ballot box may well express the voters’ frustration.
The second regular session of the 87th legislature convenes January 14. Talkline will again this year originate three days a week from the Capitol for the duration of the session. Dave and I look forward to it.
*Editor’s Note: TEAM stands for Technology, Energy, Aviation & Manufacturing