House Speaker Rick Thompson and Senate President Jeff Kessler’s appointed legislative workgroups would focus on attracting quality jobs to West Virginia
One of the top priorities for West Virginia lawmakers this session has been examining ways to increase economic opportunities for West Virginians and attract jobs to the state.
House Speaker Rick Thompson and other members of the House leadership have introduced legislation in collaboration with Senate President Jeffrey Kessler that would create monthly House and Senate workgroups dedicated to learning how West Virginia can be more aggressive in attracting jobs.
House Bill 3013 would authorize the Senate President and House Speaker to appoint job creation workgroups that would work independently or in cooperation with the Department of Commerce, the West Virginia Development Office or other executive offices or agencies of the state in order to obtain information to assist the Legislature’s efforts to take action toward increasing and attracting jobs in West Virginia.
Their activities could include, among provisions listed in the bill, meeting with existing businesses and organizations to discuss and further develop resources currently available to businesses in West Virginia which then could be expanded upon to grow job opportunities within the state.
The House of Delegates took up and approved this measure on the House floor during the past week. If the legislation passes both bodies, the Speaker and President will have the ability to appoint a group of different House and Senate members each month to spend a day visiting a particular company, city or region to learn about how certain businesses prosper and expand and about various tactics local and state governments have used to attract businesses. Each of the appointed workgroups would serve as a resource for other members of their body of the Legislature on these subject matters.
It is important for the Legislature to recognize the economic development challenges facing the many different areas of the state. This information will be invaluable when it comes to assisting lawmakers in shaping the policies, which will in turn, create the economic environments to best attract quality jobs to West Virginia.
