1. Supporting Small Family- Owned Businesses

The problem:
Local businesses create jobs for our neighbors. Too often they are held by red tape, limited access of capital, and rules written for big corporations in mind, not working families trying to make payroll.

Policy actions:

• Expand access to low-interest state-backed loans and grants for small and locally owned businesses

• Prioritize local businesses in state purchasing and contracting, keeping taxpayer dollars in our communities,

• Streamline licensing and permitting so small businesses can open and expand faster and cheaper.

Bottom line:
If we want jobs to stay here, we need to help the businesses already here grow.

2. Attracting New Industries & Creating Jobs

The problem:
West Virginia keeps chasing the same industries while our young people leave for opportunity elsewhere.

Policy actions:

• Target new and emerging industries—clean energy manufacturing, outdoor recreation, remote work hubs, health care support services,

• Invest in infrastructure and broadband that actually makes communities competitive for modern employers,

• Tie economic development incentives to local hiring, training, and long-term job commitments.

Bottom line:
Economic growth should build careers here—not just headlines.

3. Better Jobs and Higher Wages

The problem:
Too many jobs don’t pay enough to build a life—and too many workers are locked out of training that leads to better pay.

Policy actions:

• Support workforce training and apprenticeship programs tied directly to local employers and real job openings,

• Promote fair labor standards so work pays and wages keep up with the cost of living,

• Invest in education and skill-building programs that lead to long-term careers, not short-term fixes.

Bottom line:
An economy works when a full-time job is enough to live on.