New River Gorge Regional Development Authority (NRGRDA) hosted a legislative roundtable with Sen. Glenn Jeffries to drive positive change as it pertains to economic development and outdoor industry growth. According to the senator, childcare is a hot topic they discussed, business ready sites is another.
“If we can provide the childcare, people will get back into the labor force. If we had the business ready sites, then we have companies that want to locate here,” Jeffries said. “I think it’s gonna be one thing that we’re gonna look at in the next legislative session — how do we take care of that.”
Jefferies says we have so many good things happening in the state of West Virginia right now, while there are also challenges.
“The current legislature has went through and removed a number of regulatory issues, problems that are there,” said the senator. “And that’s what I’m learning here today… that there’s some changes that need to be made be a little bit more flexible with helping others and businesses here.”
According to NRGRDA’s executive director Jina Belcher, who put this whole round table together — the senator had a few ground rules going into it.
“Be completely open and transparent,” she said. “We greatly appreciate all the stakeholders that came today; and have been super communicative and have been collaborative in the conversation, and really dug in so that he (Jeffries) came here and so we can give folks a voice.”
