CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Governor Patrick Morrisey tonight highlighted key victories from his administration’s first year and made a number of proposals to build a better West Virginia for the next generation.
Watch Governor Morrisey’s State of the State Address here.
Excerpts from the speech:
“In the last few months alone, we announced more than $4.5 billion dollars in new private sector investment. Let me say that again – $4.5 billion dollars and a projected 4,200 good-paying jobs. We passed a comprehensive microgrids law which is attracting deep interest from companies across the country. That law will become one of the single biggest economic development drivers in our history. Companies are calling – they want in. When all is said and done, the types of investments under our law could total tens of billions of dollars.”
“Our economic development strategy has focused on the fundamentals. That means developing business-ready sites that can accept large-scale projects and improving the infrastructure businesses need to invest, expand, and create jobs in the Mountain State. Last year, we focused on improving site selection and remediation, and put $74 million dollars towards water and sewer infrastructure projects across the state. Clean water and functional infrastructure lift up the standard of living and propel economic growth in our communities.”
“Through my Workforce Readiness & Opportunity Act, we will encourage micro-credentialing and make portable benefits available for West Virginia’s growing independent worker base. We’ll accelerate military personnel's ability to enter the workforce.”
“Tonight, I am also asking to increase funding for our higher education institutions. Our state will likely need at least 15,000 to 20,000 new construction workers alone over the next few years. That means more electricians. More plumbers. More skilled trade professionals who can power our growth. That requires investing in the schools that train our workforce. By investing in higher education and technical training, we are ensuring that good-paying jobs are available for all West Virginians.”
“In years passed, we have also failed to keep up with our infrastructure needs. That’s why my administration placed a new emphasis on infrastructure maintenance – improving roads, bridges, and fixing potholes. Apart from the current road fund, we plan to invest $100 million dollars to supplement our road and bridge repair work. It’s sorely needed.”
“Our tourism industry now supports more than 60,000 jobs and surpasses $9 billion in annual economic impact. Tourism generated more than $1 billion in tax revenue last year. $619 million goes directly to support our state and local governments. Our investment in tourism is paying off. That is why I am requesting $20 million dollars to improve our state parks. We need better lodging, more campsites, and improved roadways leading to these incredible destinations.”
“In December, West Virginia was awarded $199 million by the Trump Administration to improve healthcare outcomes. Over the five years of the grant, we’re looking at nearly one billion dollars in healthcare investments. This is an incredible win for West Virginia, unparalleled in our history. In fact, West Virginia received a higher per-capita award than any of our surrounding states. I want to thank Secretary Kennedy and Administrator Oz for their commitment to West Virginia. And I want to thank President Donald Trump for his leadership.”
“Tonight, I am asking lawmakers to support our Rural Healthcare Transformation through advancing legislative initiatives that promote prevention, wellness, and personal responsibility. That includes helping to train our physicians in medical school about nutrition, educating the public about new dietary guidelines, and reinstating the Presidential Fitness test. Our rural health care plan will transform West Virginia. But we must act fast and authorize it without delay. We will make West Virginia healthy again.”
“West Virginia has sent too many of our foster kids out of state to receive care they should receive right here at home. Those placements are costly. They separate children from their families and communities. And they often lead to longer stays and worse outcomes. That’s why I’ve called for the establishment of the Bring Them Home Fund. With a modest investment of $6 million dollars, we can rehabilitate existing state facilities, transform them into world-class centers of care, and begin bringing our children back home. This approach will save our state tens of millions of dollars and provide our children the stability, care, and foundation they need to grow, heal, and prosper. Let’s bring our kids home, where they belong.”
“As attorney general, I spent many years fighting to hold drug companies accountable for their actions and worked closely with counties and cities to bring in over one billion dollars to our state in settlement monies. That work, along with our new enforcement strategies and partnerships with President Trump, is making a big difference in reducing the number of drug overdoses in our state. Preliminary estimates show that between June of 2024 and May of 2025, there was a nearly 40 percent decline in drug overdose deaths. We must not let up, and we must continue to attack the root causes of this terrible epidemic.”
“Our dedication to fiscal responsibility is also allowing us to fully fund the HOPE scholarship. We have built it into our baseline so that HOPE funding is not dependent upon surpluses. We are pre-paying all of next year’s HOPE Scholarship as a commitment to this policy.”
“We’re also investing heavily in public education. We’re implementing LETRS, a policy grounded in the science of reading. Educators who complete the LETRS training demonstrate significantly stronger understanding in how reading develops and how to teach it. Mississippi was at the bottom of the national rankings before they implemented LETRS. They moved up a lot. Now, we can as well. We also want to expand digital literacy – to better use technology to support learning in our K through 12 schools and at our state colleges. Modern tools can help personalize instruction, provide extra tutoring, and offer students with access to high-quality educational resources. It all starts with equipping every child with the skills needed for a good-paying job so they can pursue their dreams - with or without a four-year college degree.”
“Finding a solution to our state’s flooding problems remains high on my list of priorities. That is why we are launching a new pilot initiative called SENTRY. And we are asking the legislature for ten million dollars to fund this pilot. Unfortunately, for families in flood stricken areas, warnings come too late. Traditional river gauges can tell us when water has risen to flood stage, but by then, the flood is already underway. SENTRY promises to modernize how West Virginia detects flood risk and warns the public. By expanding sensors in key areas, we can build predictive models and react to leading indicators instead of lagging indicators. Those forecasts promise to identify flood risk one to six hours ahead with a target accuracy of more than 90 percent. This is about protecting lives. It’s about giving West Virginians time – time to act, time to move, time to stay safe.”
“As I shared earlier, I’m a proud new grandfather. And just like any grandfather or parent, we make sacrifices and hard choices so that the world our kids and grandkids inherit will be better. That’s the spirit that built West Virginia. And that’s the spirit that is driving us forward today. The future we are shaping is one where families can thrive…Workers can succeed… And businesses can grow. Where our kids and our grandkids have the opportunity to achieve big dreams… Right here in West Virginia. The state of our state is getting stronger. We are building a better West Virginia. And we are just getting started.”