A Brighter Path Forward for West Virginia:

10 Priorities for Stronger Communities

1. Restore Local Control

Communities deserve a seat at the table — especially when major projects are proposed. County commissions and municipal governments, not Charleston alone, should have meaningful authority in permitting decisions affecting their communities. Data centers should follow the same local ordinances and regulations that apply to every resident and every business. The state shouldn’t have the power of total takeover — be it for Boards of Education, county governments, etc. An advisory role retains local input if situations require assistance.

2. Make the Public Service Commission Accountable

West Virginians deserve an elected Public Service Commission that answers directly to the people who pay the bills instead of commissioners appointed by the governor with no public input. Utility rate increases must be transparent, fully justified, and approved by commissioners who are accountable to voters—not appointed officials.

3. Expand Access to Affordable Child Care (& elder care!)

Families cannot work if they cannot find child care or care for family members who require it. West Virginia should expand successful child care initiatives, especially in rural communities, while offering tax incentives that encourage providers to open and remain in underserved areas. Child care, elder care and Veterans’ Care are investments in West Virginia’s families.

4. Strengthen Rural Health Care

Healthy communities require access to strong local hospitals and physician practices. West Virginia should strengthen Medicaid, preserve Certificate of Need protections, avoid legislative overreach that limits our state’s ability to attract and retain providers, and invest in health care infrastructure that keeps high-quality physicians, nurses, and specialists practicing here at home.

5. Expand Reliable Mobile Service Across West Virginia

Reliable cell service is no longer a luxury — it is public safety infrastructure. West Virginia should establish a statewide commission to conduct a comprehensive assessment of mobile coverage, identify service gaps, and develop a state-led strategy to expand dependable wireless coverage into underserved communities like ours.

6. Protect Public Education While Preserving Parent Choice

Parents deserve educational options but public schools remain the foundation of our education system. If the HOPE program is expected to continue, common sense guardrails must be explored. Legislators must work to ensure that it be financially sustainable, prioritize West Virginia students attending West Virginia schools and funds spent in WV whenever possible, and ensure that taxpayer dollars are focused on the families who truly need assistance. Public schools continue to educate the overwhelming majority of West Virginia children and must remain adequately funded through a revamped school funding formula.

7. Invest in Water Infrastructure

Clean drinking water is a basic human necessity. Southern West Virginia has endured decades of neglected water infrastructure. The state should immediately issue a State of Emergency and mobilize our National Guard to assist residents in the hardest hit areas. Our legislators should demand help from the governor & federal representatives for investments toward critical water and wastewater improvements. Protecting public health is an appropriate use of a portion of the state’s “Rainy Day Fund”.

8. Rebuild Emergency Medical Services

Communities across West Virginia face critical EMS staffing shortages. The funds lost to income tax reductions that overwhelmingly benefited the most wealthy West Virginians could/should provide stable funding for local EMS agencies, helping recruit and retain emergency personnel while strengthening emergency response throughout the state.

9. Stand Up for West Virginia Workers

West Virginia succeeds when its workers succeed. Policies that weakened prevailing wage protections and the Right-to-Work law have contributed to lower wages and diminished worker protections. Most recently, state workers have lost civil service and grievance protections across multiple agencies State government should support fair wages, protect employee rights, preserve seniority protections, and ensure that working families share in our state’s economic growth.

10. Honor Our Coal Miners

Coal miners built West Virginia and deserve to be treated with dignity when their work leaves them with occupational disease. Black Lung compensation should be timely, fair, and accessible. Long-term miners who develop occupational lung disease should not spend years fighting for benefits they have earned through a lifetime of service.

Our Promise

West Virginia’s greatest resource has never been coal, natural gas, or timber.

It has always been our people.

Every policy should answer one simple question:

Does this make life better for the people who call West Virginia home?

If the answer is yes, it deserves serious consideration. If the answer is no, we should have the courage to pursue a brighter path forward.