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Good morning. The committee will

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come to order

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clerk has taken a silent roll

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call. we do have a quorum there

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being a quorum established. I

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recognize the cochair for motion

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the previous meeting the

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question is on the approval of

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the minutes from the previous

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meeting all those in favor say

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aye

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oppose no

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in the opinion of chair the ays

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haven't and declare the motion

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adopted

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we're going to move the agenda

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slightly we have Senator Bart

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Hester joining us from

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Arkansas and for the sake of his

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schedule and time we're gonna

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have him go ahead and and

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present first this morning

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he is the president prote from

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the Arkankansas state senate and

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I'll let him introduce himself

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but we we're honored to have him

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here today because he's one

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of the chief architects of the

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economic turnaround in Arkansas

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that led to them getting a top

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ive ranking

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for economic outlook from AEC

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among others. so Senator Hester,

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can you hear me OK?

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I can

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good morning

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thanks for being with us please

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go ahead and introduce yourself

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and we look forward to your

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presentation. I I will just say

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we're very interested to hear

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what your work on the tax side

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of things but also if you could

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please cover the the regulatory

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reform side of things as well

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we're also very interested in

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that and so thank you for being

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with us.

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I know thank you for having me.

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I was just a little bit afraid

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y'all were having me on to poke

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at Arkansasoo.

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but we will

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talk to you guys really what I

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wanted to talk today I could get

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into a lot of the details and

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stuff but but I wanted to talk

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to you about

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a mindset

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so you know

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what

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west virginia and Arkansas

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have a lot in common. in fact

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you know just a you know a year

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or two ago I was traveling

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and I watched an ad trying to

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recruit people to West Virginia.

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and it was almost the exact

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same ad that Arkansas is using.

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it's saying hey if you like

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beautiful views, if you like to

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hike or bike or kayak or canoe,

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you know, West Virginia's for

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you it was like the same

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pictures almost same thing that

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Arkansas's doing and I think

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it's because you recognize what

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we recognize

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is that more so than ever

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people are choosing where they

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want to live and they can move

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and we're seeing them move from

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the coast in and how do we

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recruit those people to want to

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come to our communities the

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entrepreneurs the people that

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are starting businesses, the

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people that are retiring or

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people that have resources they

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can live anywhere in the world

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why pick our locations I think

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West Virginia and Arkansas have

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a very similar case to make

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it was very encouraging

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but it's you know

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I'd say I'm just gonna roughly

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say10 years ago Arkansas changed

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our mindset

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that we no longer want to be

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arguing about are we50th or48th

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and we moved to45th and we high

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five and aren't we doing

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something great

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we said we want to move

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from5ieth to1st.

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and how are we going to do that

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and that really got sped up you

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know four years ago we elected a

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new governor in Sarah Huckabee

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Sanders and you know her mindset

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determination has been really

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great in leading us these ways

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but how do we change an entire

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mindset knowing

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that we're recruiting people

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that have a choice to go

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anywhere they want to go in the

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world or anywhere in in in the

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United States. why would they

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pick Arkansas? how do we get

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them to pick Arkansas to even be

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on the list to consider for big

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companies looking for you know

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we're going to locate some

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manufacturer or start a new one

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and forever I was reading

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headlines and it was like these

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four states are in the running

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or these 6 states are in the

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running and you know why is

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Arkansas never on that and how

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can we how can we change that

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perspective

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and I think there's two things

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that matter a lot that we've

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really focused on over the last

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few years

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to a national perspective of

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your state

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what is the general person think

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you know from California or New

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York or Michigan when they think

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about your state. well I can

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assure you if you were a

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business owner in one of those

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areas looking to relocate you

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would think there's no way I'm

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interested in going to Arkansas.

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No way I'm interested in going

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to West Virginia. Maybe I'm you

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know, I'm just

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and so how do we change that

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mindset and a lot of that's

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headlines that people see

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and people don't change their

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mindset over six months or a

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year or2 years it has to be a

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prolonged consistent good

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headlines about your region

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and we've been changing and

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working on those. I mean just

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like some of the stuff y'all

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push on you know we titled

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ourselves mountain iking Capital

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of the world. I don't think

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anyone chooses that. We just

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said that that's who we are.

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and we've been we've been

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promoting that nationally and we

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have you know some real

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philanthropists you know the

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Walmart was founded in our area

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and the heirs of Walmart have

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put a huge amount of money in

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mountain bikes and and then

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and then the advertising for

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that across the country so

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that's been very very helpful

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for us

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but we work on the national

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view, these national headlines

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that you can consistently get

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and then just really your

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policies. even if you get it

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where somebody says I will

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consider Arkansas, how are our

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policies something that make

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them really consider Arkansas.

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you know we're no longer like

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not on the list anymore. maybe

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we would consider Arkansas I've

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been reading some good things

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about them over the past24 8

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years. but now we've got to

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implement the policies that

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actually will make them land

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here in Arkansas

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so we

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this is something very similar

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for West Virginia's Arkansas

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Texas surplus last year

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was5 times what your budget is.

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their surplus was

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in4 times what Arkansas's budget

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is. Like how do we compete with

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that? Like we can't go buy the

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jobs that they buy. We can put

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all these resources they're

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really put a huge strain on our

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state they don't even know that

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it happened in Texas.

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so how how do we compete with

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that

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and we've learned in Arkansas

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that if you cut the pie up too

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many times and this person

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gets500,000, this person gets2

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million, this person gets 8

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million like you end up not

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moving the needle

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So, so what we did in Arkansas

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was we said there are no more

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pet projects

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so we've been about 6 years on

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that meaning

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the lieutenant governor

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gets nothing that they want

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The president of the senate gets

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nothing that I want. The

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majority leader gets nothing

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that they want

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and you know what when the

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lowest ranking member

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cs that no one else is getting

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what they want

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they're actually

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can deal with not getting what

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they want as well.

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So when nobody gets the thing

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that they want

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we keep all the money

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in a bigger pot

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and we use that bigger pot

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to make big change

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and it's hard because all the

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things that I want my just I've

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been the senate president for

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four years now and to tell

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people back home I can't do

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that. I can't do that we've got

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a bigger focus and when you can

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communicate back home all35

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senators, all135 elected

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legislators in Arkansas can

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communicate we're on a bigger

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focus and that focus is we're

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keeping we're keeping all our

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money in a big pot and it's in

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savings

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OK and we're we're using that

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savings to say we're going to

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cut taxes

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and if we mess up everybody's

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probably familiar with the you

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know thekansas example from you

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know 8 or10 years ago where they

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cut too many taxes and they had

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to back up. I mean that's a

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total disaster.

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so we want to keep enough money

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in savings where we can

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consistently cut taxes, personal

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income taxes, corporate taxes so

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over the last you know10 years

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we've done it seven times.

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we'll do it again the first

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quarter of the upcoming27 will

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continue to cut but when we have

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a a huge number in savings so

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you know that's close to3

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billion dollars now

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we can cut

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the income tax and the

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personal you know the personal

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and corporate tax rate

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and that's just another good

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headline. So if I'm a business

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owner and I look up Arkansas

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it's just going to say cut, cut,

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00:16:46,788 --> 00:16:47,038
cut, cut cut cut on on their

291
00:16:47,489 --> 00:16:47,739
taxes

292
00:16:50,425 --> 00:16:50,675
and which goes back to my

293
00:16:51,459 --> 00:16:51,709
first point consistent good

294
00:16:52,026 --> 00:16:52,276
headlines

295
00:16:54,629 --> 00:16:54,879
and with a huge amount of

296
00:16:55,163 --> 00:16:55,413
savings

297
00:16:56,765 --> 00:16:57,015
we can do really two things

298
00:17:01,102 --> 00:17:01,352
we can we can we can cut

299
00:17:02,604 --> 00:17:02,854
not too aggressively at any

300
00:17:04,639 --> 00:17:04,889
given time but we know that if

301
00:17:05,373 --> 00:17:05,623
we did too much there's money

302
00:17:06,741 --> 00:17:06,991
and savings to fill those holes.

303
00:17:10,912 --> 00:17:11,162
and really the way that you have

304
00:17:11,579 --> 00:17:11,829
these savings

305
00:17:14,916 --> 00:17:15,166
I drew you up a really

306
00:17:16,651 --> 00:17:16,901
fantastic drawing this morning

307
00:17:17,352 --> 00:17:17,602
with anXY axis

308
00:17:20,855 --> 00:17:21,105
let me see here how do I get on

309
00:17:21,523 --> 00:17:21,773
the screen

310
00:17:24,759 --> 00:17:25,009
right

311
00:17:28,429 --> 00:17:28,679
so this is just really simple.

312
00:17:29,164 --> 00:17:29,414
like and these are made up

313
00:17:31,499 --> 00:17:31,749
numbers, right? but we look at

314
00:17:32,133 --> 00:17:32,383
our state's budget

315
00:17:33,301 --> 00:17:33,551
and then what our revenues are

316
00:17:36,671 --> 00:17:36,921
and we're probably just like

317
00:17:38,740 --> 00:17:38,990
West Virginia it's impossible to

318
00:17:39,407 --> 00:17:39,657
cut something

319
00:17:42,911 --> 00:17:43,161
can't do it if if if we're being

320
00:17:44,679 --> 00:17:44,929
given money to something to cut

321
00:17:46,414 --> 00:17:46,664
it is a very difficult thing to

322
00:17:48,416 --> 00:17:48,666
do. So what we've said is if we

323
00:17:50,885 --> 00:17:51,135
can't cut the beast, how do we

324
00:17:52,620 --> 00:17:52,870
starve the beast or feed it a

325
00:17:53,254 --> 00:17:53,504
little bit less?

326
00:17:55,390 --> 00:17:55,640
so if we if we know that our

327
00:17:56,991 --> 00:17:57,241
revenue we expect it to go

328
00:17:57,559 --> 00:17:57,809
up3.5%

329
00:18:01,062 --> 00:18:01,312
we're only gonna but do a budget

330
00:18:01,729 --> 00:18:01,979
increase of2%.

331
00:18:03,631 --> 00:18:03,881
and that leaves a delta of1.5%

332
00:18:08,636 --> 00:18:08,886
and we're gonna do consistently

333
00:18:10,638 --> 00:18:10,888
every year, every year, every

334
00:18:11,239 --> 00:18:11,489
year. So we may not be able to

335
00:18:12,907 --> 00:18:13,157
cut government, but we can

336
00:18:16,411 --> 00:18:16,661
shrink it by percentage and we

337
00:18:17,145 --> 00:18:17,395
do it by a couple of percentage

338
00:18:19,113 --> 00:18:19,363
every year and and over time now

339
00:18:20,949 --> 00:18:21,199
Arkansas from a very small state

340
00:18:23,218 --> 00:18:23,468
has you know, like I say about3

341
00:18:25,220 --> 00:18:25,470
billion we had another $600

342
00:18:28,423 --> 00:18:28,673
million surplus last year but we

343
00:18:29,224 --> 00:18:29,474
have to keep spending in check

344
00:18:32,894 --> 00:18:33,144
and again how do you do that?

345
00:18:34,662 --> 00:18:34,912
You do that by telling the

346
00:18:36,664 --> 00:18:36,914
senate president this guy you

347
00:18:37,532 --> 00:18:37,782
get nothing. what I do get

348
00:18:41,102 --> 00:18:41,352
is great policy for the whole

349
00:18:44,405 --> 00:18:44,655
state of Arkansas. We recruit

350
00:18:45,073 --> 00:18:45,323
people in with that and and

351
00:18:47,108 --> 00:18:47,358
that's the win. we had to take a

352
00:18:48,843 --> 00:18:49,093
buyin from the whole legislature

353
00:18:50,445 --> 00:18:50,695
basically and now we do fight

354
00:18:52,881 --> 00:18:53,131
over it every session you

355
00:18:54,682 --> 00:18:54,932
know we really need this we

356
00:18:55,250 --> 00:18:55,500
really need that how are we

357
00:18:56,651 --> 00:18:56,901
going to fund that? what are we

358
00:18:58,920 --> 00:18:59,170
going to do and we continue to

359
00:19:01,155 --> 00:19:01,405
fall back to no members get

360
00:19:02,690 --> 00:19:02,940
anything. we're keeping the

361
00:19:04,659 --> 00:19:04,909
bucket a really full over here

362
00:19:06,427 --> 00:19:06,677
because we're going to do things

363
00:19:07,462 --> 00:19:07,712
that are great policy wins

364
00:19:08,029 --> 00:19:08,279
for the

365
00:19:11,132 --> 00:19:11,382
entire state of Arkansas or at

366
00:19:13,134 --> 00:19:13,384
least it had to be for a huge

367
00:19:15,103 --> 00:19:15,353
region of Arkansas not just a

368
00:19:16,571 --> 00:19:16,821
particular district

369
00:19:20,642 --> 00:19:20,892
you know we make choices I'm

370
00:19:21,276 --> 00:19:21,526
sure y'all get pitched this all

371
00:19:23,111 --> 00:19:23,361
the time and it's great. I'm

372
00:19:24,946 --> 00:19:25,196
just using this as one example

373
00:19:26,681 --> 00:19:26,931
because they're there are 1000

374
00:19:28,549 --> 00:19:28,799
worthy things to do with your

375
00:19:29,217 --> 00:19:29,467
tax dollars

376
00:19:30,918 --> 00:19:31,168
but we get told a lot let's

377
00:19:32,921 --> 00:19:33,171
let's give money the to the

378
00:19:34,923 --> 00:19:35,173
movie industry, right it's it's

379
00:19:36,591 --> 00:19:36,841
returned100 to1 if you give a

380
00:19:37,258 --> 00:19:37,508
million dollars

381
00:19:39,160 --> 00:19:39,410
What doesn't take me very long

382
00:19:40,895 --> 00:19:41,145
to realize I can give all of our

383
00:19:42,664 --> 00:19:42,914
money and it's nothing compared

384
00:19:43,331 --> 00:19:43,581
to what Georgia or Texas does.

385
00:19:46,968 --> 00:19:47,218
and they they just can dwarf us

386
00:19:47,602 --> 00:19:47,852
with the amount of credits that

387
00:19:48,269 --> 00:19:48,519
they do

388
00:19:50,905 --> 00:19:51,155
so we can put a lot of money

389
00:19:51,572 --> 00:19:51,822
into something that doesn't

390
00:19:52,140 --> 00:19:52,390
really move the needle

391
00:19:55,343 --> 00:19:55,593
or we can continue to keep our

392
00:19:56,911 --> 00:19:57,161
eye and stay focused on these

393
00:19:58,613 --> 00:19:58,863
corporate and income tax rates.

394
00:20:03,151 --> 00:20:03,401
and and I will tell you like the

395
00:20:04,953 --> 00:20:05,203
the the personal income tax

396
00:20:06,421 --> 00:20:06,671
has kind of been the sentence's

397
00:20:08,423 --> 00:20:08,673
thing. the house has always

398
00:20:10,425 --> 00:20:10,675
said we require that the

399
00:20:12,427 --> 00:20:12,677
corporate rates follow. if it

400
00:20:13,027 --> 00:20:13,277
was up to me I would just I

401
00:20:14,896 --> 00:20:15,146
would make sure personal

402
00:20:16,764 --> 00:20:17,014
income tax gets cut all the way

403
00:20:18,433 --> 00:20:18,683
back down to close to zero as we

404
00:20:19,100 --> 00:20:19,350
can

405
00:20:20,902 --> 00:20:21,152
and then and then go take on the

406
00:20:24,405 --> 00:20:24,655
corporate rates but it's been

407
00:20:25,173 --> 00:20:25,423
wise that the house has demanded

408
00:20:27,408 --> 00:20:27,658
that we follow if we cut in

409
00:20:28,977 --> 00:20:29,227
personal income tax we cut

410
00:20:29,544 --> 00:20:29,794
corporate, we track them all the

411
00:20:33,181 --> 00:20:33,431
time and if if one goes down the

412
00:20:34,415 --> 00:20:34,665
other goes down and that's been

413
00:20:35,149 --> 00:20:35,399
great. it's been a great

414
00:20:36,651 --> 00:20:36,901
messaging for our chambers of

415
00:20:38,920 --> 00:20:39,170
commerces continued good

416
00:20:40,989 --> 00:20:41,239
headlines to to to talk about

417
00:20:41,656 --> 00:20:41,906
what's going on

418
00:20:46,427 --> 00:20:46,677
in Arkansas. So I can talk more

419
00:20:47,161 --> 00:20:47,411
in detail if you have questions

420
00:20:47,829 --> 00:20:48,079
about the policies but what our

421
00:20:50,898 --> 00:20:51,148
what I really wanted to talk

422
00:20:53,167 --> 00:20:53,417
about was this overall mindset

423
00:20:55,103 --> 00:20:55,353
of what can we do to have

424
00:20:57,171 --> 00:20:57,421
consistent great headlines for

425
00:20:59,540 --> 00:20:59,790
Arkansas the selflessness of our

426
00:21:00,174 --> 00:21:00,424
members

427
00:21:04,412 --> 00:21:04,662
to get the vision of what we're

428
00:21:06,681 --> 00:21:06,931
trying to do and and see the

429
00:21:08,649 --> 00:21:08,899
results right our population's

430
00:21:10,685 --> 00:21:10,935
grown3.5% since the last census.

431
00:21:13,121 --> 00:21:13,371
things are going good. and

432
00:21:14,655 --> 00:21:14,905
we've got we've got the same

433
00:21:16,657 --> 00:21:16,907
thing as West Virginia

434
00:21:18,893 --> 00:21:19,143
there's some really rural tough

435
00:21:20,928 --> 00:21:21,178
spots. there's some more urban

436
00:21:22,697 --> 00:21:22,947
you know depending on what

437
00:21:23,297 --> 00:21:23,547
someone's looking for in life

438
00:21:27,168 --> 00:21:27,418
opportunities but we're we

439
00:21:28,703 --> 00:21:28,953
haven't done anything in

440
00:21:29,203 --> 00:21:29,453
Arkansas that West Virginia

441
00:21:29,771 --> 00:21:30,021
can't do and do really well.

442
00:21:32,573 --> 00:21:32,823
I'm happy to

443
00:21:34,842 --> 00:21:35,092
answer any questions or I can

444
00:21:35,510 --> 00:21:35,760
keep talking.

445
00:21:38,679 --> 00:21:38,929
that's great thank you Senator

446
00:21:40,448 --> 00:21:40,698
President Hester. I'll just

447
00:21:41,049 --> 00:21:41,299
follow up with the first

448
00:21:42,650 --> 00:21:42,900
question. that was a great

449
00:21:44,419 --> 00:21:44,669
presentation and I I I enjoyed

450
00:21:46,654 --> 00:21:46,904
what you what you said about

451
00:21:48,756 --> 00:21:49,006
about the mindset necessary to

452
00:21:49,424 --> 00:21:49,674
to create change

453
00:21:52,393 --> 00:21:52,643
you talked to a good bit about

454
00:21:53,127 --> 00:21:53,377
the tax reform

455
00:21:56,898 --> 00:21:57,148
were you also working on

456
00:21:59,400 --> 00:21:59,650
regulatory reform in parallel so

457
00:22:00,668 --> 00:22:00,918
cutting the red tape, cutting

458
00:22:02,837 --> 00:22:03,087
the permitting processes and can

459
00:22:03,504 --> 00:22:03,754
you talk a little bit about that

460
00:22:04,172 --> 00:22:04,422
please?

461
00:22:06,374 --> 00:22:06,624
that's great.

462
00:22:08,643 --> 00:22:08,893
We say there's nothing we do

463
00:22:10,878 --> 00:22:11,128
that's too small, right? people

464
00:22:11,546 --> 00:22:11,796
sometimes we come in and we want

465
00:22:14,649 --> 00:22:14,899
to do far too much at one given

466
00:22:16,417 --> 00:22:16,667
time and that's why I said these

467
00:22:18,920 --> 00:22:19,170
are consistent over time

468
00:22:21,122 --> 00:22:21,372
look we're we're looking at

469
00:22:22,890 --> 00:22:23,140
anything that can make Arkansas

470
00:22:24,926 --> 00:22:25,176
better. We are constantly

471
00:22:26,928 --> 00:22:27,178
putting pressure on our on our

472
00:22:30,431 --> 00:22:30,681
regulators. Look these you

473
00:22:31,032 --> 00:22:31,282
know we we like to call them

474
00:22:32,667 --> 00:22:32,917
bureaucrats and regulators that

475
00:22:33,367 --> 00:22:33,617
are haring they're doing the job

476
00:22:36,270 --> 00:22:36,520
with the rules that we as the

477
00:22:36,938 --> 00:22:37,188
legislature gave them

478
00:22:38,873 --> 00:22:39,123
right we have to change what

479
00:22:40,675 --> 00:22:40,925
those rules are and it's and

480
00:22:42,910 --> 00:22:43,160
it's scary and and every single

481
00:22:44,879 --> 00:22:45,129
regulation is for the safety of

482
00:22:45,580 --> 00:22:45,830
the people

483
00:22:46,647 --> 00:22:46,897
right

484
00:22:49,117 --> 00:22:49,367
and we get that but we believe

485
00:22:51,152 --> 00:22:51,402
that most Arkansans and we as we

486
00:22:52,653 --> 00:22:52,903
see across the country, most

487
00:22:53,221 --> 00:22:53,471
people would choose a little bit

488
00:22:55,156 --> 00:22:55,406
more liberty than they would

489
00:22:56,991 --> 00:22:57,241
protection from the government

490
00:22:57,658 --> 00:22:57,908
in most situations

491
00:23:01,395 --> 00:23:01,645
so even something down as you

492
00:23:02,730 --> 00:23:02,980
know we look at what's the

493
00:23:04,699 --> 00:23:04,949
biggest challenge is the biggest

494
00:23:07,135 --> 00:23:07,385
challenge electricians OK, if

495
00:23:08,669 --> 00:23:08,919
if we're having a hard time

496
00:23:10,404 --> 00:23:10,654
hiring electricians and heating

497
00:23:11,105 --> 00:23:11,355
air people and recruiting that

498
00:23:12,673 --> 00:23:12,923
industry. How do I make it a

499
00:23:14,442 --> 00:23:14,692
little bit easier to to do

500
00:23:16,677 --> 00:23:16,927
that in Arkansas we used to say

501
00:23:19,113 --> 00:23:19,363
a master electrician could only

502
00:23:19,814 --> 00:23:20,064
train on a 1 to 1 basis

503
00:23:22,683 --> 00:23:22,933
you know we've moved that to5

504
00:23:24,418 --> 00:23:24,668
to1 basis and of course what is

505
00:23:26,654 --> 00:23:26,904
Texas unlimited to one right

506
00:23:28,456 --> 00:23:28,706
like and and I don't see

507
00:23:30,424 --> 00:23:30,674
people burning down buildings in

508
00:23:32,660 --> 00:23:32,910
Texas. right but we're every

509
00:23:34,428 --> 00:23:34,678
single thing that we do in

510
00:23:36,664 --> 00:23:36,914
Arkansas we're trying to

511
00:23:38,699 --> 00:23:38,949
figure out how do we have less

512
00:23:40,668 --> 00:23:40,918
government interference. I

513
00:23:42,670 --> 00:23:42,920
want, I want the entrepreneurs,

514
00:23:44,872 --> 00:23:45,122
the business owners, the bosses

515
00:23:46,674 --> 00:23:46,924
to spend more of their time

516
00:23:48,676 --> 00:23:48,926
thinking about how do I

517
00:23:49,243 --> 00:23:49,493
create a next line? How do I

518
00:23:49,877 --> 00:23:50,127
have a more successful business

519
00:23:52,647 --> 00:23:52,897
I want them worried about that,

520
00:23:54,649 --> 00:23:54,899
not worried about I'm having to

521
00:23:55,383 --> 00:23:55,633
deal with the government today.

522
00:23:57,385 --> 00:23:57,635
I've got a regulator coming. I

523
00:23:58,953 --> 00:23:59,203
can't get this guy's license. no

524
00:24:00,688 --> 00:24:00,938
one's calling me back. My taxes

525
00:24:02,657 --> 00:24:02,907
are rough. How do I avoid those

526
00:24:04,659 --> 00:24:04,909
taxes? We do not want them

527
00:24:06,928 --> 00:24:07,178
spending any time or far less

528
00:24:08,696 --> 00:24:08,946
time they have to deal with us

529
00:24:09,363 --> 00:24:09,613
because there has to be

530
00:24:09,897 --> 00:24:10,147
regulation but like

531
00:24:14,402 --> 00:24:14,652
I want them spending less of

532
00:24:15,102 --> 00:24:15,352
their day dealing with

533
00:24:17,104 --> 00:24:17,354
something. whether that is a

534
00:24:18,873 --> 00:24:19,123
license, whether that's waiting

535
00:24:19,607 --> 00:24:19,857
on a callback, whether that's

536
00:24:20,575 --> 00:24:20,825
standing in line at the Dmv

537
00:24:24,412 --> 00:24:24,662
how do we remove any of those

538
00:24:24,979 --> 00:24:25,229
burdens and and and look

539
00:24:28,883 --> 00:24:29,133
we've had just huge groups of

540
00:24:30,685 --> 00:24:30,935
members that we get great ideas.

541
00:24:31,419 --> 00:24:31,669
same thing as you guys do in

542
00:24:32,920 --> 00:24:33,170
west Virginia and everyone's

543
00:24:34,722 --> 00:24:34,972
going to take

544
00:24:37,191 --> 00:24:37,441
one of those out of a you know

545
00:24:38,693 --> 00:24:38,943
we've got a plan of 20

546
00:24:39,193 --> 00:24:39,443
regulations that we're going to

547
00:24:40,928 --> 00:24:41,178
remove this year

548
00:24:43,164 --> 00:24:43,414
and we don't try to do too much.

549
00:24:44,832 --> 00:24:45,082
I guess maybe I've said a lot of

550
00:24:45,499 --> 00:24:45,749
words to say

551
00:24:48,402 --> 00:24:48,652
if you try to do too much we end

552
00:24:49,103 --> 00:24:49,353
up finding ourselves not

553
00:24:50,905 --> 00:24:51,155
successful but we just take a

554
00:24:52,640 --> 00:24:52,890
small piece of this regulation

555
00:24:54,408 --> 00:24:54,658
and we cut it and the next year

556
00:24:55,076 --> 00:24:55,326
cut it and the next year cut it

557
00:24:57,111 --> 00:24:57,361
and we continue to move the ball

558
00:24:58,913 --> 00:24:59,163
and you look up over 68 or10

559
00:25:00,915 --> 00:25:01,165
years and find yourself in in

560
00:25:03,150 --> 00:25:03,400
a much better place and again

561
00:25:04,885 --> 00:25:05,135
look it matters who your

562
00:25:06,887 --> 00:25:07,137
governor is who's overseeing

563
00:25:08,422 --> 00:25:08,672
those when when when the

564
00:25:09,357 --> 00:25:09,607
governor is totally lockstep

565
00:25:10,958 --> 00:25:11,208
pushing back on all those areas

566
00:25:12,927 --> 00:25:13,177
as well you know we tell our our

567
00:25:14,428 --> 00:25:14,678
regulators

568
00:25:14,862 --> 00:25:15,112
we want to be complaintd

569
00:25:16,664 --> 00:25:16,914
ri ve n we don't want to be

570
00:25:18,432 --> 00:25:18,682
going up in people's businesses

571
00:25:20,401 --> 00:25:20,651
and things looking under rocks

572
00:25:21,102 --> 00:25:21,352
trying to find a way to be

573
00:25:22,570 --> 00:25:22,820
difficult it's it's complaintdri

574
00:25:28,409 --> 00:25:28,659
thank you for that response

575
00:25:29,343 --> 00:25:29,593
senator. Are there questions for

576
00:25:30,011 --> 00:25:30,261
Senator Hester?

577
00:25:36,584 --> 00:25:36,834
delegate from the

578
00:25:38,786 --> 00:25:39,036
16 th

579
00:25:41,222 --> 00:25:41,472
iethixtieth sorry

580
00:25:45,159 --> 00:25:45,409
thank you Mr chairman and

581
00:25:46,961 --> 00:25:47,211
thank you for joining us this

582
00:25:48,929 --> 00:25:49,179
morning from Arkansas.

583
00:25:51,165 --> 00:25:51,415
question this trajectory when

584
00:25:52,933 --> 00:25:53,183
you guys made this decision to

585
00:25:53,601 --> 00:25:53,851
make these

586
00:25:57,104 --> 00:25:57,354
calculated cuts versus your

587
00:25:58,673 --> 00:25:58,923
budget how long have you been on

588
00:25:59,340 --> 00:25:59,590
this pathway or guide path

589
00:26:03,210 --> 00:26:03,460
10 years

590
00:26:06,914 --> 00:26:07,164
and and again it's it's

591
00:26:08,416 --> 00:26:08,666
consistent and I can tell you

592
00:26:10,418 --> 00:26:10,668
you know we went from the

593
00:26:11,118 --> 00:26:11,368
biggest most difficult thing we

594
00:26:14,422 --> 00:26:14,672
did was going from7% personal

595
00:26:15,089 --> 00:26:15,339
income tax to 6.9.

596
00:26:17,191 --> 00:26:17,441
because we hadn't cut taxes in

597
00:26:19,327 --> 00:26:19,577
forever and it was a huge deal

598
00:26:20,961 --> 00:26:21,211
when we did it but then the

599
00:26:23,297 --> 00:26:23,547
floodgates just opened and we I

600
00:26:23,964 --> 00:26:24,214
think maybe point

601
00:26:28,636 --> 00:26:28,886
you know 03 has been the be re0s

602
00:26:30,404 --> 00:26:30,654
has been the biggest cut we've

603
00:26:32,640 --> 00:26:32,890
ever done. We just continue to

604
00:26:34,875 --> 00:26:35,125
do it but for 10 years sometimes

605
00:26:36,644 --> 00:26:36,894
twice a year if revenues are

606
00:26:38,412 --> 00:26:38,662
really good we'll we you know

607
00:26:39,080 --> 00:26:39,330
we'll go into a special session

608
00:26:39,747 --> 00:26:39,997
we'll cut another 110

609
00:26:42,683 --> 00:26:42,933
and so that's been it it's a

610
00:26:43,317 --> 00:26:43,567
consistent for10 years.

611
00:26:46,554 --> 00:26:46,804
OK. right thank you Mr Chairman

612
00:26:51,392 --> 00:26:51,642
Thank you delegate are there

613
00:26:52,026 --> 00:26:52,276
further questions for Senator

614
00:26:52,727 --> 00:26:52,977
Hester?

615
00:26:55,196 --> 00:26:55,446
delegate from the

616
00:26:58,733 --> 00:26:58,983
13th

617
00:27:02,703 --> 00:27:02,953
thank you Mr Chairman. thank you

618
00:27:03,371 --> 00:27:03,621
sir for being here

619
00:27:05,172 --> 00:27:05,422
If West Virginia was to only

620
00:27:07,141 --> 00:27:07,391
adopt three of Arkansas's

621
00:27:07,708 --> 00:27:07,958
roadmap policy

622
00:27:11,145 --> 00:27:11,395
what would you recommend be the

623
00:27:12,780 --> 00:27:13,030
three that we adapt to

624
00:27:16,584 --> 00:27:16,834
and what would be the three that

625
00:27:17,251 --> 00:27:17,501
you would stay away from

626
00:27:22,923 --> 00:27:23,173
Well I'll go right back to this

627
00:27:24,658 --> 00:27:24,908
I think the most important thing

628
00:27:25,393 --> 00:27:25,643
is everybody has to be on the

629
00:27:26,994 --> 00:27:27,244
same page and one is

630
00:27:29,563 --> 00:27:29,813
doing away with pet projects

631
00:27:33,534 --> 00:27:33,784
and that's really hard and the

632
00:27:35,202 --> 00:27:35,452
first time you do it is really

633
00:27:36,937 --> 00:27:37,187
hard and then it gets easier and

634
00:27:40,408 --> 00:27:40,658
easier and we tell people you

635
00:27:42,410 --> 00:27:42,660
better come make a huge regional

636
00:27:44,745 --> 00:27:44,995
case for something but doing

637
00:27:47,181 --> 00:27:47,431
in the mindset is so hard

638
00:27:48,916 --> 00:27:49,166
because we need this thing in my

639
00:27:50,684 --> 00:27:50,934
district or my area. but what

640
00:27:52,419 --> 00:27:52,669
your district or area really

641
00:27:54,422 --> 00:27:54,672
needs is overall tax reform so

642
00:27:55,156 --> 00:27:55,406
they can recruit jobs to your

643
00:27:56,924 --> 00:27:57,174
area. right that's what they

644
00:27:59,160 --> 00:27:59,410
really need. it's a longer term

645
00:28:00,928 --> 00:28:01,178
so number one doing away with

646
00:28:03,197 --> 00:28:03,447
pet projects from the top to the

647
00:28:04,965 --> 00:28:05,215
bottom and again everybody can

648
00:28:06,567 --> 00:28:06,817
be ok with not getting their

649
00:28:07,234 --> 00:28:07,484
thing as long as the

650
00:28:09,003 --> 00:28:09,253
the sentence

651
00:28:13,140 --> 00:28:13,390
this guy in Arkansas. So

652
00:28:14,875 --> 00:28:15,125
that's number one that's

653
00:28:16,944 --> 00:28:17,194
important.2 consistent

654
00:28:18,979 --> 00:28:19,229
cuts

655
00:28:22,450 --> 00:28:22,700
because it's consistent great

656
00:28:24,885 --> 00:28:25,135
headlines for the for state and

657
00:28:26,887 --> 00:28:27,137
for national. consistent don't

658
00:28:28,656 --> 00:28:28,906
do too much at one time you end

659
00:28:29,356 --> 00:28:29,606
up getting yourself in trouble

660
00:28:30,691 --> 00:28:30,941
maybe but this is just the

661
00:28:32,693 --> 00:28:32,943
Arkansas model. so that's I'd

662
00:28:33,327 --> 00:28:33,577
say that's two things

663
00:28:37,198 --> 00:28:37,448
things I would stay away from

664
00:28:39,333 --> 00:28:39,583
or all these other worthy

665
00:28:41,135 --> 00:28:41,385
tax things that people

666
00:28:42,736 --> 00:28:42,986
bring to you

667
00:28:46,407 --> 00:28:46,657
right we and we again we we've

668
00:28:47,107 --> 00:28:47,357
done a few something called

669
00:28:48,909 --> 00:28:49,159
the throwback rule but that

670
00:28:49,477 --> 00:28:49,727
really mattered because we have

671
00:28:50,878 --> 00:28:51,128
a lot of defense spending in our

672
00:28:53,113 --> 00:28:53,363
area we did that a few years

673
00:28:54,915 --> 00:28:55,165
ago but it was very specific

674
00:28:56,684 --> 00:28:56,934
because it was really great for

675
00:28:58,419 --> 00:28:58,669
an entire region of Arkansas

676
00:28:59,153 --> 00:28:59,403
that was struggling. so we made

677
00:29:02,423 --> 00:29:02,673
one choice there to adjust our

678
00:29:03,057 --> 00:29:03,307
throwb throwback rule.

679
00:29:06,927 --> 00:29:07,177
but but stay away from nibbling

680
00:29:10,698 --> 00:29:10,948
on the edges of you know this

681
00:29:11,432 --> 00:29:11,682
policy or that policy when it

682
00:29:13,167 --> 00:29:13,417
comes to tax cuts. stay with the

683
00:29:15,135 --> 00:29:15,385
bigger things that create better

684
00:29:16,871 --> 00:29:17,121
headlines that change people's

685
00:29:18,906 --> 00:29:19,156
mindset business owners about

686
00:29:20,875 --> 00:29:21,125
coming to West Virginia and that

687
00:29:22,877 --> 00:29:23,127
would be consistent personal

688
00:29:26,447 --> 00:29:26,697
income tax consistent

689
00:29:28,682 --> 00:29:28,932
corporate tax and look the

690
00:29:29,316 --> 00:29:29,566
concern is look we're not

691
00:29:30,918 --> 00:29:31,168
Florida we don't have all these

692
00:29:32,453 --> 00:29:32,703
people coming here and staying

693
00:29:33,053 --> 00:29:33,303
on the beach. We're not Texas,

694
00:29:33,721 --> 00:29:33,971
we don't

695
00:29:35,189 --> 00:29:35,439
have oil revenue so what do we

696
00:29:37,124 --> 00:29:37,374
do we we publicize exactly what

697
00:29:39,159 --> 00:29:39,409
you do. Hey come here ride your

698
00:29:40,895 --> 00:29:41,145
bike, kayak, look at the

699
00:29:42,696 --> 00:29:42,946
beautiful views, come spend the

700
00:29:44,431 --> 00:29:44,681
weekend in West Virginia or

701
00:29:45,132 --> 00:29:45,382
Arkansas and see how great this

702
00:29:46,400 --> 00:29:46,650
is

703
00:29:46,867 --> 00:29:47,117
right

704
00:29:49,069 --> 00:29:49,319
tourist dollars are real

705
00:29:50,871 --> 00:29:51,121
dollars. It matters. it starts

706
00:29:52,740 --> 00:29:52,990
businesses

707
00:29:56,677 --> 00:29:56,927
so Arkansas you know we may not

708
00:29:57,411 --> 00:29:57,661
have what some other states have

709
00:29:58,679 --> 00:29:58,929
to get their income tax down to

710
00:29:59,380 --> 00:29:59,630
almost zero or zero

711
00:30:01,282 --> 00:30:01,532
but we do have a lot going for

712
00:30:01,882 --> 00:30:02,132
us that they don't

713
00:30:06,720 --> 00:30:06,970
Thank youir. thank you Mr

714
00:30:07,288 --> 00:30:07,538
Chairman.

715
00:30:09,390 --> 00:30:09,640
thank you delegateur questions

716
00:30:10,057 --> 00:30:10,307
for the senator

717
00:30:12,993 --> 00:30:13,243
senator from the18th or delegate

718
00:30:13,694 --> 00:30:13,944
from the18th sorry

719
00:30:17,131 --> 00:30:17,381
thank you Mr Chairman. Have you

720
00:30:20,401 --> 00:30:20,651
noticed that your personal

721
00:30:22,403 --> 00:30:22,653
income tax reduction rates have

722
00:30:24,638 --> 00:30:24,888
helped improve your workforce

723
00:30:26,640 --> 00:30:26,890
participation in any way or even

724
00:30:27,408 --> 00:30:27,658
the corporate because that's one

725
00:30:29,176 --> 00:30:29,426
of the big issues we have in

726
00:30:30,911 --> 00:30:31,161
west Virginia are workforce

727
00:30:31,512 --> 00:30:31,762
participation is is pretty poor

728
00:30:36,650 --> 00:30:36,900
man that is a fantastic question

729
00:30:37,351 --> 00:30:37,601
and

730
00:30:39,186 --> 00:30:39,436
but I I will give you an

731
00:30:41,088 --> 00:30:41,338
example. we have a county called

732
00:30:41,755 --> 00:30:42,005
Mississippi County

733
00:30:44,592 --> 00:30:44,842
OK they were one of the

734
00:30:48,696 --> 00:30:48,946
biggest users of government

735
00:30:50,431 --> 00:30:50,681
you know reliance right so if

736
00:30:52,433 --> 00:30:52,683
that's medicaid, if that's Sap

737
00:30:53,033 --> 00:30:53,283
benefits

738
00:30:56,403 --> 00:30:56,653
where we we spent a lot of money

739
00:31:00,641 --> 00:31:00,891
10 years ago on recruiting a

740
00:31:01,575 --> 00:31:01,825
steel mill to that area and I

741
00:31:02,242 --> 00:31:02,492
will tell you I voted against it

742
00:31:04,945 --> 00:31:05,195
because just general principles

743
00:31:06,413 --> 00:31:06,663
of mine, I don't think the

744
00:31:07,181 --> 00:31:07,431
government should be getting

745
00:31:08,949 --> 00:31:09,199
involved in buying business. I

746
00:31:10,651 --> 00:31:10,901
want to create an environment

747
00:31:12,419 --> 00:31:12,669
where they want to come here.

748
00:31:14,421 --> 00:31:14,671
Well guess what that's not the

749
00:31:16,423 --> 00:31:16,673
rules the United States plays

750
00:31:17,191 --> 00:31:17,441
by right and if we keep

751
00:31:18,926 --> 00:31:19,176
continuing to call ourselves

752
00:31:20,928 --> 00:31:21,178
purist, we just watch those jobs

753
00:31:22,429 --> 00:31:22,679
go other places but I voted

754
00:31:23,063 --> 00:31:23,313
against it 10 years ago. I'd

755
00:31:24,598 --> 00:31:24,848
vote against it now because of

756
00:31:25,265 --> 00:31:25,515
this

757
00:31:28,902 --> 00:31:29,152
we have watched through that

758
00:31:30,938 --> 00:31:31,188
steel mill that entire community

759
00:31:33,173 --> 00:31:33,423
go from the largest user of Snap

760
00:31:35,175 --> 00:31:35,425
in the state of Arkansas to

761
00:31:37,011 --> 00:31:37,261
almost the lowest user of Snap.

762
00:31:40,414 --> 00:31:40,664
so that's the only county in

763
00:31:41,215 --> 00:31:41,465
Arkansas that's becoming less

764
00:31:41,882 --> 00:31:42,132
dependent on the government

765
00:31:44,685 --> 00:31:44,935
so they were like the most

766
00:31:45,285 --> 00:31:45,535
dependent but guess what when

767
00:31:48,422 --> 00:31:48,672
you can walk out of school, high

768
00:31:49,156 --> 00:31:49,406
school and get a job

769
00:31:52,426 --> 00:31:52,676
making75,000 dollars a year all

770
00:31:54,461 --> 00:31:54,711
of a sudden it's not worth it to

771
00:31:56,430 --> 00:31:56,680
take your20 or30 $1000 worth of

772
00:31:57,064 --> 00:31:57,314
years for government benefits

773
00:31:58,932 --> 00:31:59,182
for housing and food and

774
00:32:00,801 --> 00:32:01,051
unemployment. So when you've got

775
00:32:01,468 --> 00:32:01,718
a good enough job

776
00:32:04,638 --> 00:32:04,888
we see it working in Arkansas

777
00:32:06,407 --> 00:32:06,657
when it's a good enough job,

778
00:32:08,409 --> 00:32:08,659
people will choose to get back

779
00:32:10,411 --> 00:32:10,661
into the workforce and go work a

780
00:32:11,378 --> 00:32:11,628
hard day and then guess what?

781
00:32:12,680 --> 00:32:12,930
they don't they don't need the

782
00:32:15,182 --> 00:32:15,432
government providing for them so

783
00:32:16,684 --> 00:32:16,934
now we have less of a burden in

784
00:32:18,919 --> 00:32:19,169
that area. they their life

785
00:32:20,921 --> 00:32:21,171
satisfaction is is better. The

786
00:32:21,588 --> 00:32:21,838
community's changing drastically

787
00:32:24,892 --> 00:32:25,142
but I'll go back to that when

788
00:32:26,660 --> 00:32:26,910
you have an environment that

789
00:32:28,662 --> 00:32:28,912
recruits businesses into town

790
00:32:30,731 --> 00:32:30,981
people will choose to go to work

791
00:32:40,708 --> 00:32:40,958
the junior senator from the

792
00:32:41,275 --> 00:32:41,525
fifth senior senator from the

793
00:32:41,942 --> 00:32:42,192
fifth

794
00:32:48,849 --> 00:32:49,099
good morning Mr. President I

795
00:32:50,451 --> 00:32:50,701
appreciate you being here and

796
00:32:52,419 --> 00:32:52,669
and you're speaking on a topic

797
00:32:53,087 --> 00:32:53,337
that I'm really

798
00:32:54,855 --> 00:32:55,105
interested in

799
00:32:57,558 --> 00:32:57,808
here in west Virginia and we're

800
00:32:58,992 --> 00:32:59,242
talking about the workforce and

801
00:32:59,660 --> 00:32:59,910
and you said some things that

802
00:33:02,896 --> 00:33:03,146
that really perked my interest

803
00:33:05,199 --> 00:33:05,449
here and I agree with you that

804
00:33:06,934 --> 00:33:07,184
if you if you have the

805
00:33:10,838 --> 00:33:11,088
opportunities to provide the

806
00:33:11,505 --> 00:33:11,755
workforce they will take it

807
00:33:15,175 --> 00:33:15,425
the problem in westvirginia we

808
00:33:16,744 --> 00:33:16,994
are a heavy Medicaid

809
00:33:22,416 --> 00:33:22,666
you know snap state. and

810
00:33:24,651 --> 00:33:24,901
there are no jobs that can

811
00:33:26,820 --> 00:33:27,070
replace right now that can

812
00:33:27,354 --> 00:33:27,604
replace the

813
00:33:30,958 --> 00:33:31,208
the pay that they get from the

814
00:33:32,659 --> 00:33:32,909
government assistance. In fact

815
00:33:34,928 --> 00:33:35,178
if we in one of the things I'm

816
00:33:36,430 --> 00:33:36,680
gonna work at and I'm gonna see

817
00:33:37,097 --> 00:33:37,347
if you all are doing the same

818
00:33:37,765 --> 00:33:38,015
thing

819
00:33:38,866 --> 00:33:39,116
is

820
00:33:40,934 --> 00:33:41,184
you know for so long they've

821
00:33:42,903 --> 00:33:43,153
been incentivized to not work

822
00:33:44,705 --> 00:33:44,955
you get a job and then they they

823
00:33:45,372 --> 00:33:45,622
take all your benefit

824
00:33:49,243 --> 00:33:49,493
behoovebun to go you know what

825
00:33:52,412 --> 00:33:52,662
I'm gonna go out and work a job

826
00:33:55,149 --> 00:33:55,399
which now a meal like that is

827
00:33:57,217 --> 00:33:57,467
great but if you're going out

828
00:33:58,652 --> 00:33:58,902
here like the small businesses

829
00:34:00,587 --> 00:34:00,837
here are having trouble filling

830
00:34:01,255 --> 00:34:01,505
their workforce with

831
00:34:06,560 --> 00:34:06,810
those jobs don't replace a

832
00:34:07,094 --> 00:34:07,344
government income

833
00:34:12,699 --> 00:34:12,949
So have you all looked and I'm

834
00:34:14,701 --> 00:34:14,951
looking at maybe incentivizing

835
00:34:17,004 --> 00:34:17,254
people to go to work with not

836
00:34:19,072 --> 00:34:19,322
taking all the benefits away

837
00:34:22,943 --> 00:34:23,193
but doing it prorated at at a

838
00:34:24,711 --> 00:34:24,961
way that they can still work

839
00:34:28,949 --> 00:34:29,199
and and really benefit from

840
00:34:30,684 --> 00:34:30,934
going to work to kind of help

841
00:34:32,519 --> 00:34:32,769
the the small businesses in

842
00:34:33,187 --> 00:34:33,437
our state what's your

843
00:34:38,458 --> 00:34:38,708
Well what we call that in

844
00:34:40,427 --> 00:34:40,677
Arkansas and you might too it's

845
00:34:42,729 --> 00:34:42,979
the cliff right like a I've got

846
00:34:43,430 --> 00:34:43,680
so much benefits and the moment

847
00:34:45,165 --> 00:34:45,415
I make too much I lose

848
00:34:47,167 --> 00:34:47,417
everything and at that point it

849
00:34:49,169 --> 00:34:49,419
I'm better off being at home. so

850
00:34:50,771 --> 00:34:51,021
how do we have a stepdown

851
00:34:51,338 --> 00:34:51,588
process

852
00:34:54,408 --> 00:34:54,658
rather than just a huge cliff

853
00:34:55,142 --> 00:34:55,392
from people and you know a lot

854
00:34:56,543 --> 00:34:56,793
of this is iseder reg

855
00:35:00,414 --> 00:35:00,664
federally regulated right but

856
00:35:01,181 --> 00:35:01,431
the things that we can control

857
00:35:02,916 --> 00:35:03,166
in Arkansas we have started to

858
00:35:06,420 --> 00:35:06,670
create ways for people to step

859
00:35:08,689 --> 00:35:08,939
down off these benefits and look

860
00:35:09,356 --> 00:35:09,606
for a long time I believe that

861
00:35:10,424 --> 00:35:10,674
they just don't want to work

862
00:35:11,058 --> 00:35:11,308
they're unwilling to work and

863
00:35:11,725 --> 00:35:11,975
and I've just seen it different

864
00:35:14,661 --> 00:35:14,911
when when you find a way to put

865
00:35:16,897 --> 00:35:17,147
something inad most people will

866
00:35:18,932 --> 00:35:19,182
choose we've just been seeing

867
00:35:20,901 --> 00:35:21,151
it we'll choose to go to work

868
00:35:22,636 --> 00:35:22,886
when there's a good enough job

869
00:35:24,404 --> 00:35:24,654
like you said where where the

870
00:35:25,138 --> 00:35:25,388
benefits just don't change if if

871
00:35:26,907 --> 00:35:27,157
all of a sudden I'm I'm working

872
00:35:28,909 --> 00:35:29,159
and bettering myself I'm going

873
00:35:30,410 --> 00:35:30,660
to school at night and the

874
00:35:32,946 --> 00:35:33,196
moment I'm I get a pay raise or

875
00:35:34,681 --> 00:35:34,931
promotion at work now I'll lose

876
00:35:36,416 --> 00:35:36,666
all the benefits for my children

877
00:35:37,150 --> 00:35:37,400
to go be able to go to daycare.

878
00:35:38,685 --> 00:35:38,935
Well now I can't afford to work

879
00:35:40,454 --> 00:35:40,704
anymore. So I don't take the

880
00:35:41,088 --> 00:35:41,338
promotion. I don't take the

881
00:35:41,688 --> 00:35:41,938
uppermobility in my life

882
00:35:45,158 --> 00:35:45,408
but we we we we see it we've

883
00:35:48,428 --> 00:35:48,678
consistently worked on areas and

884
00:35:50,931 --> 00:35:51,181
ways that we can do a stepdown

885
00:35:51,632 --> 00:35:51,882
process rather than a cliff.

886
00:35:53,533 --> 00:35:53,783
thank you very much appreciate

887
00:35:54,201 --> 00:35:54,451
it.

888
00:35:57,170 --> 00:35:57,420
are there further questions for

889
00:35:57,804 --> 00:35:58,054
the senator

890
00:36:00,641 --> 00:36:00,891
delegate from the

891
00:36:03,210 --> 00:36:03,460
eightyfourth

892
00:36:07,180 --> 00:36:07,430
thank you and thank you for

893
00:36:10,417 --> 00:36:10,667
being here. The one question I

894
00:36:12,419 --> 00:36:12,669
have is if you're consistently

895
00:36:13,086 --> 00:36:13,336
cutting consistently down

896
00:36:18,625 --> 00:36:18,875
do your schools and do your

897
00:36:19,426 --> 00:36:19,676
roadways and your waterways

898
00:36:24,932 --> 00:36:25,182
costs consistently go up and all

899
00:36:27,200 --> 00:36:27,450
these sections how do you

900
00:36:28,535 --> 00:36:28,785
accommodate

901
00:36:28,785 --> 00:36:29,035
those

902
00:36:30,704 --> 00:36:30,954
Yeah

903
00:36:33,206 --> 00:36:33,456
I'm going to guess we're

904
00:36:35,442 --> 00:36:35,692
different in in westvirginia

905
00:36:36,977 --> 00:36:37,227
then then than here in

906
00:36:39,246 --> 00:36:39,496
Arkansas and how we do that our

907
00:36:40,914 --> 00:36:41,164
schools are primarily funded by

908
00:36:42,683 --> 00:36:42,933
property taxes that are done

909
00:36:44,685 --> 00:36:44,935
solely at the county level. so

910
00:36:46,420 --> 00:36:46,670
the state's removed from that

911
00:36:48,689 --> 00:36:48,939
process. Now they tax them on a

912
00:36:50,691 --> 00:36:50,941
county level and then every

913
00:36:52,426 --> 00:36:52,676
student in Arkansas gets a gets

914
00:36:56,430 --> 00:36:56,680
a consistent amount and then

915
00:36:57,197 --> 00:36:57,447
each county if they choose to

916
00:36:58,732 --> 00:36:58,982
tax themselves more they can

917
00:36:59,333 --> 00:36:59,583
give more to their school

918
00:37:00,734 --> 00:37:00,984
districts so by cutting our

919
00:37:04,638 --> 00:37:04,888
income taxes it doesn't

920
00:37:06,907 --> 00:37:07,157
affect our schools well

921
00:37:08,675 --> 00:37:08,925
really at all because they're

922
00:37:10,644 --> 00:37:10,894
funded basically by property

923
00:37:12,646 --> 00:37:12,896
taxes in Arkansas. so that is a

924
00:37:14,414 --> 00:37:14,664
benefit for us. I can cut

925
00:37:15,148 --> 00:37:15,398
corporate rates, I can cut

926
00:37:17,351 --> 00:37:17,601
personal income taxes and it and

927
00:37:20,454 --> 00:37:20,704
it should not be a negative

928
00:37:22,422 --> 00:37:22,672
reflection on our schools. What

929
00:37:23,123 --> 00:37:23,373
we hope that it does and what

930
00:37:24,925 --> 00:37:25,175
we've been seeing it does is

931
00:37:26,660 --> 00:37:26,910
more people move to town.

932
00:37:27,394 --> 00:37:27,644
there's more houses, more houses

933
00:37:28,929 --> 00:37:29,179
being built which increases

934
00:37:30,864 --> 00:37:31,114
property taxes meaning more

935
00:37:31,431 --> 00:37:31,681
money going to our local school

936
00:37:32,099 --> 00:37:32,349
district

937
00:37:32,366 --> 00:37:32,616
t s

938
00:37:35,135 --> 00:37:35,385
the roads is a big deal.

939
00:37:36,903 --> 00:37:37,153
we do fund a lot of that from

940
00:37:38,672 --> 00:37:38,922
from the state level we just

941
00:37:40,407 --> 00:37:40,657
prioritized that like we look at

942
00:37:41,174 --> 00:37:41,424
what what is the what is the

943
00:37:42,909 --> 00:37:43,159
role of government right to keep

944
00:37:44,945 --> 00:37:45,195
people safe to provide you know

945
00:37:46,913 --> 00:37:47,163
the utilities and I believe you

946
00:37:48,415 --> 00:37:48,665
know the highway systems

947
00:37:50,684 --> 00:37:50,934
utilities so we prioritize

948
00:37:54,421 --> 00:37:54,671
that in fact when we have a

949
00:37:56,423 --> 00:37:56,673
surplusXcent of that surplus

950
00:37:57,190 --> 00:37:57,440
every year the first thing that

951
00:37:59,393 --> 00:37:59,643
happens to it is send it to

952
00:37:59,926 --> 00:38:00,176
our highway system

953
00:38:04,564 --> 00:38:04,814
and our road system. So it

954
00:38:05,098 --> 00:38:05,348
is a priority for us

955
00:38:05,565 --> 00:38:05,815
but again

956
00:38:10,404 --> 00:38:10,654
all these things are worthy.

957
00:38:11,004 --> 00:38:11,254
we just know that it will take

958
00:38:12,739 --> 00:38:12,989
time. we've got to create an

959
00:38:13,407 --> 00:38:13,657
entire culture change

960
00:38:15,175 --> 00:38:15,425
then we can go back and start

961
00:38:16,877 --> 00:38:17,127
fixing some of those you know I

962
00:38:17,511 --> 00:38:17,761
did an AI search this morning

963
00:38:19,212 --> 00:38:19,462
Why would I move to West

964
00:38:19,780 --> 00:38:20,030
Virginia

965
00:38:22,649 --> 00:38:22,899
and then I did one why would I

966
00:38:24,651 --> 00:38:24,901
move to Arkansas? and I did

967
00:38:26,753 --> 00:38:27,003
that because I met somebody a

968
00:38:27,421 --> 00:38:27,671
few weeks ago

969
00:38:29,122 --> 00:38:29,372
and they moved to Arkansas said

970
00:38:31,191 --> 00:38:31,441
why and they said I just I got

971
00:38:32,893 --> 00:38:33,143
into AI and I said I want all

972
00:38:33,593 --> 00:38:33,843
these things in life where

973
00:38:34,461 --> 00:38:34,711
should I move and it said

974
00:38:35,162 --> 00:38:35,412
Arkansas. I was like really?

975
00:38:37,164 --> 00:38:37,414
He's like yeah. he goes so I ran

976
00:38:38,665 --> 00:38:38,915
the search a few different times

977
00:38:39,366 --> 00:38:39,616
and it kept saying I should go

978
00:38:40,067 --> 00:38:40,317
visit Arkansas.

979
00:38:42,869 --> 00:38:43,119
but when I a out it this morning

980
00:38:43,603 --> 00:38:43,853
and said why should I move to

981
00:38:45,172 --> 00:38:45,422
Arkansas? It said you have

982
00:38:47,240 --> 00:38:47,490
serious systematic

983
00:38:47,707 --> 00:38:47,957
infrastructure concerns

984
00:38:50,510 --> 00:38:50,760
that is true.

985
00:38:53,180 --> 00:38:53,430
we take care of it we're working

986
00:38:56,683 --> 00:38:56,933
on it. we're not there yet.

987
00:38:58,385 --> 00:38:58,635
we're we're trying to heal

988
00:38:59,419 --> 00:38:59,669
ourselves on taxs basis get

989
00:39:00,954 --> 00:39:01,204
people coming here and we'll

990
00:39:02,422 --> 00:39:02,672
continue to start putting money

991
00:39:03,090 --> 00:39:03,340
into the infrastructure to fix

992
00:39:03,723 --> 00:39:03,973
it

993
00:39:09,529 --> 00:39:09,779
Any further questions

994
00:39:16,903 --> 00:39:17,153
ing an and senator President

995
00:39:18,405 --> 00:39:18,655
Hester, thank you so much for

996
00:39:19,005 --> 00:39:19,255
being here with us this morning

997
00:39:20,907 --> 00:39:21,157
truly appreciate your testimony

998
00:39:22,375 --> 00:39:22,625
and your perspective, your

999
00:39:24,644 --> 00:39:24,894
wisdom next time you're in

1000
00:39:25,479 --> 00:39:25,729
west Virginia please let me

1001
00:39:26,947 --> 00:39:27,197
know. we'll make sure we show

1002
00:39:27,581 --> 00:39:27,831
you around and show you all the

1003
00:39:28,248 --> 00:39:28,498
good things here

1004
00:39:31,284 --> 00:39:31,534
thank you. I'll do it. thank you

1005
00:39:31,952 --> 00:39:32,202
so much have a great day

1006
00:39:33,019 --> 00:39:33,269
you too

1007
00:39:37,157 --> 00:39:37,407
right moving on next on our next

1008
00:39:39,126 --> 00:39:39,376
on our item on our agenda is a

1009
00:39:42,429 --> 00:39:42,679
presentation from Christine

1010
00:39:43,196 --> 00:39:43,446
Davies who is the deputy

1011
00:39:44,698 --> 00:39:44,948
secretary for economic

1012
00:39:46,666 --> 00:39:46,916
development and workforce

1013
00:39:47,367 --> 00:39:47,617
participation deputy secret

1014
00:39:48,535 --> 00:39:48,785
Secretary Davies

1015
00:39:51,004 --> 00:39:51,254
thank you for being here. Can

1016
00:39:51,638 --> 00:39:51,888
you raise your right hand

1017
00:39:52,205 --> 00:39:52,455
please?

1018
00:39:54,674 --> 00:39:54,924
Do you swear to tell the truth

1019
00:39:56,409 --> 00:39:56,659
the whole truth, nothing but the

1020
00:39:57,043 --> 00:39:57,293
truth under penalty of false

1021
00:39:58,411 --> 00:39:58,661
swearing so help you go.

1022
00:39:59,312 --> 00:39:59,562
Thank you please proceed

1023
00:40:33,380 --> 00:40:33,630
Well thank you so much chairman

1024
00:40:34,915 --> 00:40:35,165
and good morning to all of you

1025
00:40:36,683 --> 00:40:36,933
thank you for the invitation to

1026
00:40:38,919 --> 00:40:39,169
be here to address quite a

1027
00:40:40,654 --> 00:40:40,904
number of key topics that I know

1028
00:40:42,622 --> 00:40:42,872
are very important to all of you

1029
00:40:43,256 --> 00:40:43,506
and certainly to our state

1030
00:40:45,492 --> 00:40:45,742
in terms of the first topic you

1031
00:40:46,960 --> 00:40:47,210
asked me to address site

1032
00:40:48,695 --> 00:40:48,945
selection and infrastructure

1033
00:40:51,198 --> 00:40:51,448
availability really evaluating

1034
00:40:52,933 --> 00:40:53,183
how the states localized site

1035
00:40:54,634 --> 00:40:54,884
readiness grants and our

1036
00:40:56,903 --> 00:40:57,153
broader50 by fi0 framework help

1037
00:40:58,705 --> 00:40:58,955
prepare locations to attract

1038
00:41:00,941 --> 00:41:01,191
megaros. Um, I really want to

1039
00:41:03,176 --> 00:41:03,426
start by just calling out that

1040
00:41:04,711 --> 00:41:04,961
economic development is

1041
00:41:06,947 --> 00:41:07,197
successful to really what I

1042
00:41:08,915 --> 00:41:09,165
consider a core triad approach

1043
00:41:10,951 --> 00:41:11,201
of effort and that of course

1044
00:41:12,786 --> 00:41:13,036
includes site readiness,

1045
00:41:13,353 --> 00:41:13,603
business fundamentals and

1046
00:41:15,255 --> 00:41:15,505
incentives and workforce

1047
00:41:15,822 --> 00:41:16,072
development.

1048
00:41:18,892 --> 00:41:19,142
site readiness investment by

1049
00:41:20,927 --> 00:41:21,177
states is absolutely critical

1050
00:41:22,896 --> 00:41:23,146
for us to attract economic

1051
00:41:24,931 --> 00:41:25,181
development projects whether

1052
00:41:26,833 --> 00:41:27,083
they're megaros or otherwise. no

1053
00:41:27,500 --> 00:41:27,750
site

1054
00:41:30,904 --> 00:41:31,154
equals no project no matter

1055
00:41:32,672 --> 00:41:32,922
what the incentives the tax

1056
00:41:34,874 --> 00:41:35,124
structures etc. might be and

1057
00:41:36,876 --> 00:41:37,126
speed to build is frequently

1058
00:41:38,645 --> 00:41:38,895
ranked as the number one issue

1059
00:41:40,914 --> 00:41:41,164
for project selection above the

1060
00:41:41,548 --> 00:41:41,798
other elements of the triad.

1061
00:41:45,218 --> 00:41:45,468
West Virginia is aggressively

1062
00:41:46,686 --> 00:41:46,936
catching up to our neighbors on

1063
00:41:48,421 --> 00:41:48,671
site readiness investments,

1064
00:41:50,423 --> 00:41:50,673
neighborighbos who have poured

1065
00:41:52,425 --> 00:41:52,675
hundreds of millions of dollars

1066
00:41:53,126 --> 00:41:53,376
into this effort over the last

1067
00:41:53,827 --> 00:41:54,077
several years.

1068
00:41:56,429 --> 00:41:56,679
but since its kickoff in

1069
00:41:58,665 --> 00:41:58,915
November of2023 the yes west

1070
00:42:00,934 --> 00:42:01,184
Virginia siteready grants

1071
00:42:02,636 --> 00:42:02,886
program has invested5 million

1072
00:42:04,404 --> 00:42:04,654
dollars to evaluate over100

1073
00:42:06,640 --> 00:42:06,890
sites nominated by local

1074
00:42:07,173 --> 00:42:07,423
economic development

1075
00:42:08,942 --> 00:42:09,192
organizations across the state

1076
00:42:11,244 --> 00:42:11,494
or Lidos for industrial

1077
00:42:11,778 --> 00:42:12,028
development statewide.

1078
00:42:16,416 --> 00:42:16,666
7500 $0 micro grants were

1079
00:42:18,652 --> 00:42:18,902
awarded to38 of those sites that

1080
00:42:20,420 --> 00:42:20,670
met the qualifications that were

1081
00:42:22,689 --> 00:42:22,939
that were set out to fund due

1082
00:42:25,125 --> 00:42:25,375
diligence and site work to

1083
00:42:28,428 --> 00:42:28,678
advance those sites readiness

1084
00:42:29,029 --> 00:42:29,279
and we are finalizing

1085
00:42:30,697 --> 00:42:30,947
assessments of which of the

1086
00:42:32,666 --> 00:42:32,916
remaining nominated sites as

1087
00:42:34,668 --> 00:42:34,918
well as newly introduced sites

1088
00:42:36,403 --> 00:42:36,653
that our team receives on

1089
00:42:38,405 --> 00:42:38,655
literally a daily basis maybe be

1090
00:42:39,339 --> 00:42:39,589
good investments for future site

1091
00:42:40,006 --> 00:42:40,256
readiness funding.

1092
00:42:43,410 --> 00:42:43,660
Our current inventory of sites

1093
00:42:46,946 --> 00:42:47,196
ranges from5 to5,000 acres and

1094
00:42:48,682 --> 00:42:48,932
we're working to grow that list

1095
00:42:50,950 --> 00:42:51,200
of qualified inventory really

1096
00:42:53,186 --> 00:42:53,436
around three tiers of readiness

1097
00:42:55,188 --> 00:42:55,438
in order to better inform our

1098
00:42:56,956 --> 00:42:57,206
sense of funding needed to make

1099
00:42:58,692 --> 00:42:58,942
as much of West Virginia

1100
00:43:00,660 --> 00:43:00,910
investment readyad as possible.

1101
00:43:02,962 --> 00:43:03,212
So for example, a tier one site

1102
00:43:04,664 --> 00:43:04,914
might be considered as close to

1103
00:43:06,733 --> 00:43:06,983
turnkey ready as possible a tier

1104
00:43:08,935 --> 00:43:09,185
two site has some site readiness

1105
00:43:10,537 --> 00:43:10,787
elements in place like

1106
00:43:10,970 --> 00:43:11,220
infrastructure but still

1107
00:43:13,440 --> 00:43:13,690
needs advancement to be ready

1108
00:43:16,676 --> 00:43:16,926
for turnkey investment ier

1109
00:43:18,411 --> 00:43:18,661
three might require significant

1110
00:43:20,413 --> 00:43:20,663
work to be ready for investment

1111
00:43:22,682 --> 00:43:22,932
but it's still worthy of

1112
00:43:24,417 --> 00:43:24,667
consideration. And this

1113
00:43:25,452 --> 00:43:25,702
preliminary work to improve site

1114
00:43:26,953 --> 00:43:27,203
readiness is critical. It

1115
00:43:28,688 --> 00:43:28,938
improves things like completing

1116
00:43:30,690 --> 00:43:30,940
environmental site assessments,

1117
00:43:32,692 --> 00:43:32,942
geotechnical investigations

1118
00:43:34,961 --> 00:43:35,211
utility studies and other due

1119
00:43:36,730 --> 00:43:36,980
diligence that provides

1120
00:43:38,965 --> 00:43:39,215
visibility into a site's risk

1121
00:43:40,567 --> 00:43:40,817
profile. These are issues that

1122
00:43:41,234 --> 00:43:41,484
could impact

1123
00:43:43,169 --> 00:43:43,419
development and they become

1124
00:43:44,938 --> 00:43:45,188
known variables that can be

1125
00:43:47,207 --> 00:43:47,457
planned for rather than unknown

1126
00:43:49,209 --> 00:43:49,459
risks that could frustrate an

1127
00:43:50,910 --> 00:43:51,160
investor if it's discovered

1128
00:43:52,912 --> 00:43:53,162
during their time sensitive due

1129
00:43:54,914 --> 00:43:55,164
diligence. So essentially we're

1130
00:43:56,416 --> 00:43:56,666
improving our readiness for

1131
00:43:57,150 --> 00:43:57,400
investment, which makes the

1132
00:43:58,952 --> 00:43:59,202
choice of West Virginia that

1133
00:44:01,020 --> 00:44:01,270
much easier for companies and

1134
00:44:01,721 --> 00:44:01,971
investors to make

1135
00:44:04,624 --> 00:44:04,874
sites with completed due

1136
00:44:05,425 --> 00:44:05,675
diligence through a site

1137
00:44:07,193 --> 00:44:07,443
readiness program, have that

1138
00:44:08,928 --> 00:44:09,178
competitive advantage over those

1139
00:44:11,197 --> 00:44:11,447
lacking investigative work and

1140
00:44:12,932 --> 00:44:13,182
increasingly I have to tell you

1141
00:44:15,168 --> 00:44:15,418
that site consultants um, which

1142
00:44:17,404 --> 00:44:17,654
probably constitute about50% of

1143
00:44:20,407 --> 00:44:20,657
the project inquiries that we

1144
00:44:23,176 --> 00:44:23,426
get insist that RFI request

1145
00:44:26,413 --> 00:44:26,663
for information responses

1146
00:44:28,681 --> 00:44:28,931
include only sites with some

1147
00:44:29,282 --> 00:44:29,532
level of completed due

1148
00:44:30,750 --> 00:44:31,000
diligence. it's not enough to

1149
00:44:31,351 --> 00:44:31,601
send them a picture of a

1150
00:44:31,918 --> 00:44:32,168
beautiful plot of land

1151
00:44:34,654 --> 00:44:34,904
and ask them to imagine the art

1152
00:44:36,423 --> 00:44:36,673
of the possible. We have to show

1153
00:44:38,458 --> 00:44:38,708
that we've committed to to

1154
00:44:40,427 --> 00:44:40,677
developing those sites

1155
00:44:41,361 --> 00:44:41,611
towards being ready for for

1156
00:44:41,928 --> 00:44:42,178
investors on day one.

1157
00:44:46,433 --> 00:44:46,683
Now megaprojects which I know

1158
00:44:47,133 --> 00:44:47,383
are of particular importance to

1159
00:44:49,135 --> 00:44:49,385
this group typically require a

1160
00:44:51,371 --> 00:44:51,621
minimum of1,000 acres of

1161
00:44:52,906 --> 00:44:53,156
contiguous acres of developable

1162
00:44:56,409 --> 00:44:56,659
land and while West Virginia we

1163
00:44:57,043 --> 00:44:57,293
are blessed with beautiful

1164
00:44:58,678 --> 00:44:58,928
mountains and the bounty that

1165
00:45:00,413 --> 00:45:00,663
those mountains have provided to

1166
00:45:02,882 --> 00:45:03,132
us our severe slopes and our

1167
00:45:04,918 --> 00:45:05,168
flat land often occurring

1168
00:45:06,920 --> 00:45:07,170
along rivers which of course

1169
00:45:08,922 --> 00:45:09,172
introduces flood plain risk is

1170
00:45:10,657 --> 00:45:10,907
our greatest challenge in terms

1171
00:45:11,458 --> 00:45:11,708
of finding large sites across

1172
00:45:12,125 --> 00:45:12,375
the state

1173
00:45:14,661 --> 00:45:14,911
for industrial development

1174
00:45:15,195 --> 00:45:15,445
including megaros.

1175
00:45:18,465 --> 00:45:18,715
and so my suggestion to you is

1176
00:45:20,433 --> 00:45:20,683
that we continue to keep working

1177
00:45:22,435 --> 00:45:22,685
to fund site readiness for

1178
00:45:24,404 --> 00:45:24,654
industrial projects of all sizes

1179
00:45:26,406 --> 00:45:26,656
whether they be those 1000 acre

1180
00:45:27,207 --> 00:45:27,457
parcels that we're able to find

1181
00:45:27,907 --> 00:45:28,157
or less

1182
00:45:30,910 --> 00:45:31,160
recognizing that as a state a

1183
00:45:34,414 --> 00:45:34,664
messiah if you will of slightly

1184
00:45:35,415 --> 00:45:35,665
smaller projects can produce

1185
00:45:38,418 --> 00:45:38,668
similar value to landing one

1186
00:45:40,420 --> 00:45:40,670
really huge but often elusive

1187
00:45:41,187 --> 00:45:41,437
fish for any of you that

1188
00:45:43,156 --> 00:45:43,406
struggle with fishing as I do

1189
00:45:45,425 --> 00:45:45,675
and I wanted to point out the

1190
00:45:47,227 --> 00:45:47,477
danger unfortunately of putting

1191
00:45:49,262 --> 00:45:49,512
too many eggs in the megaroject

1192
00:45:52,432 --> 00:45:52,682
basket. a recent study out of

1193
00:45:53,233 --> 00:45:53,483
the Mackinac Center of Public

1194
00:45:56,569 --> 00:45:56,819
Policy in Michigan found that

1195
00:45:57,237 --> 00:45:57,487
only 9%

1196
00:46:00,640 --> 00:46:00,890
of the promised jobs from

1197
00:46:02,642 --> 00:46:02,892
megaros that were announced in

1198
00:46:04,911 --> 00:46:05,161
that state between2000 and2020

1199
00:46:05,578 --> 00:46:05,828
were actually realized

1200
00:46:10,416 --> 00:46:10,666
megaros are wonderful headlines

1201
00:46:11,150 --> 00:46:11,400
and they can have wonderful

1202
00:46:12,919 --> 00:46:13,169
impact on our communities but

1203
00:46:15,188 --> 00:46:15,438
they'res also often difficult

1204
00:46:17,156 --> 00:46:17,406
projects to see come to fruition

1205
00:46:19,192 --> 00:46:19,442
versus smaller projects in the50

1206
00:46:20,593 --> 00:46:20,843
to250 job range.

1207
00:46:24,664 --> 00:46:24,914
in terms of the fi0 by50 energy

1208
00:46:26,966 --> 00:46:27,216
policy. this is really a

1209
00:46:28,635 --> 00:46:28,885
distinctive advantage in the

1210
00:46:30,870 --> 00:46:31,120
pursuit of industrial project

1211
00:46:32,906 --> 00:46:33,156
investment access to affordable

1212
00:46:35,141 --> 00:46:35,391
ample electricity is top of mind

1213
00:46:36,943 --> 00:46:37,193
for every industrial investor,

1214
00:46:38,678 --> 00:46:38,928
especially those whose

1215
00:46:40,413 --> 00:46:40,663
businesses of course require

1216
00:46:40,980 --> 00:46:41,230
massive amounts of electricity

1217
00:46:44,651 --> 00:46:44,901
we consistently hear from site

1218
00:46:46,619 --> 00:46:46,869
consultants as well as companies

1219
00:46:48,922 --> 00:46:49,172
that West Virginia is in a class

1220
00:46:50,890 --> 00:46:51,140
of your own in terms of our

1221
00:46:52,725 --> 00:46:52,975
5050 initiative and our

1222
00:46:54,427 --> 00:46:54,677
commitment to developing that

1223
00:46:55,161 --> 00:46:55,411
electricity. I would tell you

1224
00:46:57,163 --> 00:46:57,413
that Texas and their Texasnergy

1225
00:46:59,198 --> 00:46:59,448
fund to spur new base load

1226
00:47:01,200 --> 00:47:01,450
generation is probably the only

1227
00:47:03,169 --> 00:47:03,419
comparable state policy targeted

1228
00:47:04,904 --> 00:47:05,154
for across the board

1229
00:47:06,906 --> 00:47:07,156
electricity growth but of course

1230
00:47:08,641 --> 00:47:08,891
Texas is very different given

1231
00:47:09,442 --> 00:47:09,692
their regulatory position when

1232
00:47:10,109 --> 00:47:10,359
it comes to energy.

1233
00:47:16,883 --> 00:47:17,133
in terms of topic two the idea

1234
00:47:19,185 --> 00:47:19,435
of deemed approved shot clocks.

1235
00:47:21,421 --> 00:47:21,671
structuring rapid review

1236
00:47:23,156 --> 00:47:23,406
mandates and automatic approval

1237
00:47:25,191 --> 00:47:25,441
mechanisms including

1238
00:47:26,926 --> 00:47:27,176
completeness certification

1239
00:47:28,795 --> 00:47:29,045
windows to ensure predictability

1240
00:47:29,462 --> 00:47:29,712
for businesses.

1241
00:47:32,665 --> 00:47:32,915
I would offer I think this is a

1242
00:47:34,667 --> 00:47:34,917
really strong idea when the

1243
00:47:36,402 --> 00:47:36,652
issue truly slowing projects

1244
00:47:38,638 --> 00:47:38,888
down as bureaucracy but I would

1245
00:47:40,640 --> 00:47:40,890
also offer that mandatory shot

1246
00:47:42,909 --> 00:47:43,159
clocks can also be dangerous

1247
00:47:45,178 --> 00:47:45,428
when a slower process is the

1248
00:47:46,879 --> 00:47:47,129
result of complexity from new

1249
00:47:48,948 --> 00:47:49,198
technologies systems that a

1250
00:47:50,683 --> 00:47:50,933
state is working to understand

1251
00:47:52,952 --> 00:47:53,202
with greater certainty or the

1252
00:47:54,921 --> 00:47:55,171
delays are caused by a company

1253
00:47:56,956 --> 00:47:57,206
or investors occasional

1254
00:47:58,725 --> 00:47:58,975
slower process that contributes

1255
00:47:59,392 --> 00:47:59,642
to the delay.

1256
00:48:01,194 --> 00:48:01,444
I certainly agree that we all

1257
00:48:03,162 --> 00:48:03,412
have to act with speed but I'm

1258
00:48:05,198 --> 00:48:05,448
personally not in favor of

1259
00:48:07,266 --> 00:48:07,516
deeming anything approved when a

1260
00:48:07,934 --> 00:48:08,184
time period runs out.

1261
00:48:10,870 --> 00:48:11,120
ho t clocks can encourage bad

1262
00:48:12,672 --> 00:48:12,922
behavior as well. I've heard of

1263
00:48:14,641 --> 00:48:14,891
some states where these measures

1264
00:48:16,409 --> 00:48:16,659
have been tested and what you

1265
00:48:18,645 --> 00:48:18,895
end up seeing is risk averse

1266
00:48:20,647 --> 00:48:20,897
agency staff simply denying

1267
00:48:22,649 --> 00:48:22,899
permits right before the clock

1268
00:48:24,684 --> 00:48:24,934
runs out forcing developers to

1269
00:48:26,686 --> 00:48:26,936
restart the process and actually

1270
00:48:28,421 --> 00:48:28,671
making the approval timelines

1271
00:48:30,423 --> 00:48:30,673
longer than what was hoped for

1272
00:48:32,925 --> 00:48:33,175
with the shot clock process. So

1273
00:48:34,427 --> 00:48:34,677
how could a state make a shot

1274
00:48:36,596 --> 00:48:36,846
clock process work and improve

1275
00:48:37,230 --> 00:48:37,480
time to project

1276
00:48:40,700 --> 00:48:40,950
First, I would offer to you that

1277
00:48:41,401 --> 00:48:41,651
a shot clock should only tick

1278
00:48:44,404 --> 00:48:44,654
when the state agency has a

1279
00:48:45,104 --> 00:48:45,354
complete application in hand,

1280
00:48:47,106 --> 00:48:47,356
which often doesn't happen on

1281
00:48:50,410 --> 00:48:50,660
day one. The moment an agency

1282
00:48:52,412 --> 00:48:52,662
identifies a missing technical

1283
00:48:54,614 --> 00:48:54,864
study, a safety gap and

1284
00:48:56,416 --> 00:48:56,666
environmental impact statement

1285
00:48:58,685 --> 00:48:58,935
the clock officially pauses and

1286
00:49:00,420 --> 00:49:00,670
then it doesn't restart until

1287
00:49:01,187 --> 00:49:01,437
the developer provides the

1288
00:49:04,424 --> 00:49:04,674
required data. So this type of

1289
00:49:05,191 --> 00:49:05,441
an approach would ensure that

1290
00:49:07,060 --> 00:49:07,310
agencies are never rushed on

1291
00:49:07,727 --> 00:49:07,977
incomplete information.

1292
00:49:12,398 --> 00:49:12,648
Second, a targeted a range of

1293
00:49:14,400 --> 00:49:14,650
targeted shot clock or approval

1294
00:49:16,669 --> 00:49:16,919
durations should be agreed to

1295
00:49:18,404 --> 00:49:18,654
and then assigned early in the

1296
00:49:19,172 --> 00:49:19,422
process based on the project's

1297
00:49:22,408 --> 00:49:22,658
technical complexity. so you can

1298
00:49:24,410 --> 00:49:24,660
imagine a tier one project might

1299
00:49:26,879 --> 00:49:27,129
have a six0day period of review

1300
00:49:29,248 --> 00:49:29,498
tier two180 days tier3365, etc.

1301
00:49:32,919 --> 00:49:33,169
agencies I think should also

1302
00:49:36,422 --> 00:49:36,672
retain a regulatory or statutory

1303
00:49:38,658 --> 00:49:38,908
excuse me escape escape hatch if

1304
00:49:40,693 --> 00:49:40,943
a project delay is due to issues

1305
00:49:42,662 --> 00:49:42,912
like unexpected geological

1306
00:49:44,664 --> 00:49:44,914
features novel technology

1307
00:49:47,166 --> 00:49:47,416
challenges or significant public

1308
00:49:48,901 --> 00:49:49,151
health questions, we would want

1309
00:49:50,636 --> 00:49:50,886
the agency head to formally

1310
00:49:52,405 --> 00:49:52,655
issue a public extension order

1311
00:49:54,941 --> 00:49:55,191
adding say 60 to 90 days to the

1312
00:49:56,909 --> 00:49:57,159
review period. but and I think

1313
00:49:58,678 --> 00:49:58,928
this is key and this is key for

1314
00:49:59,512 --> 00:49:59,762
all of our efforts when it comes

1315
00:50:00,179 --> 00:50:00,429
to project approvals

1316
00:50:02,949 --> 00:50:03,199
The agency needs to be

1317
00:50:04,917 --> 00:50:05,167
transparent about why more time

1318
00:50:06,686 --> 00:50:06,936
is needed, preventing

1319
00:50:08,421 --> 00:50:08,671
applications from sitting on a

1320
00:50:09,455 --> 00:50:09,705
desk due to understaffing or

1321
00:50:12,425 --> 00:50:12,675
administrative neglect and I

1322
00:50:13,192 --> 00:50:13,442
don't know enough about whether

1323
00:50:14,927 --> 00:50:15,177
legally that means we should be

1324
00:50:16,662 --> 00:50:16,912
public about these approvals or

1325
00:50:18,431 --> 00:50:18,681
based on nondisclosure

1326
00:50:18,931 --> 00:50:19,181
agreements. it could be more of

1327
00:50:20,733 --> 00:50:20,983
an internal dashboard let's say

1328
00:50:23,169 --> 00:50:23,419
on showing the status of project

1329
00:50:25,204 --> 00:50:25,454
approvals but something to

1330
00:50:27,240 --> 00:50:27,490
that effect may be helpful to

1331
00:50:28,775 --> 00:50:29,025
us in terms of addressing this

1332
00:50:29,442 --> 00:50:29,692
issue effectively.

1333
00:50:32,912 --> 00:50:33,162
in terms of the third issue that

1334
00:50:34,881 --> 00:50:35,131
was raised operational certainty

1335
00:50:38,384 --> 00:50:38,634
and regulatory reform. Listen,

1336
00:50:40,386 --> 00:50:40,636
we all know that companies are

1337
00:50:41,354 --> 00:50:41,604
certainly turned off by delays

1338
00:50:44,423 --> 00:50:44,673
and opaqueness. So the question

1339
00:50:45,124 --> 00:50:45,374
I think we have to grapple with

1340
00:50:47,126 --> 00:50:47,376
is really how to make sure this

1341
00:50:49,095 --> 00:50:49,345
is not happening for

1342
00:50:50,897 --> 00:50:51,147
understandable due diligence

1343
00:50:52,965 --> 00:50:53,215
reasons or due to a developer or

1344
00:50:54,567 --> 00:50:54,817
company's delay with providing

1345
00:50:55,234 --> 00:50:55,484
information.

1346
00:50:57,203 --> 00:50:57,453
first of all to share with you

1347
00:50:59,172 --> 00:50:59,422
the number one permitting issue

1348
00:51:00,907 --> 00:51:01,157
that we in the division of

1349
00:51:02,909 --> 00:51:03,159
Economicvelopment here the most

1350
00:51:04,911 --> 00:51:05,161
about tend to be from the

1351
00:51:06,913 --> 00:51:07,163
federaler side. the US Army

1352
00:51:08,681 --> 00:51:08,931
Corps of Engineers is particular

1353
00:51:10,416 --> 00:51:10,666
not to pick on them but they

1354
00:51:12,418 --> 00:51:12,668
often are cited as having some

1355
00:51:14,420 --> 00:51:14,670
of the most extensive

1356
00:51:16,422 --> 00:51:16,672
permitting delays uh, whether

1357
00:51:17,423 --> 00:51:17,673
it's things for bat muscle

1358
00:51:20,693 --> 00:51:20,943
habitat issues etc. I'm not

1359
00:51:21,327 --> 00:51:21,577
an expert on federaler

1360
00:51:23,196 --> 00:51:23,446
permitting but I have no doubt

1361
00:51:24,764 --> 00:51:25,014
that West Virginia's federaler

1362
00:51:25,431 --> 00:51:25,681
delegation would be

1363
00:51:28,401 --> 00:51:28,651
open to any ideas to improve

1364
00:51:30,369 --> 00:51:30,619
this and has likely moved the

1365
00:51:32,405 --> 00:51:32,655
needle on federal permitting

1366
00:51:32,972 --> 00:51:33,222
over the years and could

1367
00:51:33,539 --> 00:51:33,789
continue to do so

1368
00:51:36,409 --> 00:51:36,659
from my experience over this

1369
00:51:38,678 --> 00:51:38,928
last year our West Virginia

1370
00:51:39,278 --> 00:51:39,528
Department of Environmental

1371
00:51:42,682 --> 00:51:42,932
Protection is regularly seen by

1372
00:51:44,417 --> 00:51:44,667
companies as being a proactive

1373
00:51:45,418 --> 00:51:45,668
partner with an enabling

1374
00:51:47,153 --> 00:51:47,403
mentality towards industrial

1375
00:51:48,955 --> 00:51:49,205
development in West Virginia

1376
00:51:50,690 --> 00:51:50,940
while ensuring that clear

1377
00:51:52,658 --> 00:51:52,908
guardrails are maintained and

1378
00:51:54,694 --> 00:51:54,944
respected by these projects and

1379
00:51:55,428 --> 00:51:55,678
just as a really sterling

1380
00:51:58,731 --> 00:51:58,981
example. it only took120 days to

1381
00:52:00,933 --> 00:52:01,183
award neworp's major source air

1382
00:52:03,002 --> 00:52:03,252
permit compared to the near year

1383
00:52:03,703 --> 00:52:03,953
that it usually takes for

1384
00:52:04,570 --> 00:52:04,820
such activities

1385
00:52:08,641 --> 00:52:08,891
Other key rule improvements that

1386
00:52:10,409 --> 00:52:10,659
have been cited to us as being

1387
00:52:11,143 --> 00:52:11,393
signals of strong business

1388
00:52:14,413 --> 00:52:14,663
enablement of West Virginia and

1389
00:52:15,114 --> 00:52:15,364
continue to demonstrate why

1390
00:52:16,916 --> 00:52:17,166
we're such an attractive place

1391
00:52:18,651 --> 00:52:18,901
to do business, include things

1392
00:52:20,419 --> 00:52:20,669
like your privatization of

1393
00:52:21,387 --> 00:52:21,637
workers' compensation, the

1394
00:52:22,922 --> 00:52:23,172
elimination of the business

1395
00:52:25,091 --> 00:52:25,341
franchise tax and of course

1396
00:52:25,625 --> 00:52:25,875
right to work legislation

1397
00:52:28,628 --> 00:52:28,878
and in addition to red tape

1398
00:52:30,930 --> 00:52:31,180
reduction, the signals that West

1399
00:52:32,431 --> 00:52:32,681
Virginia continues to send

1400
00:52:33,065 --> 00:52:33,315
through prudent fiscal

1401
00:52:35,167 --> 00:52:35,417
management, um, are also really

1402
00:52:37,169 --> 00:52:37,419
highly valued by prospective

1403
00:52:39,205 --> 00:52:39,455
investors paying down longterm

1404
00:52:41,173 --> 00:52:41,423
liabilities like pension debt

1405
00:52:43,142 --> 00:52:43,392
and unfunded employee benefits

1406
00:52:44,877 --> 00:52:45,127
and maintaining budget

1407
00:52:45,444 --> 00:52:45,694
surpluses are really widely

1408
00:52:45,978 --> 00:52:46,228
applauded.

1409
00:52:49,348 --> 00:52:49,598
so in terms of improvement ideas

1410
00:52:52,652 --> 00:52:52,902
in this area. the forthcoming

1411
00:52:54,687 --> 00:52:54,937
onestop permitting portal I

1412
00:52:55,254 --> 00:52:55,504
think it's going to be a huge

1413
00:52:56,856 --> 00:52:57,106
step forward for the state for

1414
00:52:59,125 --> 00:52:59,375
business transparency and for

1415
00:53:01,160 --> 00:53:01,410
the execution of the review

1416
00:53:02,895 --> 00:53:03,145
process needed to move a project

1417
00:53:04,897 --> 00:53:05,147
forward but maybe a process

1418
00:53:06,899 --> 00:53:07,149
where agencies review

1419
00:53:09,101 --> 00:53:09,351
applications in parallel rather

1420
00:53:12,371 --> 00:53:12,621
than sequentially and can then

1421
00:53:13,105 --> 00:53:13,355
report their approval status

1422
00:53:14,674 --> 00:53:14,924
through a digital dashboard

1423
00:53:16,575 --> 00:53:16,825
whether that be internal or

1424
00:53:17,143 --> 00:53:17,393
public could help

1425
00:53:19,111 --> 00:53:19,361
with both moving approvals

1426
00:53:20,913 --> 00:53:21,163
forward more more quickly as

1427
00:53:22,415 --> 00:53:22,665
well as helping all of us

1428
00:53:23,182 --> 00:53:23,432
identify where those approval

1429
00:53:25,151 --> 00:53:25,401
bottlenecks are really happening

1430
00:53:27,153 --> 00:53:27,403
and that approval process, that

1431
00:53:29,121 --> 00:53:29,371
dashboard could also take into

1432
00:53:30,923 --> 00:53:31,173
effect approvals that have to

1433
00:53:32,425 --> 00:53:32,675
happen at the local level which

1434
00:53:34,427 --> 00:53:34,677
are of course the state has

1435
00:53:35,294 --> 00:53:35,544
the opportunity to influence

1436
00:53:35,962 --> 00:53:36,212
but not control

1437
00:53:39,131 --> 00:53:39,381
there may also be ideas to

1438
00:53:40,700 --> 00:53:40,950
consider although I didn't put

1439
00:53:42,935 --> 00:53:43,185
them on the slide, um, about how

1440
00:53:44,870 --> 00:53:45,120
changes to how legal

1441
00:53:46,906 --> 00:53:47,156
challenges to major permits are

1442
00:53:48,874 --> 00:53:49,124
handled by the courts, uh, could

1443
00:53:51,143 --> 00:53:51,393
be an effort to improve

1444
00:53:52,878 --> 00:53:53,128
processes where that type of

1445
00:53:54,647 --> 00:53:54,897
challenge slows a permitting

1446
00:53:56,415 --> 00:53:56,665
review down, uh, or even

1447
00:53:57,116 --> 00:53:57,366
something that I think other

1448
00:53:59,151 --> 00:53:59,401
states have employed where cash

1449
00:54:00,920 --> 00:54:01,170
bonds are required from third

1450
00:54:02,922 --> 00:54:03,172
parties seeking temporary

1451
00:54:05,157 --> 00:54:05,407
injunctions that then can be

1452
00:54:06,559 --> 00:54:06,809
used to cover project delay

1453
00:54:07,126 --> 00:54:07,376
costs

1454
00:54:09,128 --> 00:54:09,378
if that challenge is found to be

1455
00:54:10,696 --> 00:54:10,946
without merit. Those are all the

1456
00:54:11,330 --> 00:54:11,580
types of things that we might be

1457
00:54:11,998 --> 00:54:12,248
able to consider.

1458
00:54:15,067 --> 00:54:15,317
and finally

1459
00:54:19,171 --> 00:54:19,421
the topic of that you

1460
00:54:20,940 --> 00:54:21,190
asked me to discuss workforce

1461
00:54:22,875 --> 00:54:23,125
participation alignment looking

1462
00:54:24,643 --> 00:54:24,893
at how we structure state level

1463
00:54:25,378 --> 00:54:25,628
educational and workforce

1464
00:54:28,414 --> 00:54:28,664
pipelines to ensure that when a

1465
00:54:29,048 --> 00:54:29,298
business expands in West

1466
00:54:30,916 --> 00:54:31,166
Virginia there's a supply of

1467
00:54:32,952 --> 00:54:33,202
skilled labor to meet those

1468
00:54:34,920 --> 00:54:35,170
specialized needs particularly

1469
00:54:36,655 --> 00:54:36,905
for data centers advanced

1470
00:54:38,424 --> 00:54:38,674
manufacturing facilities and

1471
00:54:40,693 --> 00:54:40,943
energy producers. Um, this issue

1472
00:54:42,428 --> 00:54:42,678
is absolutely critical and I

1473
00:54:44,430 --> 00:54:44,680
think in my mind it's probably

1474
00:54:45,264 --> 00:54:45,514
the one I've spent even I

1475
00:54:45,831 --> 00:54:46,081
definitely spread

1476
00:54:48,634 --> 00:54:48,884
my time around that triad that I

1477
00:54:50,403 --> 00:54:50,653
introduced earlier but but

1478
00:54:52,405 --> 00:54:52,655
workforce is absolutely critical

1479
00:54:53,105 --> 00:54:53,355
to in terms of west

1480
00:54:54,874 --> 00:54:55,124
Virginia's economic health and

1481
00:54:56,409 --> 00:54:56,659
attractiveness as a state to

1482
00:54:58,411 --> 00:54:58,661
invest in. This is why Governor

1483
00:55:00,413 --> 00:55:00,663
Morrissey has insisted that we

1484
00:55:01,180 --> 00:55:01,430
do more as a state to integrate

1485
00:55:02,915 --> 00:55:03,165
workforce and economic

1486
00:55:04,650 --> 00:55:04,900
development coordination over

1487
00:55:05,317 --> 00:55:05,567
the year the last year and a

1488
00:55:05,885 --> 00:55:06,135
half

1489
00:55:08,888 --> 00:55:09,138
and I'm pleased to tell you that

1490
00:55:11,190 --> 00:55:11,440
K1w2 higher ed and workforce

1491
00:55:12,892 --> 00:55:13,142
west Virginia which often

1492
00:55:14,894 --> 00:55:15,144
operate you know in stovepipes

1493
00:55:16,429 --> 00:55:16,679
have really been engaged in

1494
00:55:18,431 --> 00:55:18,681
frequent discussions for the

1495
00:55:19,231 --> 00:55:19,481
last several months on what we

1496
00:55:20,933 --> 00:55:21,183
can do to ensure that our

1497
00:55:22,902 --> 00:55:23,152
workforce pipelines which start

1498
00:55:24,670 --> 00:55:24,920
in K12 and go all the way

1499
00:55:26,405 --> 00:55:26,655
through of course to adult

1500
00:55:28,407 --> 00:55:28,657
employment are strong, not just

1501
00:55:29,175 --> 00:55:29,425
for West Virginia's employers

1502
00:55:30,910 --> 00:55:31,160
and our perspective employers

1503
00:55:32,745 --> 00:55:32,995
but certainly for our workers as

1504
00:55:33,379 --> 00:55:33,629
well

1505
00:55:34,880 --> 00:55:35,130
and while there's a lot of work

1506
00:55:36,849 --> 00:55:37,099
going on in this regard, I

1507
00:55:38,884 --> 00:55:39,134
wanted to call out four programs

1508
00:55:40,653 --> 00:55:40,903
that I think are really helping

1509
00:55:42,655 --> 00:55:42,905
us define how to ensure strong

1510
00:55:43,456 --> 00:55:43,706
workforce pipelines for our

1511
00:55:44,023 --> 00:55:44,273
employers.

1512
00:55:46,926 --> 00:55:47,176
The West Virginia Investgrant

1513
00:55:48,894 --> 00:55:49,144
that offers last dollar in

1514
00:55:51,163 --> 00:55:51,413
financial aid covering up to100%

1515
00:55:53,165 --> 00:55:53,415
of tuition for highdeman

1516
00:55:55,167 --> 00:55:55,417
certificate and associate

1517
00:55:57,103 --> 00:55:57,353
programs is really critical. so

1518
00:56:00,406 --> 00:56:00,656
is the west Virginiavance grant

1519
00:56:01,107 --> 00:56:01,357
which is administered by

1520
00:56:02,641 --> 00:56:02,891
doctorctor Sarah Tucker in the

1521
00:56:05,111 --> 00:56:05,361
Ctc system. This is a program

1522
00:56:06,879 --> 00:56:07,129
that can create customized

1523
00:56:08,848 --> 00:56:09,098
workforce training for companies

1524
00:56:10,916 --> 00:56:11,166
that invest in West Virginia in

1525
00:56:12,952 --> 00:56:13,202
partnership with the closest

1526
00:56:13,586 --> 00:56:13,836
community or technical college

1527
00:56:14,220 --> 00:56:14,470
to their

1528
00:56:15,454 --> 00:56:15,704
location.

1529
00:56:18,424 --> 00:56:18,674
and then there's our connecting

1530
00:56:20,426 --> 00:56:20,676
talent to opportunity challenge.

1531
00:56:21,127 --> 00:56:21,377
I'm really proud that West

1532
00:56:23,362 --> 00:56:23,612
Virginia was chosen by the US

1533
00:56:24,930 --> 00:56:25,180
Department of Education earlier

1534
00:56:27,133 --> 00:56:27,383
this year as one of only10

1535
00:56:30,402 --> 00:56:30,652
states to receive funding for an

1536
00:56:32,671 --> 00:56:32,921
online talent marketplace where

1537
00:56:33,339 --> 00:56:33,589
we are going to develop

1538
00:56:36,408 --> 00:56:36,658
essentially a one stop platform

1539
00:56:37,376 --> 00:56:37,626
that will include an online

1540
00:56:39,145 --> 00:56:39,395
credential registry which will

1541
00:56:41,180 --> 00:56:41,430
enable us to map courses

1542
00:56:43,182 --> 00:56:43,432
statewide that are that are

1543
00:56:45,050 --> 00:56:45,300
tied to high demand industries

1544
00:56:45,718 --> 00:56:45,968
and occupations

1545
00:56:48,420 --> 00:56:48,670
and make that visible to every

1546
00:56:49,221 --> 00:56:49,471
West Virginia learner worker and

1547
00:56:49,889 --> 00:56:50,139
employer

1548
00:56:52,925 --> 00:56:53,175
a learning and employment record

1549
00:56:55,194 --> 00:56:55,444
that will help our workers track

1550
00:56:56,929 --> 00:56:57,179
and share credentials with

1551
00:56:59,231 --> 00:56:59,481
employers and vice versa, making

1552
00:57:00,933 --> 00:57:01,183
those employment decisions more

1553
00:57:02,902 --> 00:57:03,152
reliable as well as efficient

1554
00:57:04,904 --> 00:57:05,154
and the third piece of the CTO

1555
00:57:07,206 --> 00:57:07,456
challenge is a skillsbased job

1556
00:57:10,409 --> 00:57:10,659
description generator that will

1557
00:57:11,177 --> 00:57:11,427
really, I think this is really

1558
00:57:12,945 --> 00:57:13,195
important because this will help

1559
00:57:15,181 --> 00:57:15,431
to decode the experience of our

1560
00:57:16,949 --> 00:57:17,199
workers or our employees in

1561
00:57:18,918 --> 00:57:19,168
terms of the skills that they

1562
00:57:19,585 --> 00:57:19,835
possess and then it will also on

1563
00:57:20,252 --> 00:57:20,502
the

1564
00:57:22,955 --> 00:57:23,205
other side translate employer

1565
00:57:25,191 --> 00:57:25,441
job descriptions into the skills

1566
00:57:26,959 --> 00:57:27,209
that they really need for

1567
00:57:28,894 --> 00:57:29,144
success and then help to match

1568
00:57:30,930 --> 00:57:31,180
supply and demand more

1569
00:57:32,731 --> 00:57:32,981
effectively and efficiently. Any

1570
00:57:33,465 --> 00:57:33,715
of you who are involved in

1571
00:57:35,234 --> 00:57:35,484
business or run a business know

1572
00:57:36,936 --> 00:57:37,186
that we're often biased when

1573
00:57:38,671 --> 00:57:38,921
we're looking at resumes at

1574
00:57:40,406 --> 00:57:40,656
people who've had experience in

1575
00:57:42,408 --> 00:57:42,658
our industry and show kind of

1576
00:57:44,410 --> 00:57:44,660
just that clear progression and

1577
00:57:45,211 --> 00:57:45,461
the reality is when it comes to

1578
00:57:46,679 --> 00:57:46,929
West Virginia's workforce and

1579
00:57:48,681 --> 00:57:48,931
the challenges that we have you

1580
00:57:49,348 --> 00:57:49,598
know we have people that may be

1581
00:57:50,015 --> 00:57:50,265
pivoting

1582
00:57:52,685 --> 00:57:52,935
from one industry to another and

1583
00:57:54,420 --> 00:57:54,670
the reality is they don't have

1584
00:57:55,054 --> 00:57:55,304
to start from scratch they're

1585
00:57:56,922 --> 00:57:57,172
able to pivot based on a skills

1586
00:57:58,924 --> 00:57:59,174
set that they have earned in a

1587
00:58:00,659 --> 00:58:00,909
certain industry and that

1588
00:58:01,427 --> 00:58:01,677
they can use to to pivot

1589
00:58:03,195 --> 00:58:03,445
effectively into the new

1590
00:58:05,197 --> 00:58:05,447
industry or industries that they

1591
00:58:06,699 --> 00:58:06,949
may not even know that they are

1592
00:58:07,366 --> 00:58:07,616
actually qualified to do

1593
00:58:10,869 --> 00:58:11,119
and then last but not least, I'm

1594
00:58:12,871 --> 00:58:13,121
really excited about the career

1595
00:58:14,873 --> 00:58:15,123
continuums being developed by

1596
00:58:16,909 --> 00:58:17,159
the CTE team within our K-1w2

1597
00:58:18,877 --> 00:58:19,127
system. These are formalizing

1598
00:58:20,646 --> 00:58:20,896
frameworks for career

1599
00:58:22,881 --> 00:58:23,131
development pathways, the start

1600
00:58:24,883 --> 00:58:25,133
in elementary school with career

1601
00:58:27,086 --> 00:58:27,336
awareness and exploration. They

1602
00:58:28,420 --> 00:58:28,670
progress into the middle and

1603
00:58:29,188 --> 00:58:29,438
high school stage where deeper

1604
00:58:32,424 --> 00:58:32,674
work experiences can be had and

1605
00:58:33,158 --> 00:58:33,408
credentials can start being

1606
00:58:35,160 --> 00:58:35,410
earned. This sets our students

1607
00:58:37,496 --> 00:58:37,746
and our future workers up for

1608
00:58:38,163 --> 00:58:38,413
success with their postsecond

1609
00:58:40,933 --> 00:58:41,183
ary training where they can

1610
00:58:42,401 --> 00:58:42,651
build on what they've already

1611
00:58:43,102 --> 00:58:43,352
been exposed to and have been

1612
00:58:44,870 --> 00:58:45,120
fired up about, what they've

1613
00:58:46,639 --> 00:58:46,889
earned in their earlier academic

1614
00:58:48,874 --> 00:58:49,124
careers we're really working now

1615
00:58:50,643 --> 00:58:50,893
to ensure that there's strong

1616
00:58:52,611 --> 00:58:52,861
connective tissue for this

1617
00:58:54,880 --> 00:58:55,130
continuum concept betweenk1w2

1618
00:58:56,649 --> 00:58:56,899
higher education and the

1619
00:58:58,717 --> 00:58:58,967
workforce stages so that as many

1620
00:59:00,686 --> 00:59:00,936
West Virginia high schoolers as

1621
00:59:02,655 --> 00:59:02,905
possible graduate with a strong

1622
00:59:04,923 --> 00:59:05,173
sense of career direction. Just

1623
00:59:06,892 --> 00:59:07,142
three examples of the continuums

1624
00:59:07,660 --> 00:59:07,910
that have been developed and are

1625
00:59:08,327 --> 00:59:08,577
available to West Virginia

1626
00:59:12,665 --> 00:59:12,915
schools aviation utilities

1627
00:59:14,433 --> 00:59:14,683
and energy and digital science

1628
00:59:16,635 --> 00:59:16,885
which I might try to persuade

1629
00:59:17,236 --> 00:59:17,486
Superintendent Blatt we could

1630
00:59:19,104 --> 00:59:19,354
rename datataconomy but that's

1631
00:59:20,639 --> 00:59:20,889
something that we'll that we'll

1632
00:59:22,408 --> 00:59:22,658
work on going forward and these

1633
00:59:24,410 --> 00:59:24,660
are all really exciting programs

1634
00:59:25,144 --> 00:59:25,394
and while it didn't make it

1635
00:59:27,112 --> 00:59:27,362
to the slide, I want to also

1636
00:59:28,681 --> 00:59:28,931
share with you that we are

1637
00:59:30,416 --> 00:59:30,666
actively investigating corporate

1638
00:59:32,451 --> 00:59:32,701
partnerships for these

1639
00:59:34,420 --> 00:59:34,670
continuums, uh, and for the post

1640
00:59:35,187 --> 00:59:35,437
high school stages of work which

1641
00:59:37,156 --> 00:59:37,406
will enable workers and our

1642
00:59:37,790 --> 00:59:38,040
students who are our emerging

1643
00:59:38,457 --> 00:59:38,707
workers

1644
00:59:41,160 --> 00:59:41,410
to obtain work experience and

1645
00:59:42,928 --> 00:59:43,178
credentials that really

1646
00:59:44,663 --> 00:59:44,913
strengthen their paths in target

1647
00:59:46,899 --> 00:59:47,149
industries it's one thing to

1648
00:59:48,634 --> 00:59:48,884
train somebody for the

1649
00:59:50,402 --> 00:59:50,652
conceptual, you know, roles that

1650
00:59:51,103 --> 00:59:51,353
they may have or for an industry

1651
00:59:53,105 --> 00:59:53,355
track it's another thing to have

1652
00:59:54,907 --> 00:59:55,157
them trained immediately and

1653
00:59:56,875 --> 00:59:57,125
directly by someone who most

1654
00:59:58,877 --> 00:59:59,127
likely will hire them if they

1655
01:00:00,913 --> 01:00:01,163
progress in a positive manner

1656
01:00:02,681 --> 01:00:02,931
uh, because they've already made

1657
01:00:04,650 --> 01:00:04,900
that investment in them starting

1658
01:00:06,652 --> 01:00:06,902
earlier in their work study

1659
01:00:07,519 --> 01:00:07,769
careers. we've had some

1660
01:00:08,087 --> 01:00:08,337
conversations

1661
01:00:10,656 --> 01:00:10,906
with data center and energy

1662
01:00:12,658 --> 01:00:12,908
investors in this regard. some

1663
01:00:14,426 --> 01:00:14,676
of you may be familiar with

1664
01:00:15,361 --> 01:00:15,611
Hopeases Hopeaththways programme

1665
01:00:16,895 --> 01:00:17,145
that's active in several West

1666
01:00:18,897 --> 01:00:19,147
Virginia high schools. we're

1667
01:00:20,666 --> 01:00:20,916
also talking with companies like

1668
01:00:22,668 --> 01:00:22,918
Home Depot Justin you may be

1669
01:00:24,403 --> 01:00:24,653
particularly interested in this

1670
01:00:25,137 --> 01:00:25,387
that they've developed a path to

1671
01:00:27,339 --> 01:00:27,589
propilot program to generate

1672
01:00:28,941 --> 01:00:29,191
more skilled trade workers for

1673
01:00:30,909 --> 01:00:31,159
example. So I hope that we'll

1674
01:00:32,411 --> 01:00:32,661
continue to have more to share

1675
01:00:33,078 --> 01:00:33,328
on this front soon too.

1676
01:00:36,415 --> 01:00:36,665
and then lastly I just wanted to

1677
01:00:37,182 --> 01:00:37,432
share with you that driven

1678
01:00:38,917 --> 01:00:39,167
largely by that connecting

1679
01:00:40,652 --> 01:00:40,902
talent to opportunity challenge

1680
01:00:42,654 --> 01:00:42,904
that I mentioned earlier. We are

1681
01:00:44,423 --> 01:00:44,673
really working to develop

1682
01:00:46,925 --> 01:00:47,175
transparent career tracking and

1683
01:00:48,427 --> 01:00:48,677
mapping capabilities for key

1684
01:00:49,194 --> 01:00:49,444
industrial sectors but like the

1685
01:00:50,963 --> 01:00:51,213
ones the three that you called

1686
01:00:52,931 --> 01:00:53,181
out, modern data centers,

1687
01:00:54,933 --> 01:00:55,183
advanced manufacturing and

1688
01:00:56,668 --> 01:00:56,918
energy. and as per these

1689
01:00:58,937 --> 01:00:59,187
charts we actually think we're

1690
01:01:00,439 --> 01:01:00,689
going to be able to have access

1691
01:01:01,073 --> 01:01:01,323
to the data and we'll be able to

1692
01:01:03,008 --> 01:01:03,258
aggregate it to determine West

1693
01:01:03,675 --> 01:01:03,925
Virginia's labor fore

1694
01:01:06,478 --> 01:01:06,728
cast needs based in part on

1695
01:01:07,212 --> 01:01:07,462
national Bureau of Labor

1696
01:01:09,181 --> 01:01:09,431
statistics data as well as the

1697
01:01:10,916 --> 01:01:11,166
data that we collect from West

1698
01:01:13,152 --> 01:01:13,402
Virginia employers. We can map

1699
01:01:14,787 --> 01:01:15,037
those roles then to credentials

1700
01:01:15,421 --> 01:01:15,671
needed

1701
01:01:18,690 --> 01:01:18,940
and then what we can do is map

1702
01:01:20,926 --> 01:01:21,176
target roles and occupations to

1703
01:01:22,428 --> 01:01:22,678
specific West Virginia training

1704
01:01:24,430 --> 01:01:24,680
programs which helps us both

1705
01:01:26,665 --> 01:01:26,915
identify gaps or maybe where we

1706
01:01:28,400 --> 01:01:28,650
have abundance in terms of

1707
01:01:29,101 --> 01:01:29,351
certain training programs and

1708
01:01:31,170 --> 01:01:31,420
then this of course informs both

1709
01:01:33,405 --> 01:01:33,655
our higher education and CTc

1710
01:01:35,207 --> 01:01:35,457
system for their planning and

1711
01:01:36,942 --> 01:01:37,192
programmatic investment purposes

1712
01:01:38,677 --> 01:01:38,927
so we can ensure that we're

1713
01:01:40,412 --> 01:01:40,662
building strong pipelines that

1714
01:01:42,414 --> 01:01:42,664
will lead to employment not just

1715
01:01:44,683 --> 01:01:44,933
to academic study but it also

1716
01:01:45,317 --> 01:01:45,567
allows us to really crisply

1717
01:01:49,154 --> 01:01:49,404
share career pathways from idea

1718
01:01:51,457 --> 01:01:51,707
to available training program

1719
01:01:52,558 --> 01:01:52,808
with our workers and employers.

1720
01:01:55,194 --> 01:01:55,444
I know I've shared a lot of

1721
01:01:56,662 --> 01:01:56,912
information with you. I hope it

1722
01:01:58,564 --> 01:01:58,814
was helpful and I'd be happy

1723
01:01:59,198 --> 01:01:59,448
to take questions.

1724
01:02:02,968 --> 01:02:03,218
think you deputy Secretary

1725
01:02:03,502 --> 01:02:03,752
Davies

1726
01:02:05,070 --> 01:02:05,320
are there questions

1727
01:02:11,009 --> 01:02:11,259
delegate from the18th

1728
01:02:13,145 --> 01:02:13,395
thank you Mr Chairman. I guess

1729
01:02:15,080 --> 01:02:15,330
I'll get us started off here

1730
01:02:16,882 --> 01:02:17,132
over here OKok

1731
01:02:18,884 --> 01:02:19,134
thank you thank you for the

1732
01:02:20,652 --> 01:02:20,902
presentation. I think there are

1733
01:02:22,421 --> 01:02:22,671
lots of great incentives that we

1734
01:02:23,121 --> 01:02:23,371
will all been working on for

1735
01:02:23,722 --> 01:02:23,972
years and

1736
01:02:25,290 --> 01:02:25,540
it seemed like some of it is

1737
01:02:27,259 --> 01:02:27,509
starting to pay off. I'm in

1738
01:02:27,826 --> 01:02:28,076
Mason County

1739
01:02:31,196 --> 01:02:31,446
so as you know I'm sure we have

1740
01:02:32,965 --> 01:02:33,215
a lot of development going on

1741
01:02:34,933 --> 01:02:35,183
there and we're we're most of us

1742
01:02:35,634 --> 01:02:35,884
are grateful for that I

1743
01:02:36,101 --> 01:02:36,351
certainly am

1744
01:02:40,639 --> 01:02:40,889
one issue that we have run into

1745
01:02:42,908 --> 01:02:43,158
that maybe we didn't anticipate

1746
01:02:43,609 --> 01:02:43,859
was a lack of housing

1747
01:02:46,712 --> 01:02:46,962
for I mean we're gonna have

1748
01:02:50,883 --> 01:02:51,133
you know to havepe employees

1749
01:02:52,451 --> 01:02:52,701
kids graduating high school or

1750
01:02:53,185 --> 01:02:53,435
whatever the job training

1751
01:02:54,887 --> 01:02:55,137
programs you're talking about.

1752
01:02:56,688 --> 01:02:56,938
So that certainly is a big part

1753
01:02:58,423 --> 01:02:58,673
of it but what we're finding is

1754
01:03:00,425 --> 01:03:00,675
and we're a border county and

1755
01:03:01,193 --> 01:03:01,443
obviously we know we have a lot

1756
01:03:01,827 --> 01:03:02,077
of communities along the borders

1757
01:03:05,197 --> 01:03:05,447
and I was just speaking with

1758
01:03:06,565 --> 01:03:06,815
someone who's a higher level

1759
01:03:10,402 --> 01:03:10,652
manager of one of these

1760
01:03:12,638 --> 01:03:12,888
facilities the living50 miles

1761
01:03:14,673 --> 01:03:14,923
away because they couldn't find

1762
01:03:17,142 --> 01:03:17,392
housing close by and in some

1763
01:03:18,543 --> 01:03:18,793
cases they're going

1764
01:03:21,179 --> 01:03:21,429
across the river in my case in

1765
01:03:24,416 --> 01:03:24,666
Ohio to live because we don't

1766
01:03:25,317 --> 01:03:25,567
have the housing available in

1767
01:03:26,985 --> 01:03:27,235
Mason County

1768
01:03:30,923 --> 01:03:31,173
So I don't know what the answer

1769
01:03:32,958 --> 01:03:33,208
to this is. I don't know if this

1770
01:03:33,659 --> 01:03:33,909
is something that is on your

1771
01:03:37,429 --> 01:03:37,679
radar so if if you have

1772
01:03:38,697 --> 01:03:38,947
things available that I'm not

1773
01:03:40,432 --> 01:03:40,682
aware of maybe I need to catch

1774
01:03:41,166 --> 01:03:41,416
up with you or maybe you can let

1775
01:03:44,403 --> 01:03:44,653
us know or if you're not already

1776
01:03:45,137 --> 01:03:45,387
working on it this is something

1777
01:03:46,939 --> 01:03:47,189
we need to consider I think so

1778
01:03:48,407 --> 01:03:48,657
thank you sir let me just

1779
01:03:49,174 --> 01:03:49,424
emphasize it definitely is on

1780
01:03:50,943 --> 01:03:51,193
our radar. thank you so much for

1781
01:03:52,444 --> 01:03:52,694
raising it. I will tell you the

1782
01:03:54,446 --> 01:03:54,696
reason my deputy Todd Hooker who

1783
01:03:55,180 --> 01:03:55,430
many of you know is not here

1784
01:03:56,715 --> 01:03:56,965
today he's actually with the

1785
01:03:57,282 --> 01:03:57,532
advantage Valley Organ

1786
01:03:57,716 --> 01:03:57,966
organization at a hous

1787
01:04:00,953 --> 01:04:01,203
ing kind of brainstorming

1788
01:04:02,688 --> 01:04:02,938
session thinking about what we

1789
01:04:04,656 --> 01:04:04,906
can do just a couple of other

1790
01:04:05,290 --> 01:04:05,540
quick thoughts I will actually

1791
01:04:06,925 --> 01:04:07,175
be spending a day in Washington

1792
01:04:08,694 --> 01:04:08,944
Dc next week learning how much

1793
01:04:10,662 --> 01:04:10,912
federal funding we might be able

1794
01:04:12,664 --> 01:04:12,914
to pull for housing development,

1795
01:04:14,566 --> 01:04:14,816
uh, not just for low income

1796
01:04:15,133 --> 01:04:15,383
but certainly

1797
01:04:18,637 --> 01:04:18,887
y pe s of housing that we would

1798
01:04:20,439 --> 01:04:20,689
want to develop workforce

1799
01:04:21,173 --> 01:04:21,423
housing as I believe it's often

1800
01:04:23,141 --> 01:04:23,391
called across the state and the

1801
01:04:24,643 --> 01:04:24,893
last thing I'll say is that

1802
01:04:26,411 --> 01:04:26,661
there's typically two stages

1803
01:04:28,413 --> 01:04:28,663
that we have to figure out you

1804
01:04:29,047 --> 01:04:29,297
know where we let the markets

1805
01:04:30,716 --> 01:04:30,966
dictate or where we potentially

1806
01:04:32,951 --> 01:04:33,201
help to agitate and that's of

1807
01:04:34,419 --> 01:04:34,669
course the development again of

1808
01:04:36,722 --> 01:04:36,972
sites that need to be ready

1809
01:04:38,423 --> 01:04:38,673
then for the second stage which

1810
01:04:39,224 --> 01:04:39,474
are for developers to step in

1811
01:04:40,659 --> 01:04:40,909
and actually start building the

1812
01:04:42,461 --> 01:04:42,711
units and my understanding from

1813
01:04:43,261 --> 01:04:43,511
the housing community although I

1814
01:04:44,963 --> 01:04:45,213
keep encouraging them to get me

1815
01:04:46,632 --> 01:04:46,882
more data, not just opinions

1816
01:04:49,167 --> 01:04:49,417
um, is that we tend to invest a

1817
01:04:51,003 --> 01:04:51,253
lot more in that second stage of

1818
01:04:52,671 --> 01:04:52,921
really trying to incentivize the

1819
01:04:54,673 --> 01:04:54,923
unit production when the reality

1820
01:04:56,441 --> 01:04:56,691
is if we're missing that first

1821
01:04:57,142 --> 01:04:57,392
step and we don't have sites

1822
01:04:58,577 --> 01:04:58,827
that are ready for housing

1823
01:04:59,111 --> 01:04:59,361
development for develop

1824
01:05:04,983 --> 01:05:05,233
So definitely something we're

1825
01:05:06,451 --> 01:05:06,701
working on I'd love to keep in

1826
01:05:08,553 --> 01:05:08,803
touch with you I know it's huge

1827
01:05:09,221 --> 01:05:09,471
for Mason County but it's huge

1828
01:05:09,888 --> 01:05:10,138
for the

1829
01:05:16,478 --> 01:05:16,728
thank you delegate senior

1830
01:05:17,162 --> 01:05:17,412
senator from the fourth. thank

1831
01:05:19,197 --> 01:05:19,447
you Mr Chairman. On page for

1832
01:05:20,732 --> 01:05:20,982
you're talking about a few

1833
01:05:22,401 --> 01:05:22,651
things that have been positive

1834
01:05:23,135 --> 01:05:23,385
in the conversations you've had

1835
01:05:24,970 --> 01:05:25,220
with employers coming to west

1836
01:05:26,405 --> 01:05:26,655
Virginia when you mentioned

1837
01:05:27,172 --> 01:05:27,422
privatization of workers' comp,

1838
01:05:28,707 --> 01:05:28,957
elimination of the business

1839
01:05:30,575 --> 01:05:30,825
franchise tax and their right to

1840
01:05:31,243 --> 01:05:31,493
work legislation.

1841
01:05:33,045 --> 01:05:33,295
in those discussions

1842
01:05:36,682 --> 01:05:36,932
do you ever also have

1843
01:05:38,417 --> 01:05:38,667
discussions on personal property

1844
01:05:39,251 --> 01:05:39,501
tax here versus if they land

1845
01:05:39,918 --> 01:05:40,168
somewhere else

1846
01:05:44,423 --> 01:05:44,673
infrastructure or the PT the

1847
01:05:45,023 --> 01:05:45,273
personal income tax side of it.

1848
01:05:48,460 --> 01:05:48,710
is there a consistency amongst

1849
01:05:49,194 --> 01:05:49,444
your conversations with regards

1850
01:05:51,129 --> 01:05:51,379
to those or are they mentioned

1851
01:05:51,797 --> 01:05:52,047
at all

1852
01:05:52,564 --> 01:05:52,814
have been

1853
01:06:02,407 --> 01:06:02,657
that if west Virginia if we

1854
01:06:03,208 --> 01:06:03,458
continue to make a case of our

1855
01:06:04,910 --> 01:06:05,160
competitiveness and our

1856
01:06:06,645 --> 01:06:06,895
difference you know, especially

1857
01:06:07,345 --> 01:06:07,595
among our neighbors in those

1858
01:06:09,181 --> 01:06:09,431
areas they will be noticed by

1859
01:06:11,483 --> 01:06:11,733
business. they will be they

1860
01:06:12,984 --> 01:06:13,234
will add to the plus side of why

1861
01:06:14,686 --> 01:06:14,936
West Virginia is a great place

1862
01:06:16,688 --> 01:06:16,938
to invest to bring employees

1863
01:06:18,423 --> 01:06:18,673
to have those employees build a

1864
01:06:19,057 --> 01:06:19,307
life etc. and have that ripple

1865
01:06:19,725 --> 01:06:19,975
effect.

1866
01:06:22,928 --> 01:06:23,178
when you follow up with

1867
01:06:23,395 --> 01:06:23,645
employers as they've located

1868
01:06:27,399 --> 01:06:27,649
to see what they experience

1869
01:06:30,402 --> 01:06:30,652
has been in West Virginia is

1870
01:06:32,637 --> 01:06:32,887
there a is there a common theme

1871
01:06:33,338 --> 01:06:33,588
amongst what they feel like they

1872
01:06:34,506 --> 01:06:34,756
need that they didn't get

1873
01:06:38,677 --> 01:06:38,927
Question I mean we certainly are

1874
01:06:41,179 --> 01:06:41,429
in touch with employers long

1875
01:06:42,948 --> 01:06:43,198
after you know the announcements

1876
01:06:44,416 --> 01:06:44,666
are made and there's any sort of

1877
01:06:46,418 --> 01:06:46,668
a ribbon cutting. Listen, I mean

1878
01:06:47,185 --> 01:06:47,435
I think they continue to grapple

1879
01:06:48,920 --> 01:06:49,170
with the same challenges that

1880
01:06:50,455 --> 01:06:50,705
any business does trying to

1881
01:06:52,657 --> 01:06:52,907
continue to find that workforce,

1882
01:06:54,559 --> 01:06:54,809
um, is probably top among the

1883
01:06:59,231 --> 01:06:59,481
why we're introducing workforce

1884
01:07:00,932 --> 01:07:01,182
even earlier into the

1885
01:07:02,901 --> 01:07:03,151
conversations with prospects

1886
01:07:04,536 --> 01:07:04,786
for West Virginia so that's an

1887
01:07:05,203 --> 01:07:05,453
area again

1888
01:07:22,554 --> 01:07:22,804
ear 2 year3, etc.

1889
01:07:28,593 --> 01:07:28,843
Thank you senator further

1890
01:07:29,161 --> 01:07:29,411
questions

1891
01:07:31,429 --> 01:07:31,679
delegate from the

1892
01:07:32,664 --> 01:07:32,914
eth

1893
01:07:38,670 --> 01:07:38,920
thank you thank you Mr Chairman.

1894
01:07:39,437 --> 01:07:39,687
thank you madam Secretary.

1895
01:07:40,939 --> 01:07:41,189
appreciate you being here was

1896
01:07:44,409 --> 01:07:44,659
looking at some of the appendix

1897
01:07:45,043 --> 01:07:45,293
materials that you provided here

1898
01:07:47,212 --> 01:07:47,462
admittedly it's tiny so I'm

1899
01:07:50,415 --> 01:07:50,665
hoping re reading this correctly

1900
01:07:52,417 --> 01:07:52,667
but I noticed a couple soft

1901
01:07:55,187 --> 01:07:55,437
sectors in there and I'll

1902
01:07:56,688 --> 01:07:56,938
mention one or two particularly

1903
01:07:58,423 --> 01:07:58,673
and was curious if you could

1904
01:08:00,425 --> 01:08:00,675
comment on it because I'm

1905
01:08:01,259 --> 01:08:01,509
looking at it from a long term

1906
01:08:02,694 --> 01:08:02,944
perspective particularly what

1907
01:08:04,663 --> 01:08:04,913
stood out to me was let's see if

1908
01:08:06,598 --> 01:08:06,848
I can read this here really tiny

1909
01:08:07,399 --> 01:08:07,649
gosh

1910
01:08:11,169 --> 01:08:11,419
plant and system operators and

1911
01:08:14,406 --> 01:08:14,656
similar type trades under energy

1912
01:08:16,842 --> 01:08:17,092
I think it's the first one and I

1913
01:08:17,509 --> 01:08:17,759
think I see a decline of

1914
01:08:20,545 --> 01:08:20,795
286 % if I'm reading that

1915
01:08:21,112 --> 01:08:21,362
properly

1916
01:08:24,683 --> 01:08:24,933
does that look right it looks

1917
01:08:26,418 --> 01:08:26,668
right I will tell you I mean to

1918
01:08:27,118 --> 01:08:27,368
some degree this is

1919
01:08:28,420 --> 01:08:28,670
demonstrative but that is what

1920
01:08:30,422 --> 01:08:30,672
the data is telling us right now

1921
01:08:31,189 --> 01:08:31,439
for that particular role. I was

1922
01:08:32,924 --> 01:08:33,174
just curious if you had any

1923
01:08:34,693 --> 01:08:34,943
thoughts with regards to that

1924
01:08:35,293 --> 01:08:35,543
because that sounds

1925
01:08:37,229 --> 01:08:37,479
counterintuitive to where we're

1926
01:08:38,964 --> 01:08:39,214
trying to go with especially hey

1927
01:08:40,999 --> 01:08:41,249
we want to go50 to50 and all the

1928
01:08:42,667 --> 01:08:42,917
rest of that we're gonna need

1929
01:08:44,536 --> 01:08:44,786
people to operate those plants

1930
01:08:45,237 --> 01:08:45,487
and and things like that

1931
01:08:48,673 --> 01:08:48,923
try to rely on the data and

1932
01:08:50,642 --> 01:08:50,892
statistics to show us sometimes

1933
01:08:52,911 --> 01:08:53,161
I will say BLS data is a bit

1934
01:08:54,980 --> 01:08:55,230
more backwardlook in terms of

1935
01:08:55,647 --> 01:08:55,897
you know

1936
01:08:57,215 --> 01:08:57,465
what we've seen over the last

1937
01:08:59,150 --> 01:08:59,400
couple of years so we have to

1938
01:09:00,886 --> 01:09:01,136
keep that in mind but it may be

1939
01:09:02,921 --> 01:09:03,171
that that particular role may be

1940
01:09:03,622 --> 01:09:03,872
seeing a bit of a decline but

1941
01:09:06,424 --> 01:09:06,674
there are certainly others roles

1942
01:09:07,158 --> 01:09:07,408
within the energy industry that

1943
01:09:10,428 --> 01:09:10,678
based on you know the profile of

1944
01:09:12,430 --> 01:09:12,680
power plants coming back online

1945
01:09:14,933 --> 01:09:15,183
and data center development etc.

1946
01:09:16,901 --> 01:09:17,151
we'll see certain roles grow

1947
01:09:18,837 --> 01:09:19,087
much more highly than we would

1948
01:09:19,504 --> 01:09:19,754
other roles.

1949
01:09:21,006 --> 01:09:21,256
I think it'll be a bit of a

1950
01:09:21,539 --> 01:09:21,789
mixed basket

1951
01:09:24,910 --> 01:09:25,160
think what I'm taking away from

1952
01:09:26,678 --> 01:09:26,928
that is you know maybe we ought

1953
01:09:27,412 --> 01:09:27,662
to look at that a little further

1954
01:09:29,147 --> 01:09:29,397
or at least personally rather

1955
01:09:32,550 --> 01:09:32,800
than take this as you know a a

1956
01:09:33,218 --> 01:09:33,468
hard and fast number and

1957
01:09:35,353 --> 01:09:35,603
make plans accordingly I think

1958
01:09:36,888 --> 01:09:37,138
that's fair we should always

1959
01:09:38,657 --> 01:09:38,907
question data that we're getting

1960
01:09:40,625 --> 01:09:40,875
before we're making pure

1961
01:09:41,192 --> 01:09:41,442
decisions but I do think it's a

1962
01:09:43,094 --> 01:09:43,344
signal often of where you know

1963
01:09:45,130 --> 01:09:45,380
the the potentially the best

1964
01:09:46,731 --> 01:09:46,981
areas are for us to invest in

1965
01:09:48,900 --> 01:09:49,150
terms of amplifying roles

1966
01:09:50,568 --> 01:09:50,818
that we're trying to move our

1967
01:09:51,236 --> 01:09:51,486
workers into so

1968
01:09:52,504 --> 01:09:52,754
thank you appreciate it thank

1969
01:09:53,171 --> 01:09:53,421
you Mr Chair

1970
01:09:57,108 --> 01:09:57,358
think you'd get the chair

1971
01:09:57,709 --> 01:09:57,959
recognizes the delegate from the

1972
01:09:58,376 --> 01:09:58,626
seventyninth.

1973
01:10:02,580 --> 01:10:02,830
Thank thank you Mr chair

1974
01:10:05,183 --> 01:10:05,433
I'm over here in the corner

1975
01:10:07,118 --> 01:10:07,368
thank you for being here and for

1976
01:10:10,388 --> 01:10:10,638
your testimony the the mega

1977
01:10:12,724 --> 01:10:12,974
projects that you refer to do

1978
01:10:13,325 --> 01:10:13,575
those include data center

1979
01:10:16,928 --> 01:10:17,178
a great question. I don't

1980
01:10:19,197 --> 01:10:19,447
believe it does in terms of the

1981
01:10:20,665 --> 01:10:20,915
research out of Michigan for

1982
01:10:22,901 --> 01:10:23,151
example. because they're so

1983
01:10:24,669 --> 01:10:24,919
new to the development scene.

1984
01:10:26,404 --> 01:10:26,654
mostst of the research that's

1985
01:10:27,472 --> 01:10:27,722
been done has been over megaros

1986
01:10:28,740 --> 01:10:28,990
in the industrial development

1987
01:10:29,407 --> 01:10:29,657
manufacturing space.

1988
01:10:32,410 --> 01:10:32,660
you're talking about the

1989
01:10:34,412 --> 01:10:34,662
Michigan research it sounds like

1990
01:10:35,180 --> 01:10:35,430
would say both the Michigan

1991
01:10:36,915 --> 01:10:37,165
research as well as what we know

1992
01:10:38,683 --> 01:10:38,933
about defining a megaproject

1993
01:10:39,284 --> 01:10:39,534
traditionally has been more in

1994
01:10:41,186 --> 01:10:41,436
the manufacturing space. I

1995
01:10:42,554 --> 01:10:42,804
wouldn't be comfortable

1996
01:10:43,121 --> 01:10:43,371
inferring a lot about

1997
01:10:48,626 --> 01:10:48,876
So in your slide I'm looking at

1998
01:10:50,628 --> 01:10:50,878
the second slide, the first one

1999
01:10:52,897 --> 01:10:53,147
after the cover page and it

2000
01:10:53,531 --> 01:10:53,781
refers to speed to build

2001
01:10:55,300 --> 01:10:55,550
as the number one issue

2002
01:10:59,037 --> 01:10:59,287
is that relevant to data

2003
01:10:59,604 --> 01:10:59,854
centers?

2004
01:11:10,648 --> 01:11:10,898
and part of the speed to build

2005
01:11:14,419 --> 01:11:14,669
for data centers the removal of

2006
01:11:17,155 --> 01:11:17,405
local control in House Bill2014

2007
01:11:18,523 --> 01:11:18,773
my

2008
01:11:30,402 --> 01:11:30,652
so you do you have any

2009
01:11:32,404 --> 01:11:32,654
indication from data center

2010
01:11:33,038 --> 01:11:33,288
developers whether

2011
01:11:37,208 --> 01:11:37,458
the lack of local control is is

2012
01:11:38,676 --> 01:11:38,926
having an impact on their

2013
01:11:39,244 --> 01:11:39,494
sighting decisions

2014
01:11:46,551 --> 01:11:46,801
that west Virginia's

2015
01:11:50,422 --> 01:11:50,672
positive appetite for economic

2016
01:11:51,222 --> 01:11:51,472
development certainly resonates

2017
01:11:54,426 --> 01:11:54,676
with developers of manufacturing

2018
01:11:55,193 --> 01:11:55,443
facilities, data centers and

2019
01:11:56,661 --> 01:11:56,911
across the board which I think

2020
01:11:57,362 --> 01:11:57,612
is a really welcome thing for

2021
01:11:57,996 --> 01:11:58,246
our state

2022
01:12:01,166 --> 01:12:01,416
and then the the first bullet

2023
01:12:02,734 --> 01:12:02,984
point talks about incentives

2024
01:12:06,871 --> 01:12:07,121
are you are you familiar with

2025
01:12:08,573 --> 01:12:08,823
the incentive for data centers

2026
01:12:09,274 --> 01:12:09,524
to

2027
01:12:11,142 --> 01:12:11,392
tax them at their salvage value

2028
01:12:13,144 --> 01:12:13,394
for certain taxes rather than

2029
01:12:16,915 --> 01:12:17,165
the full value that'm not as

2030
01:12:18,383 --> 01:12:18,633
knowledgeable about again the

2031
01:12:20,418 --> 01:12:20,668
data's economy piece is a bit

2032
01:12:21,152 --> 01:12:21,402
out of my purview. I will tell

2033
01:12:22,954 --> 01:12:23,204
you that salvage value taxation

2034
01:12:24,689 --> 01:12:24,939
I know in our5 for10 program

2035
01:12:25,323 --> 01:12:25,573
that's something that we have

2036
01:12:28,426 --> 01:12:28,676
traditionally offered, uh, for

2037
01:12:30,595 --> 01:12:30,845
manufacturers and so I'm sure

2038
01:12:31,262 --> 01:12:31,512
that that would be a

2039
01:12:35,233 --> 01:12:35,483
notable to investors is that

2040
01:12:35,900 --> 01:12:36,150
because

2041
01:12:39,471 --> 01:12:39,721
taxing the data center servers

2042
01:12:41,172 --> 01:12:41,422
that salvage value is a better

2043
01:12:42,907 --> 01:12:43,157
deal for data center developers

2044
01:12:44,542 --> 01:12:44,792
than surrounding states don't

2045
01:12:58,923 --> 01:12:59,173
OK. and then your last bullet

2046
01:13:02,694 --> 01:13:02,944
about the50 by50 plan and the

2047
01:13:03,328 --> 01:13:03,578
grid upgrades

2048
01:13:07,165 --> 01:13:07,415
if west Virginia were to expand

2049
01:13:07,765 --> 01:13:08,015
to50 gigawatts

2050
01:13:12,537 --> 01:13:12,787
that would be roughly3 times the

2051
01:13:13,204 --> 01:13:13,454
generation capacity that we have

2052
01:13:20,678 --> 01:13:20,928
Would that mean that West

2053
01:13:22,680 --> 01:13:22,930
Virginia would be exporting more

2054
01:13:23,314 --> 01:13:23,564
of its electricity

2055
01:13:25,517 --> 01:13:25,767
and therefore need more

2056
01:13:26,918 --> 01:13:27,168
transmission lines to get that

2057
01:13:28,553 --> 01:13:28,803
electricity to where it's needed

2058
01:13:29,220 --> 01:13:29,470
think that's

2059
01:13:48,540 --> 01:13:48,790
it but to some degree it's

2060
01:13:49,107 --> 01:13:49,357
always a

2061
01:13:51,042 --> 01:13:51,292
where that goes

2062
01:13:54,679 --> 01:13:54,929
do you know how much of the16

2063
01:13:55,446 --> 01:13:55,696
gigawatts that we're generating

2064
01:13:56,548 --> 01:13:56,798
now is consumed in state

2065
01:14:03,070 --> 01:14:03,320
Because I I think if West

2066
01:14:04,789 --> 01:14:05,039
Virginia were to consume the fi0

2067
01:14:05,456 --> 01:14:05,706
gigawatts that'd be a

2068
01:14:09,194 --> 01:14:09,444
an extremely remarkable increase

2069
01:14:12,597 --> 01:14:12,847
in consumption of electricity

2070
01:14:13,264 --> 01:14:13,514
within the state exciting things

2071
01:14:18,403 --> 01:14:18,653
these transmission lines that

2072
01:14:19,170 --> 01:14:19,420
are going to be needed to

2073
01:14:20,905 --> 01:14:21,155
transport the electricity from

2074
01:14:23,174 --> 01:14:23,424
the power plants to the end

2075
01:14:24,676 --> 01:14:24,926
users who should pay for those

2076
01:14:41,292 --> 01:14:41,542
the ratepayers

2077
01:14:44,896 --> 01:14:45,146
So they they should be borne by

2078
01:14:46,965 --> 01:14:47,215
the the businesses that caused

2079
01:14:48,433 --> 01:14:48,683
the need for those great

2080
01:14:49,400 --> 01:14:49,650
expansions not on everyday

2081
01:14:50,568 --> 01:14:50,818
ratepayers would say that

2082
01:15:04,582 --> 01:15:04,832
be spurring the need for

2083
01:15:11,422 --> 01:15:11,672
Thank you thank you Mr chair

2084
01:15:16,894 --> 01:15:17,144
thank you chair recognizes the

2085
01:15:17,528 --> 01:15:17,778
delegate from the fortyfirst.

2086
01:15:20,431 --> 01:15:20,681
Hey Mr Chairman. thank you Miss

2087
01:15:21,132 --> 01:15:21,382
Davies for being here and your

2088
01:15:23,134 --> 01:15:23,384
presentation. Well done.

2089
01:15:24,869 --> 01:15:25,119
quick question for you as we're

2090
01:15:27,171 --> 01:15:27,421
talking about shot clocks and

2091
01:15:28,873 --> 01:15:29,123
you know, speed to permitting

2092
01:15:31,142 --> 01:15:31,392
speed tomark, OK? I think all

2093
01:15:32,910 --> 01:15:33,160
of us recognize you know the

2094
01:15:34,912 --> 01:15:35,162
better we get in that area, the

2095
01:15:36,648 --> 01:15:36,898
more attractive we are and the

2096
01:15:37,382 --> 01:15:37,632
the better environment that we

2097
01:15:40,918 --> 01:15:41,168
have in that as we move the ball

2098
01:15:43,187 --> 01:15:43,437
forward on that do we have

2099
01:15:43,721 --> 01:15:43,971
currently the personnel

2100
01:15:48,660 --> 01:15:48,910
that does the reviewing of the

2101
01:15:50,928 --> 01:15:51,178
applications and the digging in

2102
01:15:53,164 --> 01:15:53,414
if you will do we have the the

2103
01:15:55,133 --> 01:15:55,383
adequate amount of personnel and

2104
01:15:56,801 --> 01:15:57,051
budget for those purposes

2105
01:15:57,368 --> 01:15:57,618
currently?

2106
01:16:03,174 --> 01:16:03,424
nalysis of I would say certainly

2107
01:16:04,575 --> 01:16:04,825
from my experience over the last

2108
01:16:05,243 --> 01:16:05,493
year and a half

2109
01:16:08,946 --> 01:16:09,196
lastst year, there are

2110
01:16:10,648 --> 01:16:10,898
periods where it would be nice

2111
01:16:12,417 --> 01:16:12,667
to be able to add capacity I

2112
01:16:13,051 --> 01:16:13,301
would say to our permitting

2113
01:16:14,652 --> 01:16:14,902
review but it's also somewhat

2114
01:16:16,654 --> 01:16:16,904
unpredictable. um, so I would

2115
01:16:18,656 --> 01:16:18,906
say that I think our teams

2116
01:16:19,290 --> 01:16:19,540
across the board in West

2117
01:16:20,458 --> 01:16:20,708
Virginia state government are

2118
01:16:22,460 --> 01:16:22,710
doing a heck of a job. and I

2119
01:16:23,094 --> 01:16:23,344
think the best thing that we

2120
01:16:24,529 --> 01:16:24,779
could do in addition to looking

2121
01:16:25,196 --> 01:16:25,446
at

2122
01:16:37,408 --> 01:16:37,658
the right balls forward

2123
01:16:40,912 --> 01:16:41,162
yes I appreciate that and and

2124
01:16:42,413 --> 01:16:42,663
I'd like to continue this

2125
01:16:43,014 --> 01:16:43,264
conversation as we go into

2126
01:16:44,649 --> 01:16:44,899
session because this is a

2127
01:16:46,417 --> 01:16:46,667
critical issue that we have to

2128
01:16:47,118 --> 01:16:47,368
address and we have to get

2129
01:16:49,220 --> 01:16:49,470
better at and so we all need to

2130
01:16:50,922 --> 01:16:51,172
work comprehensively together to

2131
01:16:53,224 --> 01:16:53,474
figure out what are the

2132
01:16:54,425 --> 01:16:54,675
applications that we can do

2133
01:16:56,461 --> 01:16:56,711
simultaneously as you said what

2134
01:16:57,228 --> 01:16:57,478
are the necessary shot clocks

2135
01:17:00,431 --> 01:17:00,681
what makes sense but I I don't

2136
01:17:01,065 --> 01:17:01,315
want West Virginia government

2137
01:17:04,635 --> 01:17:04,885
to be the hindrance to projects

2138
01:17:06,404 --> 01:17:06,654
getting done and so as we go

2139
01:17:08,639 --> 01:17:08,889
forward if we need to talk about

2140
01:17:10,408 --> 01:17:10,658
added personnel in various

2141
01:17:11,109 --> 01:17:11,359
departments etc. I think that's

2142
01:17:12,677 --> 01:17:12,927
that's something that's gonna

2143
01:17:13,244 --> 01:17:13,494
be very important going forward

2144
01:17:15,012 --> 01:17:15,262
happy to work with you on that

2145
01:17:15,680 --> 01:17:15,930
you Mr Chairman.

2146
01:17:18,583 --> 01:17:18,833
thank you delegate I I'll just

2147
01:17:19,217 --> 01:17:19,467
follow up on that personally

2148
01:17:21,219 --> 01:17:21,469
I know that you don't have an

2149
01:17:22,920 --> 01:17:23,170
idea of quantitatively whether

2150
01:17:24,922 --> 01:17:25,172
we have a shortage or not but

2151
01:17:25,523 --> 01:17:25,773
I've I've heard stories

2152
01:17:27,225 --> 01:17:27,475
anecdotal anecdotally at least

2153
01:17:28,826 --> 01:17:29,076
in the eastern panhandle where I

2154
01:17:29,494 --> 01:17:29,744
represent

2155
01:17:32,663 --> 01:17:32,913
that there's competition in

2156
01:17:33,464 --> 01:17:33,714
the private sector for instance

2157
01:17:34,699 --> 01:17:34,949
for your experts like your

2158
01:17:36,901 --> 01:17:37,151
engineers, your your technical

2159
01:17:38,669 --> 01:17:38,919
experts cause you know the the

2160
01:17:40,405 --> 01:17:40,655
municipalities, the counties

2161
01:17:42,407 --> 01:17:42,657
need them and their technical

2162
01:17:43,207 --> 01:17:43,457
expertise and their degrees and

2163
01:17:46,911 --> 01:17:47,161
qualifications to to analyze and

2164
01:17:48,446 --> 01:17:48,696
improve these complex permits

2165
01:17:49,046 --> 01:17:49,296
but then there's also the

2166
01:17:51,182 --> 01:17:51,432
private sector that is

2167
01:17:52,950 --> 01:17:53,200
drawing them you know at at

2168
01:17:54,919 --> 01:17:55,169
higher salaries and so I've

2169
01:17:58,456 --> 01:17:58,706
certainly seen that where you

2170
01:17:59,090 --> 01:17:59,340
know we've we've lost

2171
01:18:03,161 --> 01:18:03,411
a key permitter working for the

2172
01:18:06,431 --> 01:18:06,681
local government which delayed

2173
01:18:08,433 --> 01:18:08,683
permits and just anecdotally

2174
01:18:10,401 --> 01:18:10,651
have you are you aware of

2175
01:18:10,902 --> 01:18:11,152
instances like that around the

2176
01:18:12,403 --> 01:18:12,653
state is that a pervasive

2177
01:18:12,937 --> 01:18:13,187
problem or have you not heard

2178
01:18:14,572 --> 01:18:14,822
much about that? I haven't heard

2179
01:18:15,239 --> 01:18:15,489
much about as much

2180
01:18:48,973 --> 01:18:49,223
I appreciate that let's keep

2181
01:18:50,975 --> 01:18:51,225
this conversation going because

2182
01:18:54,812 --> 01:18:55,062
if if a shortage of experts or

2183
01:18:58,349 --> 01:18:58,599
or or you know engineers etc. if

2184
01:19:00,852 --> 01:19:01,102
that is the problem you know

2185
01:19:02,386 --> 01:19:02,636
that maybe it's a funding

2186
01:19:03,054 --> 01:19:03,304
problem where we as the

2187
01:19:06,390 --> 01:19:06,640
legislature can can help to

2188
01:19:08,793 --> 01:19:09,043
boost the ranks or perhaps the

2189
01:19:10,628 --> 01:19:10,878
compensation of the permitters

2190
01:19:12,830 --> 01:19:13,080
to shield them from competition

2191
01:19:14,365 --> 01:19:14,615
to some degree from the private

2192
01:19:15,333 --> 01:19:15,583
sector so that we're not losing

2193
01:19:16,000 --> 01:19:16,250
personnel with expertise and

2194
01:19:16,567 --> 01:19:16,817
then that

2195
01:19:18,803 --> 01:19:19,053
' s causing the projects to be

2196
01:19:20,805 --> 01:19:21,055
delayed so let's let's I

2197
01:19:22,607 --> 01:19:22,857
appreciate that any any feedback

2198
01:19:23,307 --> 01:19:23,557
you've got as we move into

2199
01:19:24,775 --> 01:19:25,025
session on that

2200
01:19:27,044 --> 01:19:27,294
the delegate from the 13th did

2201
01:19:27,712 --> 01:19:27,962
you have a question?

2202
01:19:31,082 --> 01:19:31,332
J recognizes you. Thank you.

2203
01:19:31,749 --> 01:19:31,999
thank you ma'am for being here.

2204
01:19:36,354 --> 01:19:36,604
for every major incentive

2205
01:19:36,988 --> 01:19:37,238
will the state disclose the

2206
01:19:38,956 --> 01:19:39,206
recipient the value the promised

2207
01:19:41,158 --> 01:19:41,408
jobs the wages performance to

2208
01:19:44,795 --> 01:19:45,045
date and any subject clawback

2209
01:19:46,864 --> 01:19:47,114
that would come with it and if

2210
01:19:47,532 --> 01:19:47,782
not why

2211
01:19:51,002 --> 01:19:51,252
delegate believe we disclose

2212
01:19:52,537 --> 01:19:52,787
everything that we are legally

2213
01:19:53,137 --> 01:19:53,387
allowed to. So I need to go back

2214
01:19:54,572 --> 01:19:54,822
and review if there's anything

2215
01:19:56,374 --> 01:19:56,624
that you just mentioned that we

2216
01:19:57,074 --> 01:19:57,324
truly are not allowed to

2217
01:19:58,776 --> 01:19:59,026
disclose that would be an answer

2218
01:20:01,012 --> 01:20:01,262
of no, but absolutely I think we

2219
01:20:02,580 --> 01:20:02,830
should be as transparent as

2220
01:20:03,214 --> 01:20:03,464
possible both with the

2221
01:20:05,016 --> 01:20:05,266
legislature as well as with the

2222
01:20:08,386 --> 01:20:08,636
the the residents of of west

2223
01:20:09,020 --> 01:20:09,270
Virginia about where their tax

2224
01:20:10,588 --> 01:20:10,838
dollars are going and intended

2225
01:20:12,823 --> 01:20:13,073
to spur economic development and

2226
01:20:13,524 --> 01:20:13,774
what the results of those

2227
01:20:14,091 --> 01:20:14,341
investments are.

2228
01:20:16,961 --> 01:20:17,211
thank you one other question is

2229
01:20:18,763 --> 01:20:19,013
how will the administration

2230
01:20:22,533 --> 01:20:22,783
prevent a fast track process

2231
01:20:23,134 --> 01:20:23,384
from favoring politically

2232
01:20:26,337 --> 01:20:26,587
connected or large companies

2233
01:20:27,271 --> 01:20:27,521
over existing small businesses

2234
01:20:27,939 --> 01:20:28,189
or local

2235
01:20:30,641 --> 01:20:30,891
businesses from competing

2236
01:20:35,179 --> 01:20:35,429
that's a trust in the in the

2237
01:20:40,351 --> 01:20:40,601
the goodwill of our economic

2238
01:20:40,985 --> 01:20:41,235
development and our state

2239
01:20:42,587 --> 01:20:42,837
government resources I think

2240
01:20:44,589 --> 01:20:44,839
that there is pressure, you

2241
01:20:46,557 --> 01:20:46,807
know, certainly exerted on both

2242
01:20:47,258 --> 01:20:47,508
sides of the equation that you

2243
01:20:48,759 --> 01:20:49,009
just mentioned sometimes for the

2244
01:20:50,795 --> 01:20:51,045
larger projects, sometimes we

2245
01:20:52,563 --> 01:20:52,813
get a lot of pressure on the

2246
01:20:53,164 --> 01:20:53,414
smaller projects as well which

2247
01:20:54,765 --> 01:20:55,015
we welcome awareness being

2248
01:20:56,767 --> 01:20:57,017
raised of of what is

2249
01:20:58,536 --> 01:20:58,786
important but I do think that

2250
01:21:00,771 --> 01:21:01,021
it's really important that we

2251
01:21:02,607 --> 01:21:02,857
don't treat them as two separate

2252
01:21:04,575 --> 01:21:04,825
entities that we recognize

2253
01:21:06,377 --> 01:21:06,627
there's value especially from

2254
01:21:07,011 --> 01:21:07,261
the smaller projects and we

2255
01:21:07,545 --> 01:21:07,795
can't let the pur

2256
01:21:10,381 --> 01:21:10,631
su it of fast tracking big

2257
01:21:12,350 --> 01:21:12,600
projects overtake really what

2258
01:21:12,984 --> 01:21:13,234
has been the backbone of West

2259
01:21:13,684 --> 01:21:13,934
Virginia's economy.

2260
01:21:16,587 --> 01:21:16,837
thank you thank you very much

2261
01:21:17,188 --> 01:21:17,438
ma'am for answering the

2262
01:21:18,756 --> 01:21:19,006
questions and thank you for

2263
01:21:19,390 --> 01:21:19,640
being here and thank you Mr.

2264
01:21:19,957 --> 01:21:20,207
Chairman.

2265
01:21:22,760 --> 01:21:23,010
thank you delegate. Are there

2266
01:21:23,427 --> 01:21:23,677
further questions?

2267
01:21:24,862 --> 01:21:25,112
senior senator from the fourth

2268
01:21:28,399 --> 01:21:28,649
thank you Mr chairman for

2269
01:21:30,368 --> 01:21:30,618
recognizing me a second time

2270
01:21:31,002 --> 01:21:31,252
I had a question about the

2271
01:21:32,737 --> 01:21:32,987
housing development as well we

2272
01:21:33,404 --> 01:21:33,654
several years ago

2273
01:21:36,641 --> 01:21:36,891
the senate had legislation in

2274
01:21:38,342 --> 01:21:38,592
front of us Mountain Homes

2275
01:21:40,378 --> 01:21:40,628
actct it's been in in front of

2276
01:21:40,978 --> 01:21:41,228
us a few times. Are you familiar

2277
01:21:42,546 --> 01:21:42,796
with that legislation it was

2278
01:21:44,515 --> 01:21:44,765
House Bill5509 this past

2279
01:21:45,082 --> 01:21:45,332
session.

2280
01:21:46,384 --> 01:21:46,634
and

2281
01:21:48,786 --> 01:21:49,036
you mentioned about part of

2282
01:21:50,388 --> 01:21:50,638
the problem that we have with

2283
01:21:52,356 --> 01:21:52,606
getting housing here is the

2284
01:21:53,257 --> 01:21:53,507
upfront site development having

2285
01:21:53,958 --> 01:21:54,208
a spot that's ready

2286
01:21:58,896 --> 01:21:59,146
that legislation is very

2287
01:21:59,430 --> 01:21:59,680
specific to that issue.

2288
01:22:01,032 --> 01:22:01,282
so that it's

2289
01:22:06,370 --> 01:22:06,620
the what was explained to to to

2290
01:22:07,071 --> 01:22:07,321
me when we were developing that

2291
01:22:07,772 --> 01:22:08,022
legislation and some others

2292
01:22:11,008 --> 01:22:11,258
is that theerry the capitalit

2293
01:22:12,810 --> 01:22:13,060
carry cost that you're going

2294
01:22:13,444 --> 01:22:13,694
through when you're doing the

2295
01:22:16,347 --> 01:22:16,597
horizontal development getting

2296
01:22:16,981 --> 01:22:17,231
ready for housing so you got you

2297
01:22:18,916 --> 01:22:19,166
got dirt to sell but in houses

2298
01:22:19,583 --> 01:22:19,833
aren't going up yet.

2299
01:22:23,020 --> 01:22:23,270
that carry cost in West Virginia

2300
01:22:24,789 --> 01:22:25,039
is extraordinary relative to

2301
01:22:26,557 --> 01:22:26,807
some of our bordering areas

2302
01:22:27,191 --> 01:22:27,441
where people are developing

2303
01:22:28,826 --> 01:22:29,076
across the river somewhere from

2304
01:22:32,363 --> 01:22:32,613
us. and so cap rates or the

2305
01:22:34,932 --> 01:22:35,182
risk rate goes up and which even

2306
01:22:35,633 --> 01:22:35,883
increases the capital carery

2307
01:22:36,233 --> 01:22:36,483
even more

2308
01:22:38,736 --> 01:22:38,986
That legislation is designed to

2309
01:22:39,437 --> 01:22:39,687
help make that more competitive.

2310
01:22:44,542 --> 01:22:44,792
I I would appreciate you guys

2311
01:22:45,142 --> 01:22:45,392
taking a look at that relative

2312
01:22:46,777 --> 01:22:47,027
to conversations you've had for

2313
01:22:48,713 --> 01:22:48,963
housing attracting developers

2314
01:22:49,380 --> 01:22:49,630
to West Virginia

2315
01:22:52,383 --> 01:22:52,633
and see where the changes would

2316
01:22:53,017 --> 01:22:53,267
be need needed in that

2317
01:22:53,551 --> 01:22:53,801
legislationta Bill5509.

2318
01:22:57,021 --> 01:22:57,271
it's and essentially what it

2319
01:22:58,556 --> 01:22:58,806
does is it goes in and and

2320
01:23:02,560 --> 01:23:02,810
helps banks loan to these

2321
01:23:03,094 --> 01:23:03,344
developers at a cheaper rate

2322
01:23:06,497 --> 01:23:06,747
to get the horizontal done so

2323
01:23:07,164 --> 01:23:07,414
then we can start getting

2324
01:23:07,698 --> 01:23:07,948
foundations

2325
01:23:10,968 --> 01:23:11,218
ra is ing that it has not been

2326
01:23:12,403 --> 01:23:12,653
raised in conversations with

2327
01:23:13,137 --> 01:23:13,387
housing developers but it's

2328
01:23:14,672 --> 01:23:14,922
great to know there may be a

2329
01:23:15,272 --> 01:23:15,522
vehicle to start with that we

2330
01:23:16,540 --> 01:23:16,790
could look at thank you thank

2331
01:23:17,241 --> 01:23:17,491
you

2332
01:23:21,212 --> 01:23:21,462
thank you Senator. Are there any

2333
01:23:21,879 --> 01:23:22,129
further questions?

2334
01:23:26,417 --> 01:23:26,667
seeing none deputy Secretary

2335
01:23:27,017 --> 01:23:27,267
Davies thank you so much for

2336
01:23:28,586 --> 01:23:28,836
your testimony thank you for

2337
01:23:29,253 --> 01:23:29,503
being here today we really

2338
01:23:29,820 --> 01:23:30,070
appreciate it.

2339
01:23:33,190 --> 01:23:33,440
Next up we'll have testimony

2340
01:23:34,758 --> 01:23:35,008
from the secretary of state's

2341
01:23:35,426 --> 01:23:35,676
office

2342
01:23:38,796 --> 01:23:39,046
we have Mr Donaldersey with us I

2343
01:23:39,463 --> 01:23:39,713
believe and also

2344
01:23:43,267 --> 01:23:43,517
Miss is it Leslie Taylor as well

2345
01:23:49,006 --> 01:23:49,256
would you please both approach

2346
01:23:49,707 --> 01:23:49,957
and raise your right hand.

2347
01:23:55,179 --> 01:23:55,429
Do you swear to tell the truth,

2348
01:23:56,714 --> 01:23:56,964
the whole truth and nothing but

2349
01:23:57,381 --> 01:23:57,631
the truth under penalty of false

2350
01:23:58,048 --> 01:23:58,298
swearing

2351
01:24:00,951 --> 01:24:01,201
Please introduce yourselves

2352
01:24:02,653 --> 01:24:02,903
and and proceed with your

2353
01:24:03,220 --> 01:24:03,470
testimony thank you for being

2354
01:24:03,888 --> 01:24:04,138
here.

2355
01:24:09,126 --> 01:24:09,376
good morning thank you Chairman

2356
01:24:10,961 --> 01:24:11,211
Willis, Chairman Akers, mi

2357
01:24:12,997 --> 01:24:13,247
members of the committees

2358
01:24:13,564 --> 01:24:13,814
appreciate you being here

2359
01:24:17,134 --> 01:24:17,384
I want to introduce Leslie

2360
01:24:18,669 --> 01:24:18,919
Taylor she's our coordinator for

2361
01:24:20,404 --> 01:24:20,654
the office of entrepreneurship

2362
01:24:21,172 --> 01:24:21,422
first I want to thank you for

2363
01:24:21,772 --> 01:24:22,022
your support in the last

2364
01:24:22,339 --> 01:24:22,589
legislative session

2365
01:24:24,742 --> 01:24:24,992
and kind of tell you how we

2366
01:24:25,276 --> 01:24:25,526
got here

2367
01:24:26,977 --> 01:24:27,227
or remind you perhaps

2368
01:24:28,846 --> 01:24:29,096
when

2369
01:24:33,117 --> 01:24:33,367
I came to this office in2017,

2370
01:24:34,885 --> 01:24:35,135
I was primarily focused on

2371
01:24:36,654 --> 01:24:36,904
elections and I've only been

2372
01:24:38,622 --> 01:24:38,872
chief of staff for the last

2373
01:24:40,891 --> 01:24:41,141
couple of years and one of

2374
01:24:42,660 --> 01:24:42,910
the most common questions I got

2375
01:24:43,294 --> 01:24:43,544
that was not elections related

2376
01:24:47,164 --> 01:24:47,414
was how do I start a business?

2377
01:24:49,133 --> 01:24:49,383
Where do I go next? They always

2378
01:24:50,634 --> 01:24:50,884
came to us if you pull out your

2379
01:24:52,436 --> 01:24:52,686
phone right now you can google

2380
01:24:53,037 --> 01:24:53,287
how do I start a business in

2381
01:24:53,704 --> 01:24:53,954
west Virginia

2382
01:24:56,674 --> 01:24:56,924
we're gonna be the first4 or5

2383
01:24:58,409 --> 01:24:58,659
results among some other

2384
01:25:00,644 --> 01:25:00,894
LegalZoom and other third party

2385
01:25:01,278 --> 01:25:01,528
assistants organizations that

2386
01:25:01,946 --> 01:25:02,196
pop up

2387
01:25:06,417 --> 01:25:06,667
that was important for me to

2388
01:25:08,419 --> 01:25:08,669
learn when we were trying to

2389
01:25:09,053 --> 01:25:09,303
figure out how to answer that

2390
01:25:10,921 --> 01:25:11,171
question because how many

2391
01:25:12,690 --> 01:25:12,940
agencies do we have in the state

2392
01:25:14,725 --> 01:25:14,975
that help businesses we just

2393
01:25:16,393 --> 01:25:16,643
heard from commerce we heard

2394
01:25:17,461 --> 01:25:17,711
from EDA we have West Virginia

2395
01:25:18,696 --> 01:25:18,946
hive we have small business

2396
01:25:20,431 --> 01:25:20,681
development centers we have

2397
01:25:22,433 --> 01:25:22,683
innovation innovations we have

2398
01:25:24,401 --> 01:25:24,651
universities we have all

2399
01:25:26,403 --> 01:25:26,653
sorts of organizations from

2400
01:25:28,873 --> 01:25:29,123
state and local regionally

2401
01:25:30,574 --> 01:25:30,824
even that do this kind of work

2402
01:25:32,710 --> 01:25:32,960
but if you don't know where to

2403
01:25:33,377 --> 01:25:33,627
go

2404
01:25:33,627 --> 01:25:33,877
you go to google

2405
01:25:36,714 --> 01:25:36,964
and when you google it you get

2406
01:25:37,381 --> 01:25:37,631
us.

2407
01:25:40,885 --> 01:25:41,135
so we researched the country

2408
01:25:42,419 --> 01:25:42,669
to see what other states are

2409
01:25:43,120 --> 01:25:43,370
doing to help small businesses

2410
01:25:45,122 --> 01:25:45,372
get their foot in the door and

2411
01:25:46,657 --> 01:25:46,907
then continue down their path to

2412
01:25:48,592 --> 01:25:48,842
success and it's these offices

2413
01:25:49,260 --> 01:25:49,510
of entrepreneurship.

2414
01:25:51,161 --> 01:25:51,411
so thank you for your support in

2415
01:25:53,130 --> 01:25:53,380
that. Leslie is our coordinator

2416
01:25:54,732 --> 01:25:54,982
she's been with us for a full

2417
01:25:55,366 --> 01:25:55,616
two months now

2418
01:25:58,369 --> 01:25:58,619
and I'm excited for you to

2419
01:25:58,936 --> 01:25:59,186
hear what she's been doing

2420
01:26:04,408 --> 01:26:04,658
but before she begins I I do

2421
01:26:05,376 --> 01:26:05,626
want to say that it's still

2422
01:26:07,211 --> 01:26:07,461
early yet she's done a lot

2423
01:26:08,679 --> 01:26:08,929
and we're very proud and we're

2424
01:26:10,648 --> 01:26:10,898
very excited with what's to come

2425
01:26:12,416 --> 01:26:12,666
I think she's got the number

2426
01:26:13,183 --> 01:26:13,433
of days quite literally down to

2427
01:26:14,685 --> 01:26:14,935
the day to tell you how long

2428
01:26:16,420 --> 01:26:16,670
she's been working with us so I

2429
01:26:17,421 --> 01:26:17,671
encourage you in her first

2430
01:26:19,189 --> 01:26:19,439
opportunity to be before the

2431
01:26:22,426 --> 01:26:22,676
legislature in her career

2432
01:26:23,193 --> 01:26:23,443
to ask her questions about not

2433
01:26:24,929 --> 01:26:25,179
just what she's working on

2434
01:26:26,430 --> 01:26:26,680
but what we're seeing around the

2435
01:26:27,097 --> 01:26:27,347
country what we're seeing around

2436
01:26:28,432 --> 01:26:28,682
West Virginia and where we see

2437
01:26:29,266 --> 01:26:29,516
some opportunities for growth

2438
01:26:29,934 --> 01:26:30,184
to really benefit our small

2439
01:26:32,536 --> 01:26:32,786
businesses. Thank you chairman

2440
01:26:33,203 --> 01:26:33,453
and Leslie.

2441
01:26:50,954 --> 01:26:51,204
Good morning. thank you

2442
01:26:52,423 --> 01:26:52,673
chairman for having me and thank

2443
01:26:54,558 --> 01:26:54,808
you members for hearing me this

2444
01:26:55,225 --> 01:26:55,475
morning.

2445
01:26:58,762 --> 01:26:59,012
I'm excited to share the work

2446
01:26:59,430 --> 01:26:59,680
that I've been doing in the west

2447
01:27:00,130 --> 01:27:00,380
Virginia Office of

2448
01:27:00,564 --> 01:27:00,814
ntrepreneurship.

2449
01:27:04,401 --> 01:27:04,651
Before I was anything else I was

2450
01:27:05,135 --> 01:27:05,385
my papa's favorite grandchild.

2451
01:27:08,872 --> 01:27:09,122
there are almost 20 of us so

2452
01:27:10,641 --> 01:27:10,891
that becomes very important when

2453
01:27:12,409 --> 01:27:12,659
you think about the amount of

2454
01:27:13,077 --> 01:27:13,327
seats in his tiny Ford Ranger.

2455
01:27:16,880 --> 01:27:17,130
being the favorite came with

2456
01:27:18,649 --> 01:27:18,899
many different opportunities but

2457
01:27:20,651 --> 01:27:20,901
maybe none more enduring than

2458
01:27:22,419 --> 01:27:22,669
the opportunity to spend time

2459
01:27:24,421 --> 01:27:24,671
growing up in Sharp's hardware

2460
01:27:25,122 --> 01:27:25,372
and supplies a little way up

2461
01:27:26,590 --> 01:27:26,840
route 60 in Cedar Grove.

2462
01:27:30,995 --> 01:27:31,245
my time spent in the hardware

2463
01:27:33,197 --> 01:27:33,447
I've now learned that it was not

2464
01:27:34,965 --> 01:27:35,215
the fact that mama needed help

2465
01:27:37,201 --> 01:27:37,451
while papa was at work. It was

2466
01:27:38,569 --> 01:27:38,819
him teaching me really important

2467
01:27:39,203 --> 01:27:39,453
life

2468
01:27:44,408 --> 01:27:44,658
I learned how to run the cash

2469
01:27:45,042 --> 01:27:45,292
register, count change

2470
01:27:47,411 --> 01:27:47,661
I learned the importance of not

2471
01:27:48,946 --> 01:27:49,196
mixing the bolts together if you

2472
01:27:49,646 --> 01:27:49,896
would like to eat warm dinner.

2473
01:27:53,250 --> 01:27:53,500
and what has become more

2474
01:27:55,152 --> 01:27:55,402
apparent to me now than it ever

2475
01:27:57,354 --> 01:27:57,604
has been the importance of small

2476
01:27:58,022 --> 01:27:58,272
business in our communities.

2477
01:28:01,425 --> 01:28:01,675
more than a place where people

2478
01:28:02,726 --> 01:28:02,976
brought bought their hardware

2479
01:28:03,427 --> 01:28:03,677
supplies

2480
01:28:06,430 --> 01:28:06,680
This hardware became a place

2481
01:28:08,932 --> 01:28:09,182
where my mama sewed prom dresses

2482
01:28:10,834 --> 01:28:11,084
for the tradespeople. She made

2483
01:28:11,502 --> 01:28:11,752
their wedding cakes

2484
01:28:14,705 --> 01:28:14,955
it was a warm cup of coffee

2485
01:28:16,407 --> 01:28:16,657
offered to somebody who didn't

2486
01:28:17,174 --> 01:28:17,424
have anybody else at home to

2487
01:28:18,575 --> 01:28:18,825
talk to and a conversation.

2488
01:28:21,412 --> 01:28:21,662
it's that you're never too busy

2489
01:28:22,079 --> 01:28:22,329
to take a moment

2490
01:28:26,417 --> 01:28:26,667
to close down the shop and drive

2491
01:28:27,351 --> 01:28:27,601
to someone's house because you

2492
01:28:28,018 --> 01:28:28,268
haven't seen them this week.

2493
01:28:32,689 --> 01:28:32,939
These businesses are more than

2494
01:28:33,323 --> 01:28:33,573
just the goods and services that

2495
01:28:33,991 --> 01:28:34,241
they sell.

2496
01:28:35,359 --> 01:28:35,609
they are cornerstones of our

2497
01:28:36,026 --> 01:28:36,276
community.

2498
01:28:39,229 --> 01:28:39,479
I'm sure many of you have fond

2499
01:28:41,165 --> 01:28:41,415
memories of very similar places

2500
01:28:42,466 --> 01:28:42,716
that have become these

2501
01:28:43,033 --> 01:28:43,283
cornerstones of your childhood.

2502
01:28:46,570 --> 01:28:46,820
I have just been fortunate

2503
01:28:47,137 --> 01:28:47,387
enough to have a front

2504
01:28:51,475 --> 01:28:51,725
The folks who take a chance on

2505
01:28:52,142 --> 01:28:52,392
starting a business

2506
01:28:54,878 --> 01:28:55,128
make their dreams come true,

2507
01:28:56,880 --> 01:28:57,130
employ our neighbors are what

2508
01:28:58,682 --> 01:28:58,932
makes West Virginia a great

2509
01:28:59,316 --> 01:28:59,566
place to live work and raise a

2510
01:29:00,017 --> 01:29:00,267
family.

2511
01:29:01,318 --> 01:29:01,568
it is my upbringing

2512
01:29:04,621 --> 01:29:04,871
my own small business ownership

2513
01:29:08,659 --> 01:29:08,909
and my nearly decade of

2514
01:29:10,661 --> 01:29:10,911
identifying problems and

2515
01:29:12,663 --> 01:29:12,913
implementing solutions that have

2516
01:29:14,665 --> 01:29:14,915
guided my work in the53 working

2517
01:29:16,633 --> 01:29:16,883
days since this office opened

2518
01:29:17,301 --> 01:29:17,551
its doors to the public.

2519
01:29:20,637 --> 01:29:20,887
Since July 1st, I've spoken with

2520
01:29:21,505 --> 01:29:21,755
entrepreneurs who are

2521
01:29:21,939 --> 01:29:22,189
experiencing issues

2522
01:29:24,775 --> 01:29:25,025
who just needed a place to

2523
01:29:25,375 --> 01:29:25,625
start.

2524
01:29:27,544 --> 01:29:27,794
like Dike said, how do I start a

2525
01:29:28,212 --> 01:29:28,462
business?

2526
01:29:31,215 --> 01:29:31,465
I've been able to work out

2527
01:29:33,217 --> 01:29:33,467
resolutions connect them with

2528
01:29:34,885 --> 01:29:35,135
our resource partners and ensure

2529
01:29:36,720 --> 01:29:36,970
that if a process is burdensome

2530
01:29:37,421 --> 01:29:37,671
that they do not walk it alone.

2531
01:29:40,791 --> 01:29:41,041
What used to start with somebody

2532
01:29:44,394 --> 01:29:44,644
going through a phone tree or

2533
01:29:45,062 --> 01:29:45,312
being on hold now starts with me

2534
01:29:48,765 --> 01:29:49,015
they call my phone number and

2535
01:29:49,433 --> 01:29:49,683
they get my answer.

2536
01:29:50,901 --> 01:29:51,151
the only reason I don't answer

2537
01:29:52,536 --> 01:29:52,786
the phone is if I am somewhere

2538
01:29:53,203 --> 01:29:53,453
like here

2539
01:29:54,972 --> 01:29:55,222
or on the other line with an

2540
01:29:55,639 --> 01:29:55,889
entrepreneur.

2541
01:29:58,675 --> 01:29:58,925
in addition to these meetings

2542
01:30:00,410 --> 01:30:00,660
with our entrepreneurs I have

2543
01:30:01,512 --> 01:30:01,762
met with our entrepreneur

2544
01:30:02,079 --> 01:30:02,329
support organizations.

2545
01:30:05,682 --> 01:30:05,932
I want to make sure that we

2546
01:30:06,250 --> 01:30:06,500
coordinate efforts

2547
01:30:08,986 --> 01:30:09,236
make sure my servicess are not

2548
01:30:09,686 --> 01:30:09,936
duplicative

2549
01:30:12,422 --> 01:30:12,672
and ensure that we all put our

2550
01:30:14,424 --> 01:30:14,674
best foot forward and make doing

2551
01:30:15,192 --> 01:30:15,442
business in West Virginia as

2552
01:30:15,859 --> 01:30:16,109
frictionless as possible.

2553
01:30:20,697 --> 01:30:20,947
in my conversations with several

2554
01:30:22,666 --> 01:30:22,916
people it wasn't even as simple

2555
01:30:24,401 --> 01:30:24,651
as getting someone on the phone.

2556
01:30:25,135 --> 01:30:25,385
Oftentimes you sit on hold

2557
01:30:28,872 --> 01:30:29,122
you finally get someone and they

2558
01:30:29,606 --> 01:30:29,856
say well you can just read the

2559
01:30:30,307 --> 01:30:30,557
code

2560
01:30:34,912 --> 01:30:35,162
because I'm here that answer is

2561
01:30:35,546 --> 01:30:35,796
no longer going to be

2562
01:30:36,013 --> 01:30:36,263
acceptable.

2563
01:30:40,417 --> 01:30:40,667
By allowing access to a real

2564
01:30:41,084 --> 01:30:41,334
person through this office

2565
01:30:44,588 --> 01:30:44,838
I get a phone call an email and

2566
01:30:45,255 --> 01:30:45,505
I get to work

2567
01:30:46,924 --> 01:30:47,174
it is no longer the burden of

2568
01:30:48,659 --> 01:30:48,909
the entrepreneur to sit and try

2569
01:30:50,561 --> 01:30:50,811
to sort out who they need to

2570
01:30:51,228 --> 01:30:51,478
talk to or where they need to go

2571
01:30:52,563 --> 01:30:52,813
I can take control of the

2572
01:30:53,096 --> 01:30:53,346
problem

2573
01:30:58,402 --> 01:30:58,652
My most recent example is out of

2574
01:30:59,169 --> 01:30:59,419
the southern part of our state.

2575
01:31:00,938 --> 01:31:01,188
I have a family who wants to

2576
01:31:01,605 --> 01:31:01,855
develop a natural spring

2577
01:31:04,408 --> 01:31:04,658
into a business where people

2578
01:31:06,443 --> 01:31:06,693
come they drive their trucks up

2579
01:31:07,144 --> 01:31:07,394
they fill their trucks with

2580
01:31:07,711 --> 01:31:07,961
water and they leave.

2581
01:31:09,513 --> 01:31:09,763
I thought that this sounded

2582
01:31:10,080 --> 01:31:10,330
relatively simple

2583
01:31:13,383 --> 01:31:13,633
you know, I know that health

2584
01:31:14,618 --> 01:31:14,868
departments do water well

2585
01:31:15,152 --> 01:31:15,402
testing

2586
01:31:16,587 --> 01:31:16,837
so I called the health

2587
01:31:17,054 --> 01:31:17,304
department

2588
01:31:20,424 --> 01:31:20,674
and and through no fault of what

2589
01:31:21,091 --> 01:31:21,341
I believe their own. I don't get

2590
01:31:21,758 --> 01:31:22,008
an answer.

2591
01:31:25,195 --> 01:31:25,445
but I'm trying. I'm on this48

2592
01:31:26,597 --> 01:31:26,847
hour deadline and I take it

2593
01:31:27,130 --> 01:31:27,380
seriously

2594
01:31:29,266 --> 01:31:29,516
so I called the department of

2595
01:31:29,900 --> 01:31:30,150
Environmental Protection

2596
01:31:32,703 --> 01:31:32,953
He says ma'am that's a health

2597
01:31:33,370 --> 01:31:33,620
department problem

2598
01:31:36,873 --> 01:31:37,123
ok I called the health

2599
01:31:38,642 --> 01:31:38,892
department back and thanks to

2600
01:31:39,243 --> 01:31:39,493
their elected official I finally

2601
01:31:39,910 --> 01:31:40,160
get somebody

2602
01:31:42,746 --> 01:31:42,996
and they tell me no ma'am that's

2603
01:31:43,413 --> 01:31:43,663
a public utility

2604
01:31:46,984 --> 01:31:47,234
all right so now I'm calling the

2605
01:31:47,651 --> 01:31:47,901
Psc

2606
01:31:49,586 --> 01:31:49,836
no ma'am that's a health

2607
01:31:50,153 --> 01:31:50,403
department problem.

2608
01:31:54,925 --> 01:31:55,175
and you can see where I have

2609
01:31:55,592 --> 01:31:55,842
some time dedicated to this. I

2610
01:31:56,260 --> 01:31:56,510
have an office and

2611
01:31:59,129 --> 01:31:59,379
I'm happy to to sort these

2612
01:32:00,897 --> 01:32:01,147
issues out. where that becomes

2613
01:32:03,133 --> 01:32:03,383
very burdensome, especially when

2614
01:32:04,868 --> 01:32:05,118
you talk about somebody whose

2615
01:32:05,569 --> 01:32:05,819
other income is also small

2616
01:32:06,103 --> 01:32:06,353
business.

2617
01:32:09,072 --> 01:32:09,322
they have a duty to serve their

2618
01:32:09,706 --> 01:32:09,956
own customers

2619
01:32:12,909 --> 01:32:13,159
they need to make the dollar to

2620
01:32:13,610 --> 01:32:13,860
pay their bills to feed their

2621
01:32:14,177 --> 01:32:14,427
family

2622
01:32:17,214 --> 01:32:17,464
it's not fair to have to sit and

2623
01:32:17,948 --> 01:32:18,198
wonder

2624
01:32:26,456 --> 01:32:26,706
Where that currently stands as

2625
01:32:28,425 --> 01:32:28,675
I'm outsourced I've been put

2626
01:32:29,192 --> 01:32:29,442
pushed up a level in the Bureau

2627
01:32:30,927 --> 01:32:31,177
of Public Health to a gentleman

2628
01:32:32,429 --> 01:32:32,679
I finally got on the phone and

2629
01:32:33,063 --> 01:32:33,313
he said, I'll get to the bottom

2630
01:32:33,730 --> 01:32:33,980
of it.

2631
01:32:37,167 --> 01:32:37,417
I think that shows the spirit of

2632
01:32:38,635 --> 01:32:38,885
when people are working in these

2633
01:32:39,303 --> 01:32:39,553
agencies they do want the best

2634
01:32:39,970 --> 01:32:40,220
for folks

2635
01:32:44,408 --> 01:32:44,658
I think just sometimes it's

2636
01:32:45,008 --> 01:32:45,258
been a little more acceptable to

2637
01:32:46,743 --> 01:32:46,993
say I don't know instead of I

2638
01:32:47,411 --> 01:32:47,661
don't know but

2639
01:32:49,246 --> 01:32:49,496
the gentleman I have now said I

2640
01:32:49,946 --> 01:32:50,196
don't know but

2641
01:32:52,649 --> 01:32:52,899
and I want that to be more

2642
01:32:54,418 --> 01:32:54,668
apparent in my conversations

2643
01:32:56,620 --> 01:32:56,870
with folks as I've forged these

2644
01:32:58,655 --> 01:32:58,905
relationships I want the answer

2645
01:32:59,323 --> 01:32:59,573
to be if you don't know that's

2646
01:32:59,990 --> 01:33:00,240
fine.

2647
01:33:01,325 --> 01:33:01,575
but who do I go to

2648
01:33:03,260 --> 01:33:03,510
because don't hang up the phone

2649
01:33:03,927 --> 01:33:04,177
on me

2650
01:33:04,861 --> 01:33:05,111
because I'm call back

2651
01:33:12,903 --> 01:33:13,153
For what will likely be as

2652
01:33:13,537 --> 01:33:13,787
simple as the healthth

2653
01:33:14,671 --> 01:33:14,921
department going out and running

2654
01:33:15,405 --> 01:33:15,655
the same tests that they would

2655
01:33:16,073 --> 01:33:16,323
do for a water well.

2656
01:33:18,408 --> 01:33:18,658
this has been in the

2657
01:33:18,875 --> 01:33:19,125
neighborhood of10 phone calls.

2658
01:33:21,044 --> 01:33:21,294
just to get someone to do

2659
01:33:21,611 --> 01:33:21,861
something.

2660
01:33:24,581 --> 01:33:24,831
the alternative is this person

2661
01:33:25,248 --> 01:33:25,498
files a business license

2662
01:33:25,816 --> 01:33:26,066
and

2663
01:33:28,885 --> 01:33:29,135
waits goes about their day,

2664
01:33:29,519 --> 01:33:29,769
makes their money until someone

2665
01:33:30,187 --> 01:33:30,437
tells them they're wrong.

2666
01:33:34,691 --> 01:33:34,941
when we wait this long to find

2667
01:33:36,426 --> 01:33:36,676
someone operating incorrectly.

2668
01:33:37,060 --> 01:33:37,310
they often face fines

2669
01:33:39,229 --> 01:33:39,479
or at a minimum they're going to

2670
01:33:39,896 --> 01:33:40,146
be told stop

2671
01:33:42,699 --> 01:33:42,949
don't do any more business until

2672
01:33:43,400 --> 01:33:43,650
we can come out there and do

2673
01:33:44,067 --> 01:33:44,317
what we needed to do.

2674
01:33:45,435 --> 01:33:45,685
several months ago when you

2675
01:33:45,969 --> 01:33:46,219
started this.

2676
01:33:48,972 --> 01:33:49,222
this leads me to what I've

2677
01:33:52,642 --> 01:33:52,892
made as the central question

2678
01:33:54,411 --> 01:33:54,661
that I'm asking other agencies.

2679
01:33:55,112 --> 01:33:55,362
Does West Virginia government

2680
01:33:55,779 --> 01:33:56,029
want to be a partner for

2681
01:33:56,313 --> 01:33:56,563
businesses

2682
01:33:59,216 --> 01:33:59,466
or does it want to continue to

2683
01:33:59,883 --> 01:34:00,133
be a litmus test for grit

2684
01:34:01,318 --> 01:34:01,568
and for business success.

2685
01:34:04,955 --> 01:34:05,205
iss it the job of the government

2686
01:34:06,690 --> 01:34:06,940
to stand in the way of our

2687
01:34:08,725 --> 01:34:08,975
people by way of gotcha moments

2688
01:34:09,393 --> 01:34:09,643
and nonanwers

2689
01:34:11,161 --> 01:34:11,411
or is it one of understanding

2690
01:34:13,096 --> 01:34:13,346
your agency's code well enough

2691
01:34:13,764 --> 01:34:14,014
to say yes.

2692
01:34:15,599 --> 01:34:15,849
no or I don't know but

2693
01:34:19,202 --> 01:34:19,452
there are exciting things

2694
01:34:20,504 --> 01:34:20,754
happening across our network

2695
01:34:23,173 --> 01:34:23,423
I am intentional in my

2696
01:34:24,875 --> 01:34:25,125
partnerships choosing to meet

2697
01:34:25,542 --> 01:34:25,792
with the west

2698
01:34:26,877 --> 01:34:27,127
Virginiamallusinessvelopment

2699
01:34:28,445 --> 01:34:28,695
Center and the West Virginia

2700
01:34:29,246 --> 01:34:29,496
ntrepreneurship ecosystem twice

2701
01:34:29,913 --> 01:34:30,163
a month.

2702
01:34:32,549 --> 01:34:32,799
I chose these two

2703
01:34:35,185 --> 01:34:35,435
because they are knowledgeable

2704
01:34:36,720 --> 01:34:36,970
they have a long standing

2705
01:34:37,287 --> 01:34:37,537
history of being

2706
01:34:39,189 --> 01:34:39,439
in contact not only with our

2707
01:34:40,757 --> 01:34:41,007
entrepreneurs but the support

2708
01:34:41,425 --> 01:34:41,675
organizations.

2709
01:34:44,628 --> 01:34:44,878
as I navigate these first hund0

2710
01:34:45,395 --> 01:34:45,645
days in office I wanted to

2711
01:34:47,197 --> 01:34:47,447
surround myself with people who

2712
01:34:48,598 --> 01:34:48,848
were on the ground doing the

2713
01:34:49,232 --> 01:34:49,482
work.

2714
01:34:52,402 --> 01:34:52,652
Most recently the west virginia

2715
01:34:53,170 --> 01:34:53,420
entrepreneurship ecosystem and I

2716
01:34:56,473 --> 01:34:56,723
have partnered together to talk

2717
01:34:58,408 --> 01:34:58,658
to local university about

2718
01:34:59,176 --> 01:34:59,426
service learning opportunities

2719
01:35:00,877 --> 01:35:01,127
and what those are these are

2720
01:35:02,879 --> 01:35:03,129
opportunities where students,

2721
01:35:05,182 --> 01:35:05,432
this casecPA hopefuls get the

2722
01:35:06,616 --> 01:35:06,866
opportunity to work with real

2723
01:35:07,250 --> 01:35:07,500
business owners

2724
01:35:08,585 --> 01:35:08,835
on real world problems

2725
01:35:11,188 --> 01:35:11,438
they get the opportunity to

2726
01:35:12,923 --> 01:35:13,173
learn what it's like to handle

2727
01:35:14,691 --> 01:35:14,941
these issues out in the field

2728
01:35:15,325 --> 01:35:15,575
and these business owners get

2729
01:35:15,992 --> 01:35:16,242
some guidance.

2730
01:35:18,428 --> 01:35:18,678
things that would have typically

2731
01:35:19,129 --> 01:35:19,379
been behind a pretty hefty

2732
01:35:20,864 --> 01:35:21,114
paywall if you've ever paid a

2733
01:35:22,732 --> 01:35:22,982
CPA for any work. it is not

2734
01:35:23,266 --> 01:35:23,516
cheap.

2735
01:35:26,937 --> 01:35:27,187
it's our hope that by building

2736
01:35:28,371 --> 01:35:28,621
this framework with one

2737
01:35:28,972 --> 01:35:29,222
university we can spread it

2738
01:35:29,539 --> 01:35:29,789
throughout the rest of the state

2739
01:35:30,974 --> 01:35:31,224
and provide

2740
01:35:34,411 --> 01:35:34,661
this idea that we can support

2741
01:35:35,078 --> 01:35:35,328
entrepreneurs not just at the

2742
01:35:35,745 --> 01:35:35,995
college level

2743
01:35:38,815 --> 01:35:39,065
but connect our students with

2744
01:35:39,449 --> 01:35:39,699
real world work

2745
01:35:41,318 --> 01:35:41,568
and encourage them to say hey

2746
01:35:41,952 --> 01:35:42,202
there's work here for you.

2747
01:35:44,688 --> 01:35:44,938
you've already built a

2748
01:35:46,556 --> 01:35:46,806
relationship because of the work

2749
01:35:47,224 --> 01:35:47,474
that you've done in university

2750
01:35:48,658 --> 01:35:48,908
and now that these businesses

2751
01:35:50,527 --> 01:35:50,777
are paid they're more successful

2752
01:35:51,194 --> 01:35:51,444
they can pay you for your

2753
01:35:56,433 --> 01:35:56,683
we are also working together on

2754
01:35:57,133 --> 01:35:57,383
a project through the Federal

2755
01:35:57,734 --> 01:35:57,984
Reserve Smallusinessredit

2756
01:35:58,301 --> 01:35:58,551
survey.

2757
01:36:02,405 --> 01:36:02,655
if completed by enough employer

2758
01:36:03,206 --> 01:36:03,456
franchises which are people who

2759
01:36:03,874 --> 01:36:04,124
employ

2760
01:36:04,975 --> 01:36:05,225
more than2 people

2761
01:36:08,712 --> 01:36:08,962
we need50 responses to get a

2762
01:36:09,279 --> 01:36:09,529
dataook

2763
01:36:10,580 --> 01:36:10,830
from the Federal Reserve

2764
01:36:14,417 --> 01:36:14,667
This data book informs us not

2765
01:36:15,185 --> 01:36:15,435
only of the credit readiness of

2766
01:36:17,187 --> 01:36:17,437
our small businesses but brings

2767
01:36:18,555 --> 01:36:18,805
to the forefront the challenges

2768
01:36:19,289 --> 01:36:19,539
that they face.

2769
01:36:24,427 --> 01:36:24,677
The SPDc has become a trusted

2770
01:36:26,730 --> 01:36:26,980
resource as I ensure the clients

2771
01:36:27,464 --> 01:36:27,714
who need coaching are sent to

2772
01:36:28,098 --> 01:36:28,348
them

2773
01:36:30,767 --> 01:36:31,017
they send their governmental

2774
01:36:31,434 --> 01:36:31,684
process issues to me.

2775
01:36:33,103 --> 01:36:33,353
ron g partnerships like this one

2776
01:36:36,873 --> 01:36:37,123
are what the office needs to

2777
01:36:37,507 --> 01:36:37,757
support as I have time to

2778
01:36:39,242 --> 01:36:39,492
analyze the issues they take

2779
01:36:39,910 --> 01:36:40,160
over the coaching

2780
01:36:42,512 --> 01:36:42,762
When I refer them a client, I

2781
01:36:43,179 --> 01:36:43,429
know that they're

2782
01:36:47,183 --> 01:36:47,433
My intention in this office is

2783
01:36:48,952 --> 01:36:49,202
not based to make decisions

2784
01:36:49,586 --> 01:36:49,836
based on feeling but on facts.

2785
01:36:52,889 --> 01:36:53,139
Given the short time the office

2786
01:36:53,623 --> 01:36:53,873
has been open, I'm still

2787
01:36:55,292 --> 01:36:55,542
gathering data and analyzing

2788
01:36:55,992 --> 01:36:56,242
where the issues are

2789
01:36:56,426 --> 01:36:56,676
concentrated.

2790
01:36:59,195 --> 01:36:59,445
it's important to me when I make

2791
01:37:00,664 --> 01:37:00,914
a recommendation that it's

2792
01:37:02,666 --> 01:37:02,916
founded in repeated evidence and

2793
01:37:03,400 --> 01:37:03,650
I propose a solution that works

2794
01:37:06,670 --> 01:37:06,920
Currently I've had some

2795
01:37:08,405 --> 01:37:08,655
discussions with entrepreneurs,

2796
01:37:09,105 --> 01:37:09,355
state agencies and other support

2797
01:37:12,375 --> 01:37:12,625
organizations that business code

2798
01:37:13,310 --> 01:37:13,560
and chapter30 board expectations

2799
01:37:13,977 --> 01:37:14,227
don't always align.

2800
01:37:16,680 --> 01:37:16,930
Our department of laborbor does

2801
01:37:17,414 --> 01:37:17,664
a great job. They pick up the

2802
01:37:18,715 --> 01:37:18,965
phone on a call they're

2803
01:37:19,249 --> 01:37:19,499
responsive to my emails.

2804
01:37:22,919 --> 01:37:23,169
but it is sometimes that agency

2805
01:37:23,653 --> 01:37:23,903
expectations under chapter30

2806
01:37:25,422 --> 01:37:25,672
and licensing requirements

2807
01:37:29,359 --> 01:37:29,609
don't line up with chapter31 and

2808
01:37:30,660 --> 01:37:30,910
the business laws that the

2809
01:37:31,294 --> 01:37:31,544
secretary of state has to

2810
01:37:31,861 --> 01:37:32,111
enforce.

2811
01:37:34,931 --> 01:37:35,181
As the Secretary of State's

2812
01:37:36,666 --> 01:37:36,916
office typically presents its

2813
01:37:38,401 --> 01:37:38,651
legislative recommendation later

2814
01:37:39,469 --> 01:37:39,719
in the year. I will plan to

2815
01:37:40,003 --> 01:37:40,253
collaborate with the staff

2816
01:37:42,572 --> 01:37:42,822
and offer my formal

2817
01:37:43,006 --> 01:37:43,256
recommendations then.

2818
01:37:46,376 --> 01:37:46,626
when I'm not fielding

2819
01:37:47,110 --> 01:37:47,360
entrepreneur issues or working

2820
01:37:48,878 --> 01:37:49,128
with our support organizations.

2821
01:37:50,914 --> 01:37:51,164
I am working on resources aimed

2822
01:37:52,549 --> 01:37:52,799
demystifying our government

2823
01:37:53,116 --> 01:37:53,366
processes.

2824
01:37:55,151 --> 01:37:55,401
and my conversations with

2825
01:37:56,620 --> 01:37:56,870
entrepreneurs and I've

2826
01:37:57,153 --> 01:37:57,403
experienced it myself

2827
01:37:58,588 --> 01:37:58,838
they wonder what's next

2828
01:38:01,324 --> 01:38:01,574
you get super excited you've got

2829
01:38:02,025 --> 01:38:02,275
an idea

2830
01:38:05,228 --> 01:38:05,478
before me you google how do

2831
01:38:05,795 --> 01:38:06,045
you start a business

2832
01:38:08,665 --> 01:38:08,915
hopefully you do some due

2833
01:38:09,299 --> 01:38:09,549
diligence and you start at the

2834
01:38:09,966 --> 01:38:10,216
Secretary of State's website.

2835
01:38:12,902 --> 01:38:13,152
and you've registered and you

2836
01:38:14,871 --> 01:38:15,121
get your little email that says

2837
01:38:15,505 --> 01:38:15,755
congratulations you're

2838
01:38:15,939 --> 01:38:16,189
registered.

2839
01:38:17,140 --> 01:38:17,390
and then you wake up the next

2840
01:38:17,807 --> 01:38:18,057
morning

2841
01:38:19,075 --> 01:38:19,325
what's next

2842
01:38:24,414 --> 01:38:24,664
Because I know that it's not as

2843
01:38:25,048 --> 01:38:25,298
simple as getting some

2844
01:38:25,482 --> 01:38:25,732
certificate

2845
01:38:27,250 --> 01:38:27,500
I'm gonna owe somebody some

2846
01:38:27,817 --> 01:38:28,067
money

2847
01:38:28,918 --> 01:38:29,168
I'm

2848
01:38:31,154 --> 01:38:31,404
in municipality limits.

2849
01:38:32,622 --> 01:38:32,872
somebodydy's probably will be

2850
01:38:33,323 --> 01:38:33,573
knocking on my door at some

2851
01:38:36,393 --> 01:38:36,643
point they'll hear I'll hear

2852
01:38:38,395 --> 01:38:38,645
from them but I don't I don't

2853
01:38:39,029 --> 01:38:39,279
like that and other

2854
01:38:39,429 --> 01:38:39,679
entrepreneurs don't like that

2855
01:38:40,096 --> 01:38:40,346
either

2856
01:38:42,666 --> 01:38:42,916
they want some transparency

2857
01:38:43,233 --> 01:38:43,483
around the process. What do I do

2858
01:38:43,900 --> 01:38:44,150
next?

2859
01:38:48,438 --> 01:38:48,688
in response to this, I've

2860
01:38:49,005 --> 01:38:49,255
drafted a West Virginiaus

2861
01:38:49,572 --> 01:38:49,822
playbook

2862
01:38:51,241 --> 01:38:51,491
a short form regulatory guide

2863
01:38:51,941 --> 01:38:52,191
aimed

2864
01:38:52,776 --> 01:38:53,026
at

2865
01:38:56,646 --> 01:38:56,896
providing the contacts for

2866
01:38:58,415 --> 01:38:58,665
specific agencies within state

2867
01:38:59,115 --> 01:38:59,365
government the businesses are

2868
01:39:00,917 --> 01:39:01,167
required to either apply to or

2869
01:39:02,552 --> 01:39:02,802
be in compliance with their

2870
01:39:03,119 --> 01:39:03,369
regulations.

2871
01:39:06,656 --> 01:39:06,906
this guide introduces my office

2872
01:39:08,425 --> 01:39:08,675
as their advocate within these

2873
01:39:10,427 --> 01:39:10,677
processes letting them know that

2874
01:39:11,094 --> 01:39:11,344
if they call me they get a real

2875
01:39:11,728 --> 01:39:11,978
person.

2876
01:39:12,629 --> 01:39:12,879
that can assist them

2877
01:39:16,666 --> 01:39:16,916
I'm also naming our state

2878
01:39:18,735 --> 01:39:18,985
agencies that support

2879
01:39:19,169 --> 01:39:19,419
entrepreneurship.

2880
01:39:22,405 --> 01:39:22,655
they provide entrepreneurs with

2881
01:39:23,139 --> 01:39:23,389
technical assistance, tax

2882
01:39:24,774 --> 01:39:25,024
credits and workforce resources.

2883
01:39:28,411 --> 01:39:28,661
this guide will be extended into

2884
01:39:29,179 --> 01:39:29,429
a series outlining specific

2885
01:39:31,181 --> 01:39:31,431
licensure and requirements for

2886
01:39:32,916 --> 01:39:33,166
operations in West Virginia such

2887
01:39:35,151 --> 01:39:35,401
as fooder and contracting things

2888
01:39:36,986 --> 01:39:37,236
that I typically hear are a

2889
01:39:37,554 --> 01:39:37,804
little complicated

2890
01:39:41,157 --> 01:39:41,407
I've also begun the creation of

2891
01:39:43,193 --> 01:39:43,443
an interactive map outlining the

2892
01:39:45,195 --> 01:39:45,445
regulatory agencies down to the

2893
01:39:47,030 --> 01:39:47,280
municipality level through all

2894
01:39:47,697 --> 01:39:47,947
of West Virginia.

2895
01:39:49,733 --> 01:39:49,983
this isn't simply putting

2896
01:39:50,300 --> 01:39:50,550
together a list

2897
01:39:52,936 --> 01:39:53,186
it's calling to make sure

2898
01:39:53,503 --> 01:39:53,753
numbers are answered

2899
01:39:56,706 --> 01:39:56,956
If I have to leave a voicemail,

2900
01:39:57,373 --> 01:39:57,623
do you call me back?

2901
01:40:00,376 --> 01:40:00,626
It does nobody any good if I put

2902
01:40:01,511 --> 01:40:01,761
together a list of numbers that

2903
01:40:02,178 --> 01:40:02,428
don't reach someone

2904
01:40:04,581 --> 01:40:04,831
it puts them right back where

2905
01:40:05,248 --> 01:40:05,498
they started.

2906
01:40:08,418 --> 01:40:08,668
it's getting in touch with our

2907
01:40:09,119 --> 01:40:09,369
local health departments and

2908
01:40:11,254 --> 01:40:11,504
navigating the phone tree so

2909
01:40:11,821 --> 01:40:12,071
that when somebody calls me

2910
01:40:14,657 --> 01:40:14,907
I can put it on this map but I

2911
01:40:16,426 --> 01:40:16,676
can also tell them yes you're

2912
01:40:17,026 --> 01:40:17,276
going to call that number you're

2913
01:40:18,661 --> 01:40:18,911
going to press3. you're going to

2914
01:40:20,430 --> 01:40:20,680
speak to Jennifer and you're

2915
01:40:21,297 --> 01:40:21,547
going to ask nicely if she will

2916
01:40:21,931 --> 01:40:22,181
come test your well water.

2917
01:40:26,536 --> 01:40:26,786
So far I've made over200 phone

2918
01:40:27,203 --> 01:40:27,453
calls in the name of this map.

2919
01:40:27,904 --> 01:40:28,154
and I'm not done

2920
01:40:32,542 --> 01:40:32,792
I want clear contacts for every

2921
01:40:33,243 --> 01:40:33,493
agency.

2922
01:40:34,744 --> 01:40:34,994
if you are going to enforce a

2923
01:40:35,411 --> 01:40:35,661
fine

2924
01:40:38,414 --> 01:40:38,664
if you have regulatory

2925
01:40:38,948 --> 01:40:39,198
requirements that are required

2926
01:40:39,649 --> 01:40:39,899
to be followed

2927
01:40:43,186 --> 01:40:43,436
it's my opinion that you have a

2928
01:40:44,587 --> 01:40:44,837
duty to answer phone calls.

2929
01:40:48,558 --> 01:40:48,808
be transparent about what you

2930
01:40:49,225 --> 01:40:49,475
expect of our business owners.

2931
01:40:52,929 --> 01:40:53,179
These processes combined begin

2932
01:40:54,564 --> 01:40:54,814
what I envisioned the first year

2933
01:40:55,231 --> 01:40:55,481
of this office to be.

2934
01:40:56,599 --> 01:40:56,849
map the process

2935
01:40:58,735 --> 01:40:58,985
and learn what is and isn't

2936
01:40:59,269 --> 01:40:59,519
working.

2937
01:41:02,405 --> 01:41:02,655
in addition to these products

2938
01:41:03,006 --> 01:41:03,256
yet to be released which you'll

2939
01:41:04,607 --> 01:41:04,857
get a preview of in a moment.

2940
01:41:06,776 --> 01:41:07,026
Um, I've created a portal for

2941
01:41:07,443 --> 01:41:07,693
entrepreneurs to flag

2942
01:41:07,944 --> 01:41:08,194
what's not working

2943
01:41:08,845 --> 01:41:09,095
this

2944
01:41:12,882 --> 01:41:13,132
portal exists on my webpage on

2945
01:41:13,583 --> 01:41:13,833
the secretary of state's

2946
01:41:14,150 --> 01:41:14,400
website.

2947
01:41:16,920 --> 01:41:17,170
these red tape reports will be

2948
01:41:18,822 --> 01:41:19,072
documented and presented in my

2949
01:41:19,489 --> 01:41:19,739
yearly reports for the office.

2950
01:41:22,592 --> 01:41:22,842
in addition to the red tape

2951
01:41:23,126 --> 01:41:23,376
reports

2952
01:41:24,828 --> 01:41:25,078
new net formation of business is

2953
01:41:25,495 --> 01:41:25,745
a metric

2954
01:41:27,263 --> 01:41:27,513
of vital importance to me

2955
01:41:30,900 --> 01:41:31,150
by establishing how many

2956
01:41:32,402 --> 01:41:32,652
businesses are opened monthly

2957
01:41:33,069 --> 01:41:33,319
less ones that have closed

2958
01:41:35,471 --> 01:41:35,721
this becomes an identifiable

2959
01:41:37,207 --> 01:41:37,457
pattern of areas which need more

2960
01:41:37,874 --> 01:41:38,124
support.

2961
01:41:41,311 --> 01:41:41,561
I also intend to use our annual

2962
01:41:41,978 --> 01:41:42,228
reports

2963
01:41:45,048 --> 01:41:45,298
to capture businesses that are

2964
01:41:45,715 --> 01:41:45,965
quietly going under.

2965
01:41:47,483 --> 01:41:47,733
by flagging the vulnerable

2966
01:41:48,751 --> 01:41:49,001
businesses for early

2967
01:41:49,185 --> 01:41:49,435
intervention

2968
01:41:51,020 --> 01:41:51,270
it's my hope we can capture

2969
01:41:51,588 --> 01:41:51,838
these

2970
01:41:54,591 --> 01:41:54,841
businesses before administrative

2971
01:41:55,258 --> 01:41:55,508
dissolution.

2972
01:41:57,227 --> 01:41:57,477
and hopefully provide them with

2973
01:41:57,894 --> 01:41:58,144
resources to keep them afloat.

2974
01:42:02,398 --> 01:42:02,648
if you'll give me a brief moment

2975
01:42:03,366 --> 01:42:03,616
to connect my computer here. I

2976
01:42:04,534 --> 01:42:04,784
have both the playbook

2977
01:42:08,504 --> 01:42:08,754
Regulatory map

2978
01:42:25,188 --> 01:42:25,438
So I want you to keep in mind

2979
01:42:27,156 --> 01:42:27,406
this is a draft. this is just

2980
01:42:28,691 --> 01:42:28,941
containing at this point numbers

2981
01:42:30,426 --> 01:42:30,676
that I know for sure have a

2982
01:42:31,060 --> 01:42:31,310
person on the other end of the

2983
01:42:32,662 --> 01:42:32,912
line. This is not publicly

2984
01:42:34,430 --> 01:42:34,680
available, but I wanted to bring

2985
01:42:36,432 --> 01:42:36,682
it to you to show that in53 days

2986
01:42:38,401 --> 01:42:38,651
this is where I've started

2987
01:42:38,935 --> 01:42:39,185
because this is what I hear is

2988
01:42:39,602 --> 01:42:39,852
important

2989
01:42:42,639 --> 01:42:42,889
we have a lot of rural counties

2990
01:42:44,807 --> 01:42:45,057
in West Virginia. um, not

2991
01:42:45,375 --> 01:42:45,625
everything is digital first.

2992
01:42:47,610 --> 01:42:47,860
so when I look at McDowll County

2993
01:42:52,682 --> 01:42:52,932
and I don't have all their

2994
01:42:53,249 --> 01:42:53,499
municipalities on here. I know

2995
01:42:54,984 --> 01:42:55,234
but if you'll bear with me

2996
01:42:58,655 --> 01:42:58,905
I've called these kind ladies at

2997
01:43:00,690 --> 01:43:00,940
these town offices and I have an

2998
01:43:01,424 --> 01:43:01,674
email for all of them

2999
01:43:04,427 --> 01:43:04,677
you're gonna email this woman

3000
01:43:05,094 --> 01:43:05,344
and she'll send you back your

3001
01:43:06,562 --> 01:43:06,812
business license and you can

3002
01:43:07,230 --> 01:43:07,480
drop it off

3003
01:43:10,533 --> 01:43:10,783
at33834 Coal HeritageRoad. if

3004
01:43:11,234 --> 01:43:11,484
you want to do business in North

3005
01:43:15,438 --> 01:43:15,688
our albell County

3006
01:43:20,677 --> 01:43:20,927
who have digital first solutions

3007
01:43:22,412 --> 01:43:22,662
you can click through the map

3008
01:43:24,814 --> 01:43:25,064
and immediately are routed to

3009
01:43:25,481 --> 01:43:25,731
their resources.

3010
01:43:28,651 --> 01:43:28,901
a lot of these municipalities

3011
01:43:30,653 --> 01:43:30,903
have whole new business guides

3012
01:43:31,321 --> 01:43:31,571
but some of them only have

3013
01:43:33,222 --> 01:43:33,472
a digital business license

3014
01:43:36,726 --> 01:43:36,976
I wanted this to be easy to

3015
01:43:38,428 --> 01:43:38,678
find. I didn't want people to

3016
01:43:39,162 --> 01:43:39,412
have to wait on a phone call for

3017
01:43:41,097 --> 01:43:41,347
me or an email back for me to

3018
01:43:41,698 --> 01:43:41,948
say hey here's where you go.

3019
01:43:47,003 --> 01:43:47,253
This is the very draft version

3020
01:43:47,670 --> 01:43:47,920
of the playbook

3021
01:43:50,673 --> 01:43:50,923
I promise our communications

3022
01:43:51,474 --> 01:43:51,724
team downstairs is working very

3023
01:43:52,141 --> 01:43:52,391
hard to make this pretty

3024
01:43:54,911 --> 01:43:55,161
I put the words together and

3025
01:43:56,713 --> 01:43:56,963
said, please help me because I'm

3026
01:43:57,413 --> 01:43:57,663
not a graphic designer.

3027
01:43:59,148 --> 01:43:59,398
so it introduces me

3028
01:44:00,616 --> 01:44:00,866
it gives you

3029
01:44:05,321 --> 01:44:05,571
an illustration of the business

3030
01:44:05,989 --> 01:44:06,239
certificate. This is just one

3031
01:44:06,923 --> 01:44:07,173
that is

3032
01:44:12,628 --> 01:44:12,878
a fake one if you will to

3033
01:44:13,162 --> 01:44:13,412
show people this is actually

3034
01:44:14,697 --> 01:44:14,947
what you need this is what gets

3035
01:44:16,432 --> 01:44:16,682
hung up on your wall if you've

3036
01:44:17,166 --> 01:44:17,416
walked into a business that's

3037
01:44:18,668 --> 01:44:18,918
required to be on the wall. you

3038
01:44:19,268 --> 01:44:19,518
see it, you know they're

3039
01:44:19,836 --> 01:44:20,086
legitimate.

3040
01:44:24,907 --> 01:44:25,157
As an employer, so I have an

3041
01:44:26,409 --> 01:44:26,659
entire section dedicated to if

3042
01:44:27,076 --> 01:44:27,326
you are going to employ people

3043
01:44:29,145 --> 01:44:29,395
this is the bare minimum people

3044
01:44:30,546 --> 01:44:30,796
you have to be in contact with.

3045
01:44:34,951 --> 01:44:35,201
I also outline our support

3046
01:44:36,719 --> 01:44:36,969
organizations including our

3047
01:44:37,320 --> 01:44:37,570
community and technical college

3048
01:44:39,155 --> 01:44:39,405
system as I've heard from

3049
01:44:40,957 --> 01:44:41,207
several entrepreneurs workforce

3050
01:44:41,624 --> 01:44:41,874
is hard to grab

3051
01:44:43,259 --> 01:44:43,509
so let's start training them

3052
01:44:43,926 --> 01:44:44,176
together.

3053
01:44:47,397 --> 01:44:47,647
I have here all of the chapter30

3054
01:44:48,064 --> 01:44:48,314
boards

3055
01:44:50,867 --> 01:44:51,117
Sometimes people get a little

3056
01:44:51,567 --> 01:44:51,817
ahead of themselves

3057
01:44:53,002 --> 01:44:53,252
if you're not with your board

3058
01:44:53,669 --> 01:44:53,919
yet

3059
01:44:54,704 --> 01:44:54,954
you ought to be

3060
01:44:59,108 --> 01:44:59,358
and then lastly I've got a small

3061
01:45:00,910 --> 01:45:01,160
section here on restaurants and

3062
01:45:02,512 --> 01:45:02,762
consumable vendor information

3063
01:45:05,014 --> 01:45:05,264
this guide is designed to be

3064
01:45:05,581 --> 01:45:05,831
very brief.

3065
01:45:07,550 --> 01:45:07,800
it will be expanded out as we

3066
01:45:12,755 --> 01:45:13,005
extend the guides that are very

3067
01:45:13,389 --> 01:45:13,639
specific to industry

3068
01:45:15,191 --> 01:45:15,441
but I wanted to give you a brief

3069
01:45:16,592 --> 01:45:16,842
picture of what this might look

3070
01:45:17,260 --> 01:45:17,510
like.

3071
01:45:18,828 --> 01:45:19,078
I wanted to keep it under5 pages

3072
01:45:22,432 --> 01:45:22,682
the idea is this will be in both

3073
01:45:24,400 --> 01:45:24,650
printed form and go out with

3074
01:45:26,402 --> 01:45:26,652
your registration. So after you

3075
01:45:28,404 --> 01:45:28,654
finish the Secretary of State

3076
01:45:29,372 --> 01:45:29,622
portion of the portal. you get

3077
01:45:30,940 --> 01:45:31,190
an email with your

3078
01:45:31,474 --> 01:45:31,724
congratulations you're

3079
01:45:31,941 --> 01:45:32,191
registered with us

3080
01:45:34,544 --> 01:45:34,794
and the West Virginia Business

3081
01:45:35,244 --> 01:45:35,494
playbook.

3082
01:45:38,948 --> 01:45:39,198
thank you for the opportunity to

3083
01:45:40,550 --> 01:45:40,800
come and talk to you today and

3084
01:45:41,217 --> 01:45:41,467
I'd love to answer some

3085
01:45:41,784 --> 01:45:42,034
questions.

3086
01:45:44,954 --> 01:45:45,204
Thank you so much Miss Taylor

3087
01:45:46,722 --> 01:45:46,972
for that presentation.

3088
01:45:49,258 --> 01:45:49,508
first of all applaud your spirit

3089
01:45:51,527 --> 01:45:51,777
of advocacy and and cooperation

3090
01:45:52,695 --> 01:45:52,945
with business

3091
01:45:54,697 --> 01:45:54,947
you know I appreciated your

3092
01:45:56,966 --> 01:45:57,216
story with your grandfather

3093
01:45:58,668 --> 01:45:58,918
you know I'm a small business

3094
01:46:00,403 --> 01:46:00,653
owner in west Virginia and it it

3095
01:46:03,206 --> 01:46:03,456
is hard it is tough you know

3096
01:46:04,740 --> 01:46:04,990
even sitting here things are

3097
01:46:05,341 --> 01:46:05,591
always going on in the back of

3098
01:46:07,009 --> 01:46:07,259
your mind. I've got to file this

3099
01:46:08,678 --> 01:46:08,928
this is owed I've got to pay

3100
01:46:10,947 --> 01:46:11,197
this and so I think having an

3101
01:46:12,782 --> 01:46:13,032
advocate like you is a

3102
01:46:13,316 --> 01:46:13,566
tremendous asset for the state

3103
01:46:13,983 --> 01:46:14,233
so I

3104
01:46:14,917 --> 01:46:15,167
applaud applaud the work you're

3105
01:46:16,953 --> 01:46:17,203
doing. I've got one suggestion

3106
01:46:17,587 --> 01:46:17,837
before I go to questions

3107
01:46:20,957 --> 01:46:21,207
the business playbook is a

3108
01:46:22,425 --> 01:46:22,675
wonderful idea I've been

3109
01:46:22,992 --> 01:46:23,242
actually looking for something

3110
01:46:24,660 --> 01:46:24,910
like that for a few years we

3111
01:46:25,228 --> 01:46:25,478
send something similar for

3112
01:46:25,828 --> 01:46:26,078
clients

3113
01:46:29,165 --> 01:46:29,415
that we have in Virginia we

3114
01:46:30,733 --> 01:46:30,983
have one prepared with my

3115
01:46:31,300 --> 01:46:31,550
firm

3116
01:46:34,437 --> 01:46:34,687
I have not created one for

3117
01:46:35,138 --> 01:46:35,388
West Virginia so I'm very glad

3118
01:46:36,873 --> 01:46:37,123
to hear you have but I agree

3119
01:46:39,175 --> 01:46:39,425
that once you file with

3120
01:46:40,710 --> 01:46:40,960
Secretary of state's office you

3121
01:46:41,377 --> 01:46:41,627
get your certificate in the

3122
01:46:43,412 --> 01:46:43,662
viaail and then for a lot of my

3123
01:46:44,680 --> 01:46:44,930
clients and a lot of small

3124
01:46:45,281 --> 01:46:45,531
business owners the questions

3125
01:46:48,651 --> 01:46:48,901
are what's next I've heard

3126
01:46:50,653 --> 01:46:50,903
about workers' comp I've heard

3127
01:46:52,922 --> 01:46:53,172
about you know the state tax

3128
01:46:55,391 --> 01:46:55,641
department you know labor

3129
01:46:56,959 --> 01:46:57,209
laws licensing you know what do

3130
01:46:58,561 --> 01:46:58,811
I do with all these things so my

3131
01:47:02,698 --> 01:47:02,948
my recommendation for your

3132
01:47:04,667 --> 01:47:04,917
consideration for the for the

3133
01:47:05,334 --> 01:47:05,584
Secretary of state's office

3134
01:47:05,868 --> 01:47:06,118
would be

3135
01:47:08,638 --> 01:47:08,888
once you refine that product

3136
01:47:10,640 --> 01:47:10,890
that might be a good that might

3137
01:47:12,475 --> 01:47:12,725
be good to send that as an

3138
01:47:13,176 --> 01:47:13,426
additional attachment so when

3139
01:47:15,178 --> 01:47:15,428
you send you know the cert

3140
01:47:16,412 --> 01:47:16,662
certificate from the secretary

3141
01:47:17,180 --> 01:47:17,430
of state's office that you've

3142
01:47:18,481 --> 01:47:18,731
successfully formed your

3143
01:47:20,650 --> 01:47:20,900
business and by the way here's a

3144
01:47:22,652 --> 01:47:22,902
business playbook that shows you

3145
01:47:23,386 --> 01:47:23,636
the next steps. I I think that

3146
01:47:25,154 --> 01:47:25,404
would be very helpful for West

3147
01:47:26,956 --> 01:47:27,206
Virginia business owners so just

3148
01:47:27,623 --> 01:47:27,873
something to take under

3149
01:47:28,157 --> 01:47:28,407
consideration.

3150
01:47:32,695 --> 01:47:32,945
put on my radar so thank you so

3151
01:47:33,329 --> 01:47:33,579
much for bringing it to

3152
01:47:35,164 --> 01:47:35,414
everybody's attention that is

3153
01:47:36,699 --> 01:47:36,949
the intention. so it goes

3154
01:47:37,233 --> 01:47:37,483
straight to your email. so

3155
01:47:38,935 --> 01:47:39,185
there's never any question of do

3156
01:47:40,670 --> 01:47:40,920
I have an advocate and what's

3157
01:47:44,407 --> 01:47:44,657
next so thank you so much'm sure

3158
01:47:45,107 --> 01:47:45,357
we'll have some questions we've

3159
01:47:45,775 --> 01:47:46,025
got about15 minutes

3160
01:47:47,109 --> 01:47:47,359
are there any questions for Miss

3161
01:47:47,777 --> 01:47:48,027
Taylor?

3162
01:47:52,615 --> 01:47:52,865
delegate from the 18th

3163
01:47:56,919 --> 01:47:57,169
just a comment this I've been in

3164
01:47:58,754 --> 01:47:59,004
the legislature for I think14

3165
01:47:59,422 --> 01:47:59,672
years now

3166
01:48:02,425 --> 01:48:02,675
this is I think the first time I

3167
01:48:04,427 --> 01:48:04,677
really wanted to applaud when

3168
01:48:05,094 --> 01:48:05,344
someone has done a presentation

3169
01:48:08,431 --> 01:48:08,681
as a small business person I've

3170
01:48:09,298 --> 01:48:09,548
been through all of this for35

3171
01:48:09,932 --> 01:48:10,182
years and

3172
01:48:12,902 --> 01:48:13,152
really I appreciate your heart

3173
01:48:14,637 --> 01:48:14,887
for what you're what you're

3174
01:48:15,404 --> 01:48:15,654
doing here and I think this

3175
01:48:15,972 --> 01:48:16,222
could be

3176
01:48:16,772 --> 01:48:17,022
probably

3177
01:48:20,443 --> 01:48:20,693
one of the biggest developments

3178
01:48:21,177 --> 01:48:21,427
for I mean we we look at all

3179
01:48:23,179 --> 01:48:23,429
these mega data centers and all

3180
01:48:24,714 --> 01:48:24,964
the big businesses were

3181
01:48:27,183 --> 01:48:27,433
attracting in but I think you

3182
01:48:29,418 --> 01:48:29,668
hit the nail on the head here to

3183
01:48:30,686 --> 01:48:30,936
help people get started because

3184
01:48:31,320 --> 01:48:31,570
that's what it takes so

3185
01:48:34,957 --> 01:48:35,207
I look forward to hearing

3186
01:48:35,491 --> 01:48:35,741
recommendations from you

3187
01:48:39,362 --> 01:48:39,612
of things that you think are

3188
01:48:41,163 --> 01:48:41,413
ridiculous that are required of

3189
01:48:42,832 --> 01:48:43,082
people or things that maybe we

3190
01:48:43,499 --> 01:48:43,749
could change

3191
01:48:46,669 --> 01:48:46,919
because you're you're exactly

3192
01:48:48,938 --> 01:48:49,188
right. Small business people

3193
01:48:50,940 --> 01:48:51,190
need to be out doing the service

3194
01:48:52,642 --> 01:48:52,892
that they want to provide for

3195
01:48:54,644 --> 01:48:54,894
their customers not on the phone

3196
01:48:56,912 --> 01:48:57,162
on hold or dealing with some

3197
01:48:58,748 --> 01:48:58,998
crazy regulation so

3198
01:48:59,181 --> 01:48:59,431
thank you sir

3199
01:49:01,651 --> 01:49:01,901
thank you again are there

3200
01:49:02,218 --> 01:49:02,468
further questions?

3201
01:49:06,989 --> 01:49:07,239
I I would just second what

3202
01:49:10,960 --> 01:49:11,210
delegate from the 18th said

3203
01:49:12,428 --> 01:49:12,678
we look forward to your

3204
01:49:14,430 --> 01:49:14,680
recommendations on how we can

3205
01:49:15,031 --> 01:49:15,281
better partner as the

3206
01:49:16,932 --> 01:49:17,182
legislature with your efforts

3207
01:49:19,168 --> 01:49:19,418
and and and those of the

3208
01:49:20,670 --> 01:49:20,920
secretary of state's office and

3209
01:49:22,438 --> 01:49:22,688
I would appreciate it once

3210
01:49:23,205 --> 01:49:23,455
the business planning playbook

3211
01:49:24,707 --> 01:49:24,957
is completed if you could

3212
01:49:26,642 --> 01:49:26,892
forward a copy to me or my staff

3213
01:49:28,411 --> 01:49:28,661
that would be that would be

3214
01:49:30,413 --> 01:49:30,663
great. So we look forward to

3215
01:49:32,448 --> 01:49:32,698
continuing the conversation and

3216
01:49:33,149 --> 01:49:33,399
thank you very much for your

3217
01:49:35,051 --> 01:49:35,301
presentation today you all for

3218
01:49:35,718 --> 01:49:35,968
your time.

3219
01:49:38,821 --> 01:49:39,071
Is there any other business to

3220
01:49:39,488 --> 01:49:39,738
come before the committee?

3221
01:49:42,792 --> 01:49:43,042
seeing then the chair recognizes

3222
01:49:43,459 --> 01:49:43,709
the vice the cochair

3223
01:49:46,595 --> 01:49:46,845
Mr chairman I make a motion

3224
01:49:47,129 --> 01:49:47,379
to

3225
01:49:51,200 --> 01:49:51,450
motion is to adjourn all those

3226
01:49:51,867 --> 01:49:52,117
in favor say aye

3227
01:49:52,768 --> 01:49:53,018
all opposed no

3228
01:49:55,071 --> 01:49:55,321
if you don't know the chair the

3229
01:49:55,805 --> 01:49:56,055
ice have at the meeting is

3230
01:49:56,372 --> 01:49:56,622
adjourned.