By Stephen Smoot
It’s no secret that Governor Patrick Morrisey ran straight into headwinds when he took over the role in January.
Some came from, the quote Otto von Bismarck in a completely different scenario, “pouring water into their sparkling champagne.” The Governor informed the West Virginia State Legislature that a $400 million structural deficit had developed in finances. He stated that all had to dial back expectations of what the State could do after years of spending to support a number of local initiatives.
Others came from state media and the interests in some parts of the state that resent influence from the far Eastern Panhandle counties of Jefferson, Berkeley, and, to a lesser extent, Morgan.
As spring turned to summer and summer faded into fall, however, the Governor’s approach is starting to come together in a series of long-term visions to transform the State in a number of ways. Much of this comes from lessons learned by the native Garden Stater from Mountain State history.
As most native West Virginians learn in school or from the culture and people, the state lost out on significant opportunities during the Industrial Revolution. In many cases the state settled with extraction and export. As soon as the coal left the ground, the timber was cut, or other natural resources extracted, it shipped out to other states for added value.
Once resources drained or became cheaper to get elsewhere, West Virginia’s economy took the hit. The boom and bust coal cycle dominated the state economy for much of the 20th century.
The Governor’s plan to boost West Virginia energy production goes hand in hand with plans to make the state a data center magnet. Power produced in West Virginia, either through traditional power plants or an in-house “microgrid” energy source, such as a small nuclear reactor, can go to the data centers that support artificial intelligence. Data centers paying West Virginia taxes then provide services to out of state businesses, pulling dollars into the state.
Those who complain about power produced in the state leaving the state are missing the factor of enhanced tax revenues from the services provided. These will help to pay for needs such as roads, schools, and other priorities.
Expanding production of power in West Virginia. provides the foundation for not only data centers, but also a more diversified economy. Larry Pack, West Virginia State Treasurer, however, warns that “we make it too hard to do anything” due to a Byzantine system of regulations and requirements. This especially applies to facilities such as power plants.
“We’ve got to make it easier,” he noted.
More recently, the Governor announced a long-term health care initiative as part of an application for $500 million allotted to each state for that purpose in President Donald Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill.
The thrust of the plan lies in putting funds toward preventing the onset of chronic health conditions, such as diabetes, heart disease, and other diseases that harm health over time. The program centers on health care access, preventative initiatives, but also individual responsibility for one’s own health outcomes.
Governor Morrisy in recent talks statewide linked the issue to what he called “West Virginia’s number one problem,” which is the lowest workforce participation rate in the nation. His theory? If people enjoy better health, they will take advantage of better opportunities to work and grow.
These represent two areas in which the Governor has put his reputation behind big picture, big reward, but also, should they not come to fruition, big risks, politically speaking.
The noise surrounding this Governor and his work thus far has put a fog between his efforts and his constituents. As he traverses the state and continues to settle into the post, citizens should note not what others say about the Governor and not even what he says, but what Morrisey does and what kind of outcomes it creates.