June 25th, 2025 by WCBC Radio
For a change of scenery, the June interim meetings of the West Virginia Legislature were held off site. This time the location was Stonewall Resort State Park in Lewis County. These occasional off-site meetings give legislators the opportunity to see firsthand the issues and economic development projects their colleagues have discussed, and offer a welcome break from the politics of Charleston.
The first meeting convened was that of the Joint Committee on Government and Finance, which serves as the leadership committee for the entire Legislature. A key presentation was given by Nicholas Preservati, Director of the West Virginia Office of Energy. While the office focuses on energy, his presentation centered on broader economic development across the state. As the state transitions the former economic development department into the new Division of Economic Development under the Department of Commerce, current procedures are being reviewed to determine what is working and what should be updated or eliminated. A major new focus will be to prioritize the use of in state natural resources such as coal, natural gas, timber, and electricity by encouraging industries that rely heavily on these abundant assets.
The Joint Committee on Finance also met, where Dr. Peter Shirley of the West Virginia Department of Revenue gave an overview of the state's finances. With a little over a week remaining in the current fiscal year, the state is on track to close with a substantial surplus of approximately 200 million dollars. This surplus is a strong indicator that West Virginia’s economy is in good health.
Another key presentation was a review of West Virginia’s state parks, delivered by Chelsea Ruby, Secretary of the West Virginia Department of Tourism, and Brett McMillion, Director of the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources. Thanks to investments made during Governor Justice’s time in office, the state park system is seeing strong returns. While state parks are not generally expected to be fully self-sufficient, West Virginia’s parks outperform national averages. Nationally, state parks average around 60 percent self-sufficiency, while West Virginia's system is achieving 76.72 percent overall, with Little Beaver State Park at 123 percent and Blackwater Falls State Park at 102 percent. Revenue from state parks has more than doubled in the past decade, from under 20 million dollars to over 40 million dollars annually. The growth in our tourism industry is providing a significant boost to small businesses throughout the state.
The Economic Development Committee took the opportunity to tour North Central Regional Airport in Bridgeport. The airport is undergoing expansion with a focus on developing 83 acres of flat buildable land as part of its new terminal project. While the terminal building itself is now complete and quite modern, work remains on access roads, parking, and aircraft ramps.
North Central Regional is already a major hub for aerospace employment, housing the Mid Atlantic Aerospace Complex. Companies operating there include Aurora Flight Sciences, a Boeing company, Pratt and Whitney, and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. Altogether, more than 1,600 workers are employed in these advanced technology and high wage jobs. The Aircraft Maintenance Technician program at Pierpont Community College continues to provide the trained workforce needed to support and grow these industries.
Locally, we are on the cusp of launching a similar success story at our airport in Wiley Ford, where an AMT program has been approved as a joint venture between Marshall University and WVU Potomac State College. The Legislature allocated 6.5 million dollars in last year's budget to support this initiative. The final step is for Governor Morissey to release the funding so we can move forward. This program will help us attract aerospace industries to our region and create high paying skilled jobs right here in our community.
If you have an idea to make our state better, need help navigating a state agency, or simply want to share your thoughts, please do not hesitate to reach out to me at Gary.Howell@WVHouse.gov or by calling 304 340 3191
