House majority previews a range of economic development priorities
December 9, 2025
The Republican majority in the House of Delegates gathered a month prior to the regular legislative session to lay out priorities, especially in policies aimed at economic growth.
“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,” said House Speaker Roger Hanshaw, R-Clay.
“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.”
Hanshaw described the priorities as a “Jobs First Economic Opportunity Everywhere Agenda.”
House Bill 1, he said, will be an initiative called TEAM-WV, meant to create a competitive, statewide nonprofit to drive a cohesive strategy for site development, partnerships and business growth.
That is modeled, Hanshaw said, after a program called JobsOhio.
“We want to double down on the belief that creating a job, putting men and women in good-paying jobs, is priority number one for the government,” he said.
Hanshaw also described efforts to enhance workforce-ready education programs in the state, starting with a pay raise for teachers and service personnel.
The ReCharge West Virginia Act would reimburse certain training costs for existing businesses that help workers improve skills and boost their wages.
Other work skills pathway programs include the Skills at Work Act, for hands on learning for young workers, and Tech Maintenance, Repair and Operation program for future aviation careers.
The West Virginia Collaboratory program would connect higher education research with the Legislature for research that can be used to build public policy.
Economic development proposals also included allowing portable benefits for the modern workforce to more flexibly maintain retirement or insurance savings across multiple employers.
Mountaineer Flex would be a a performance-based, flexible tax credit to encourage major investment and job creation without limiting it to a specific industry.
And the majority is putting forward timing proposal for the Public Service Commission to allow an Energy Infrastructure Approval fast track for more modern and reliable power that could result in increased employment.
Proposals aimed at responsible economic growth include the Construction Cost Relief Act, which would exempt building construction materials from the state sales tax.
The Welcome Home Act is meant to help real estate developers by separating their parceled inventory to fairly tax what is developed. Hanshaw said this would help with housing stock.
The West Virginia First Small Business Growth Act would allow capital and financing for job creators already in the state.
Further initiatives include an update with additional funding to the Industrial Access Roads program for local Economic Development Agencies. Also, the speaker described expanding site readiness grants with more funding altogether while including smaller acreage.
House Finance Chairman Vernon Criss, R-Wood, said job growth has languished in West Virginia. He said improving the state’s economic landscape needs to be a top priority.
“We can fix a lot of problems if people are working. We can fix a lot of social issues if people are working,” Criss said.
Criss described an emphasis on infrastructure projects like water and sewer, site readiness for development and industrial access roads.
“All these things are infrastructure type things that have long-term effects that are going to be a reward down the road,” Criss said.
The West Virginia Chamber of Commerce applauded the emphasis on economic growth.
“What we heard was a heavy focus on jobs, the economy, economic development — which is music to our ears at the West Virginia Chamber of Commerce,” Brian Dayton, vice president of policy and advocacy at the Chamber, said on MetroNews Midday.
“I mean, that’s been what we’ve been preaching for years, is keep the focus where it matters — and that’s on: How do you create more jobs? How do you create more opportunity for West Virginia families? How do you bring more business to this state?”
Story by Brad McElhinny, MetroNews