West Virginia’s Journey of Progress:
Reflecting on the Past, Embracing the
Future
by Senate President/Lieutenant Governor Craig P Blair
As I spent time reflecting during the holidays, I thought a great deal
about how we never know what roads life will lead us down. When I was just a
small business owner spending my days driving throughout the Eastern
Panhandle, I didn’t realize then that the voices of Hoppy Kercheval, Don
Marsh, and Stephen Reed would inspire me. They’d light a fire in me that
would lead me to take a different and most rewarding path in my life that
would lead me from Berkeley County to our state Capitol and the House of
Delegates and finish with four years as the President of the West Virginia
Senate.
Their early influence shaped my approach to governance. When DonMarsh passed away I realized the importance of hearing diverse perspectives. As a Delegate, then Senator, then later Senate President and
Lieutenant Governor, I took in as many perspectives as possible which gave
me a data-driven edge that focused on real, measurable outcomes and long
term success. In my time as a member of the West Virginia Legislature, we
achieved significant milestones that at the time never seemed possible:
reforming the broken and failing workers’ compensation system, stabilizing
our state-funded pensions, and eliminating the sales tax on food.
However, the true accelerator of our success was my creation of the
“flat-line budget.” That concept required a steadfast commitment to fiscal
discipline that would enable us to fund our core services, encourage
efficiencies when exposed, and allow for targeted, strategic economic
development investments.
Though there may have been some doubters, the proof is in the results.
We’ve eliminated our workers’ compensation debt of $4.2 billion. We’ve
created one of the healthiest pension systems in the nation. We’ve built up a
$1.3 billion Rainy Day fund. And, we’ve done all of this without sacrificing
investment in the future.
In just the past decade alone, we’ve invested more than $6 billion to
road construction and $2 billion toward making sure every area of our state
has reliable, high-speed broadband internet – an absolute game changer in
terms of unlocking economic growth and prosperity.
But that’s not all! We’ve also provided more than $1 billion in tax relief to
West Virginians, including a 27.25% cut in personal income tax and the
elimination of personal income tax on Social Security for seniors by the end of
this year as well as a 100% refundable tax credit on automobiles. We’ve made
education and education choice a priority with charter schools,
microschools, and the Hope Scholarship. We’ve also supported higher
education through the Promise Scholarship, and provided pay raises for
teachers and state employees while keeping PEIA premiums stable.
We’ve not just focused on the numbers. We’ve also worked hard to
strengthen West Virginia’s strong conservative values. On social issues, we’ve
managed to strike a necessary balance – banning abortion with exceptions for
the life of the mother, rape, and incest, protecting girls’ sports and protecting
religious freedoms.
As we move forward and continue with all we have done to move West
Virginia into the 21st century, we know there will be challenges. The Hope
Scholarship, which has opened the door to education choice for thousands of
West Virginia families, will continue to grow and require more funding. We
absolutely must stabilize PEIA for our hardworking public employees. And,
last, but in no way least, it’s time to eliminate the personal property tax on
equipment and machinery for all businesses. The elimination of that tax is a
key to unlock our economic potential like we’ve never known.
I’ve always said our future depends on moving at the speed of business,
not speed of government. By continuing to make quick, bold decisions and
fostering a business-friendly environment, we can ensure West Virginia
remains a place where people want to live, work, and raise a family.
It has been the honor of my life to serve the people of West Virginia. I
look back on my 20 years in the Legislature, especially my last four as Senate
President, and I’m just so proud of this state and the progress that we’ve
made together. Our future is so bright, and I cannot wait to be a part of it.
This isn’t goodbye for me, my role will be different as a senior advisor for
the LNE Group but my mission will be the same: Make West Virginia the
absolute best place for businesses to succeed and our families will as wel
