WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W.Va. — Patrick Morrisey and Steve Williams, the Republican and Democrat seeking to be West Virginia’s next governor, laid out their plans Wednesday to address some of the state’s most pressing problems: population decline, economic development and the drug crisis.
The candidates, who did not debate publicly, spoke back-to-back at the West Virginia Chamber of Commerce’s annual meeting and business summit at the Greenbrier Resort in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia.
Morrisey, the state’s attorney general, said he would take a data-driven approach to improving the state and vowed to compare West Virginia’s economic policies, regulations and taxes with those of neighboring states to see where changes could be made.
“If we want West Virginia to rise, we must first begin to compete better regionally with the states that border us,” said Morrisey, who hotly contested Republican primary to secure the nomination. “I plan to challenge many of the core assumptions that have long been held so that West Virginia can grow and its growth can be measured and so that our children can be proud to stay home.”
Morrisey also reminded the audience, which included business leaders and state elected officials, that the Attorney General’s Office has fought against what he called “federal overreach” in attempts to Reducing carbon emissions And Regulating wetlands under the Clean Water Act.
Huntington Mayor Steve Williams, who previously worked in finance, focused on his years of work to improve the city’s economy and quality of life, saying Huntington has “transformed” from the epicenter of the opioid epidemic to the epicenter of solving the problem.
“We’ve brought down crime rates, especially violent crime,” said Williams, who is serving his third term as mayor. “It’s been the only major metropolitan market in West Virginia where employment has increased above pre-COVID levels.”
“In fact, we have cut taxes, including eliminating the business tax on manufacturing and retail, and we have also halved the business tax on service companies. All of this has been done to encourage companies to choose locations in our downtown … and in our industrial areas.”
Morrisey also acknowledged the ongoing Drug abuse crisis. AAn estimated 208,000 people in West Virginia used illegal drugs in the last month, according to a survey by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. communicated to lawmakers earlier this week.
He referred to the state’s record amount of $1 billion Money from opioid settlements to aid communities and individuals across the state.
“West Virginia is the state with the most settlements per capita in the nation,” Morrisey said, adding that fentanyl exploit has become a up-to-date challenge for the state. “But none of that means anything if we don’t build on the successes of the past and look to the future… for the first time in our state’s history, we now have a plan of attack against the terrible drug scourge and we have the resources to deal with it.”
None of the candidates presented plans to improve the state’s public education system, which faces a Teacher shortage, Financing crises And widespread discipline problems among students as it helps thousands of foster and homeless children.
Morrisey focused on expanding school choice, saying more students should be enrolled in the state’s controversial and comprehensive education savings program – the Hope Scholarship — would aid improve educational outcomes, lag behind the rest of the country.
“I want to be your Secretary of Education, and not just to carry the title,” he said. “As your next governor, I want to make sure that school choice in our state is known as the best and most comprehensive school choice policy in America.”
On the subject of education, Williams only said: “We should expect platinum standards in innovation, economic development, health outcomes, infrastructure, development, education, performance and prosperity.”
Given the tight US presidential election campaign, it is crucial that former President Donald J. Trump is elected, Morrisey said. “Otherwise, defending all of this nonsense policy that they will spew out is a full-time job. And we need to make sure that West Virginia is at the forefront of all of these new government changes that we will be pushing.”
Although Williams did not mention Vice President Kamala Harris, she emphasized that West Virginia should become “a haven for women’s health and reproductive freedom.”
“If we say that mountaineers are always free, we must ensure that this also applies to female mountaineers,” he said.
Williams, who is running in a red state, said he doesn’t care much about party affiliation and would work across party lines to move the state forward.
“All that matters are the two letters after my name: W V. I am a West Virginian… We need all hands on deck, not just people of the right political party, the right gender, the right race, or any other designation.”
