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Slow Progress

W.Va. still not ranked as business friendly

West Virginia lawmakers did a lot of work when potential employers pointed out there was a chill against moving into any state designated a “Judicial Hellhole.” Regulations and laws were adjusted, progress was made. The Legislature wanted to give every appearance of being friendly toward business.

And yet, here we are, a couple of years later, with no less a publication than Forbes magazine declaring the Mountain State is still nearly the worst state in the country for business. (Alaska is 50th, but surpasses West Virginia in three of the six categories in which states were ranked.)

A bright spot on the chart is that West Virginia ranks 18th in business costs. A lot of that can be attributed to the state corporate income tax dropping from 9 percent to 6.5 percent between 2007 and 2014. (One wonders how the addition of a sales tax on online purchases will affect that ranking.)

According to Forbes, West Virginia is 50th in labor supply, 49th in regulatory environment, 48th in economic climate, 47th in growth prospects and 46th in quality of life. Projected annual job growth is 0.5 percent, while unemployment remains at 5.3 percent. People are leaving by the thousands and crimes are happening at a rate of 2,203 per 100,000 residents annually. College attainment is at a little more than 20 percent.

So, while lawmakers focused so heavily on judicial reform, Forbes cites the Institute of Legal Reform as saying the Mountain state’s legal climate still ranks among the worst in the nation, in terms of business friendliness. Myriad other challenges still exist — or have gotten worse.

With a new commerce secretary in place, lawmakers will be able to get straight answers about what employers need from a man who understands both business and the Legislature. Ed Gaunch, R-Kanawha, has served in the state Senate since 2014, so he will be able to speak the language of lawmakers trying to make a real difference, while also serving the best interests of West Virginians.

We’ve made progress. No doubt about it. But more needs to be done and, like our mountains, the climb will be a steep one.

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