Listen to “A Data Center Deal, Moving TEAM WV, Pushing the Governor Out of LEDA & More” on Spreaker.
Friday commentaries lately have taken the form of a legislative download from the week. So, here goes.
Governor Patrick Morrisey teased a major economic development announcement on social media just days ago. Thursday, he delivered: a $4 billion intelligence center — what most people simply call a data center — headed to Berkeley County. It’s welcome news and a significant investment in the state. Brad McElhinny has the full story.
This one belongs to the governor. The win is clearly his — a project secured entirely during his administration, without credit carried over from prior leadership. Local economic developers and lawmakers certainly played important roles, and the governor acknowledged that appropriately. But after criticism that the administration had yet to land a marquee project, this announcement helps change that narrative.
Success, however, carries its own burden. One win creates expectations for many more. It will take more wins to silence critics, along with tax dollars actually hitting the bank.
Not long after the announcement, Delegate Daniel Linville of Cabell County was outside the Capitol running those tax numbers. Using an Excel calculator he built around last year’s passed funding formula, Linville estimated roughly $54 million annually in new tax revenue flowing to state coffers.
Berkeley County would retain 30 percent — just over $16 million. Roughly $27 million would flow to the Personal Income Tax Reduction Fund. A little more than $2.7 million each would go to the Water Development Fund and the Electric Grid Stabilization Fund. The remaining $5.4 million would be distributed statewide under existing formulas.
That means counties benefiting even without hosting the project. According to Linville’s calculations, Cabell County would see just over $300,000 annually. Mercer County nearly $194,000. McDowell County about $62,000. He ran each county.
Not a bad payday, especially when another county handled the heavy lift.
Which raises a fair question: why oppose projects like this instead of hoping one lands in your own backyard? Especially odd considering much criticism comes from those living in counties that could desperately use the revenue
Meanwhile, TEAM West Virginia, the JobsOhio-style economic development initiative long discussed at the Capitol, remains unfinished business.
The concept originated in the House. An early agreement anticipated the Senate introducing the bill and taking the lead. That never happened for reasons passing understanding.
TEAM West Virginia is about as close to a no-brainer as policy proposals get. House leadership has now taken control of the effort, fast-tracking House Bill 4001 to establish the program.
The likely reality is this: if a Senate version failed to advance earlier, support inside that chamber may still be uncertain. Advocates quietly acknowledge the uphill path ahead and some worry the Governor’s Office has not fully embraced the concept either.
It would be a mistake to conclude Thursday’s data-center announcement proves TEAM West Virginia unnecessary. The opposite is true. Programs like this exist to make successes happen faster and more often — shortening timelines and improving the state’s competitiveness for future investment.
As Delegate Matthew Rohrbach noted on Talkline, 49 other states aggressively compete for economic development opportunities. West Virginia must do the same.
Failure to pass TEAM West Virginia would represent one of the largest missed opportunities of this legislative session — perhaps several sessions. There’s still time to avoid that outcome.
The Hope Scholarship deal appears to be a good one. The issue isn’t finished — it will almost certainly return next year — but allowing time for enrollment data and calmer discussion between now and then is a sensible path forward.
The House budget pulls LEDA (Legislative Economic Development Assistance) dollars out of the governor’s span of control, instead placing those dollars within the State Treasurer’s office. No surprise after the dust up earlier this year. Legislators don’t believe the governor should have a say in scrutinizing their grant allocations, especially given the legislative approval process. Placing the dollars elsewhere is the legislature removing his opinion from the process indefinitely and a message on their refusal to surrender prerogative when it comes to the purse strings.
And finally, a lighter moment.
First Lady Denise Morrisey stopped by the AARP broadcast location Thursday just after we wrapped the show. Having never met her before, it was nice to visit. She spoke proudly about her granddaughter — as any grandparent would — and graciously endured a few stories about my kids.
Plainly, the governor married up. Many of us, including me, can say the same; the governor will forgive stating the obvious as he surely would agree.
The First Lady mentioned speculation that House Finance Chairman Vernon Criss may have been unhappy about she and the governor attending a recent House Finance committee meeting involving Hope Scholarship discussions.
Her point was straightforward: the meetings are public and held in a public building. That’s true.
The tension, real or perceived, likely comes down to tradition. Governors rarely attend legislative committee meetings unless invited — and first ladies almost never do. Mrs. Morrisey has attended several. That is certainly her prerogative.
Some lawmakers view uninvited attendance as similar to a friend dropping by without notice. Others see no issue at all.
It’s understandable that some may also feel the practice is a bit heavy handed resembling a pressure tactic.
I’m told Chairman Criss did not mind either the governor or first lady being present. That seems about right. Criss has been around a while and has a thick skin. It would take much more to concern him.
Enjoy the weekend!