WHEELING — The question for West Virginia lawmakers as they head to Charleston next week is which challenge they should tackle first — addressing the state’s population loss, improving its highways or expanding broadband access to rural areas.

How best to position West Virginia for growth in the future was among the topics of discussion during a virtual Legislative Lookahead forum Friday organized by the West Virginia Press Association.

West Virginia Economic Development Director Mitch Carmichael told reporters Friday the state will be making announcements next week pertaining to the expansion of broadband in rural areas.

“Our entire focus is to get to those in West Virginia who don’t have broadband service,” said Carmichael, who previously worked in the communications industry. “We are

not building service for those who already have it, but for those who do not have it.”

Of about 700,000 home addresses in West Virginia, 300,000 do not at present have access to broadband, he said.

Carmichael left the Zoom meeting shortly after his comments, and did not answer questions posed by the media.

Sen. Charles Clements, R-Wetzel, is the chairman of the Senate Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, and he suggested road improvement in West Virginia must happen before broadband.

Businesses need to be able to move goods in and out efficiently, according to Clements.

“When we have new highway construction we have to make sure everything is ready so the broadband people don’t have to fight to find space in the right of way through buried conduit and on poles,” he said. “We have to get this done. This is probably the most important thing we can do for this state is to put this broadband out.”

Sen. Owens Brown, D-Ohio, offered a different perspective.

“Roads and bridges are great. But if we don’t have the people here, what’s the point?” he asked.

West Virginia needs to rehabilitate its image and present itself as a safe, educated and prosperous place to live, according to Brown.

“Businesses are attracted to places where they can bring families to live,” he said. “As long as we have the tag of drug issues here … it is not attractive.”

The state also needs to invest more in its schools and education system, Brown said.

Danny Twilley serves as the assistant dean for the Brad and Alys Smith Outdoor Economic Development Collaborative at West Virginia University. He suggested the state should focus on enhancing its tourism opportunities, and providing a reason for high-tech talent to come visit the state and stay.

“Why would people want to come to West Virginia rather than other states?” he asked. “We have to create that type of environment.

“Talent is the new tax incentive for attracting business.”

And the state’s tourism should lead the way, according to Twilley.

“People will begin to ask themselves, if I go to West Virginia to play, how can I locate there?” he said.

Twilley noted that Utah invests highly in its outdoor recreation projects, and has had the highest rate of population growth in the nation in recent years.

There was a survey of high-tech professionals moving to the state, and 82% of them indicated they were locating there because of outdoor opportunities. This figure scored above family needs, according to Twilley.

Delegate Clay Riley, R-Harrison, said it is important the state provide businesses the tools they need to thrive in the state. What the state is still lacking is a site certification and readiness program, he added.

More and more businesses are going online looking for potential location sites that suit the needs they have, and investment in certifying properties and listing them is needed in West Virginia, Riley explained.

“They (site selection consultants) tell us, ‘90% of our work is done before we ever reach out to a state,'” he said. “That’s not because we don’t have a great team, but because they are never getting to our team.”

Riley said 37 states already have site certification and readiness programs in place, “leaving West Virginia behind the 8-ball.” The program will make it easier for businesses to find sites, and also help reduce their risks, he added.

“That’s one of the things I see coming out of this legislative session,” he said. “We are really good as a state at competing when we get the opportunity.”

Lawmakers participating in forums earlier in the day discussed seemed receptive to the idea. House Speaker Roger Hanshaw, R-Clay, indicated he would make “site ready” legislation a focus during the upcoming session, while Senate President Craig Blair, R-Berkeley, said he could support it.

Clements said he was in favor of the program, and he predicted much of what could come from the upcoming legislative session will focus on creating “shovel ready projects in West Virginia.”

Angela Vance, assistant state director for advocacy for the West Virginia AARP, said the association is working to address digital inequality by supporting state and federal policies that permit equal community access. It is usually rural, poorer and areas with higher percentages of minority residents where there is no access to broadband, she explained.

The AARP also has in place its Older Adults Technology Services (OATS) program that helps seniors “harness the power of technology,” Vance said.