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Republican control working in W.Va.

In the election of 2014, the citizens of West Virginia entrusted Republicans with control of their Legislature for the first time in 84 years.

When the new team took control, we made a plan to lift West Virginia from her doldrums. The plan was not a short-term plan, but rather a plan for fundamental change that would lead to long-term prosperity for the citizens. No longer would policy be set for the benefit of trial lawyers at the expense of economic growth. We would pass civil justice reforms. No longer would union bosses extract tribute from the treasury at the expense of state. We would pass labor reforms, repealing the prevailing wage laws, and making West Virginia a right to work state.

No longer would big tax increases upon the citizens be the “go to” answer for every budgetary challenge. We would hold the line on taxes, and make choices on spending. No longer would government regulate business into paralysis. We would control the bureaucracy and remove the regulatory barriers to the growth of business and industry. We would bring more transparency to government and push back against the special interests and cronyism that had come to define state government.

That was our plan. We have been executing it faithfully now for three and half years. We have done all of the things listed above that we said we would do, and the plan is working.

West Virginia has seen employment growth, and unemployment has dropped here by 20 percent since 2015. Our economy is growing, and fast. Just in the last year, West Virginia has seen the creation of more than 3,400 new jobs in construction, 1,700 new jobs in mining and logging, 1,300 in hospitality, 1,200 in trade, and 1,100 in health services.

In all, the last year has seen a net increase of more than 5,000 new jobs. The “net” number is important because there has been a reduction of 1,900 in government jobs.

Wages are rising. According to the Federal Bureau of Labor Statistics, wages have risen faster in West Virginia than in 39 other states.

West Virginia needs the execution of this plan to continue.

Sen. Charles S. Trump IV,

R-Morgan County

(Berkeley Springs)

Chairman, Committee

on the Judiciary

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