It’s game week in West Virginia, and there’s no rivalry quite like the Backyard Brawl between West Virginia University and Pittsburgh.
This historic matchup embodies the pride, grit and relentless spirit of West Virginians. Our Mountaineers are ready to fight, and every fan knows this is more than just a football game – it’s a battle for bragging rights, for state pride, and for everything we hold dear. As we cheer on WVU, we’re reminded of the toughness that defines our people, our communities, and our state.
While the players give their all on the field, I’m preparing for a different kind of Backyard Brawl – one that will secure a prosperous future for all West Virginians. Just like the Mountaineers will fight to win on Saturday, we need to fight for our state’s economic success. This Backyard Brawl is about challenging the obstacles that have held us back and unleashing the full potential of West Virginia.
Here’s what I mean when I talk about having a Backyard Brawl. On Day One of a Morrisey Administration, we are going to begin comparing every single tax, regulation, workforce policy and licensing rule in West Virginia with the corresponding laws from every state that we touch.
We will analyze these laws with the goal of creating freer, more dynamic economic policies that are superior to our neighbors. The object is to remove all of the legal, financial, and structural obstacles that make it harder to succeed in West Virginia or which limit the flow of capital investment into our state.
Enacting more vibrant policies are crucial to addressing the huge economic challenges facing our state in the near future. Unfortunately, our population continues to decline and our workforce participation rate remains the worst in the nation. For West Virginia to thrive, we must be willing to enact bold changes and move the metrics on things that really matter: improving our standard of living; creating a national reputation as a “deregulatory zone” that’s fertile for aggressive business development; pushing for much higher educational attainment rates and higher scores in reading, science, and math; advancing top flight vo-tech and job retraining policies and implementing broadband that doesn’t move at the speed of slow. We must make major progress on all of the criteria and key measurements that impact why families want to live in our state.
We know what it means to fight hard and to fight together. Just as WVU fans and players will never back down from a challenge, I won’t back down from the work needed to make West Virginia the best place to live, work, and raise a family. With the same fierce determination we bring to the football field, we’ll bring that fight to our economy, to our schools, and to our communities. Together, we’ll emerge victorious in this "Backyard Brawl" for prosperity.
Economic Revival Starts at Home
West Virginia has untapped economic potential, but outdated policies and unnecessary regulations have held us back for too long. My plan begins with dramatically reducing the state income tax so that it quickly becomes the lowest in the region, reducing bureaucratic inefficiencies and getting rid of unneeded burdensome regulations and government. Some current functions of government are simply best left to the private sector. West Virginians deserve to keep more of their hard-earned money, and these steps will help ensure our state is competitive with our neighbors.
To truly revive our economy, we must focus on attracting new businesses and filling the many open jobs that remain unclaimed. We can build upon our many strengths and establish new partnerships for our national leading energy producers and other businesses. Just imagine if we could utilize West Virginia energy to supercharge the creation of a new burgeoning technology industry in our state — more technology companies, data centers, and cryptocurrency hubs. All of these companies need access to affordable baseload power— we have that in abundance. When we further become known as a state that is superior to all others from a regulatory perspective, we will become better known as one of the easiest states in the country to start and grow a business. Our economic future depends on our ability to innovate and invite entrepreneurs to call West Virginia home.
Safer, Stronger Communities
A thriving West Virginia is one where families can feel safe in their homes and communities. Sadly, failed national leadership has allowed violent crime and drug abuse to rise to unacceptable levels. As Governor, I will fully fund law enforcement, giving our police the resources and training they need to protect our communities. We will also strengthen efforts to prevent the flow of illegal drugs into our state by increasing border security and expanding drug treatment, education and rehabilitation programs. Some of this can be accomplished through partnerships with the West Virginia Foundation, private companies, charitable organizations, and our counties and cities.
We cannot rebuild our communities without addressing the drug crisis head-on. This battle requires comprehensive action on enforcement, prevention, and treatment. As someone who has fought tirelessly against the opioid epidemic, I am committed to ensuring that every West Virginian struggling with addiction has access to the support they need to reclaim their lives.
Education That Empowers
Our state’s future depends on our children, and right now, our education system is not delivering the results our students deserve. That’s why I’m committed to restoring excellence in education, starting with empowering parents. Expanding school choice through the Hope Scholarship will give families the freedom to choose the best educational opportunities for their children. We must ensure that funding follows the child, not the system, and ensure that political agendas such as Critical Race Theory are never taught in our classrooms.
Teachers are the backbone of our educational system, and it’s time we treated them as such. I will conduct a thorough review of teacher salaries to ensure that West Virginia’s educators compete more effectively with every state in the region, giving us the ability to attract and retain the best talent for our schools.
A New Day for West Virginia
There’s a lot to get done in West Virginia, and we must start strong to succeed. Our Backyard Brawl is just the first step toward building a brighter future for our state. Reversing population decline and last in the nation workforce rates must be a huge priority. We’ll have many decisions to make, but we will push forward and become better known as not just an energy powerhouse, but a deregulatory zone that empowers freedom and limited government.
Together, we can make West Virginia a place where economic opportunity thrives, communities are safe and drug-free, and our children are equipped for success in the 21st century.
Let’s roll up our sleeves and fight for the West Virginia we know and love. We have the opportunity to build a state where families flourish, dreams become reality, and our best days are ahead. I’m ready to lead that charge.
Morrisey, who currently is the state's attorney general, is the Republican candidate for governor.