On Wednesday, February 12th, the 87th Legislative Session commenced. The house adopted the house rules and committees began meetings. Later that evening, Governor Patrick Morrissey gave his State of the State Address.
Governor Morrisey’s first State of the State address was a comprehensive plan to tackle West Virginia’s most pressing issues. He emphasized leveraging the state’s rich history as an energy leader by announcing the establishment of the West Virginia POWER Tech Center, a public-private partnership designed to promote the energy sector and create advanced manufacturing jobs. Morrisey also addressed a projected $400 million budget gap for FY 2026, presenting a balanced budget while stressing the importance of fiscal responsibility by avoiding new ongoing programs without new, ongoing revenue and eliminating waste, abuse, and overspending. He highlighted the need to reform education to improve workforce participation and make West Virginia a place where young people want to stay, work, and raise families. Morrisey’s vision for economic revitalization, dubbed the “Mountain State Comeback,” aims to make West Virginia competitive in the global market by embracing various energy sources, including coal, gas, nuclear, and micro-grids. Finally, Morrisey committed to ensuring transparency in the state’s fiscal management by making budget numbers and calculations publicly available.
At the conclusion of the State of the State, the House Chamber was filled with everyone singing “Take Me Home, Country Roads.” The song always stirs my heart and the sense of unity in the moment was wonderful.
“Anytime you’re in West Virginia or near it, and you sing, ‘Take Me Home, Country Roads,’ it’s a sight to behold.”
(Brad Paisley)
West Virginia’s revenue officials briefed lawmakers on Governor Patrick Morrisey’s proposed balanced general revenue budget for fiscal year 2026, which totals $5.323 billion—a 1.1% increase from the current fiscal year. Upon taking office in January, Morrisey’s team identified a $397 million budget gap, attributed to prior reliance on one-time federal funds and spending outpacing revenue. “That budget gap is not a deficit, and it is not debt,” McKown said. “It is a budgeting tool that we laid in front of the governor the first day he took office. As a staff, we presented him with things that we thought needed to be done, mostly base items, some one-time items. When you totaled it up with our revenue estimates, we were $397 million short of balancing the 2026 budget. That is a budgeting gap; that is all that is.”
A couple more things to note, Public Employees’ Retirement System is fully funded, and the Teachers’ Retirement System is 83 percent funded at the end of fiscal year 2024. The rainy-day funds are not being tapped into for fiscal year 2026. The rainy-day fund is over $1.3 billion.
Legislators were pleased to see that the governor’s office has returned to a six-year plan which has been drafted. The Governor’s recommended fiscal year 2026 budget is $5,959,179. For the 6-year plan, projected budgets are as follows: FY27 – $$6,304,179; FY28 – $6,470,621; FY29 – $6,640,668; and FY30 – $6,820,643.
On Friday, the Education Committee reviewed the school aid formula, which is based on multiple factors but relies heavily on student enrollment. Over the past seven years, West Virginia has seen a decline of approximately 30,000 students, resulting in funding losses for school districts. While the long-term goal is to attract more residents to the state, adjusting the school
aid formula could offer immediate financial relief to affected counties.
So far 377 bills have been introduced and seventy-five resolutions. Once resolution that garnered a large amount of attention was HCR 33 which aimed to rename Spruce Knob to Trump Mountain. Please rest assured that was the idea of just a few delegates. The majority of the House does not support the name change. Please keep in mind that thousands of pieces of legislation are introduced each session, but around 88 percent die in committee, which is where HCR33 is headed. I love our state and heritage and do not support the name change.
My heartfelt prayers go out to all the citizens of West Virginia and our neighboring states who have been affected by the recent flooding. Many are still without power, and some are unable to leave their homes or return to them. Road and power crews are tirelessly working to clear downed trees, rockslides, and restore power. We extend our deepest gratitude to the first responders, neighbors, and friends who are assisting in these efforts, and we pray for their safety.
I look forward to hearing from people in the district and hope to see you out and about enjoying all the great things our area has to offer. I can be contacted at lori.dittman@wv house.gov or 304-701-8600.
Devoted to Braxton County, West Virginia