State of Affairs

This past Wednesday, March 27, marked the constitutional deadline for West Virginia Governor Jim Justice to sign or veto any remaining legislation that had not been acted on since the Legislature adjourned Sine Die on March 9, 2019. 

Pursuant to Article 7, Section 14 of the West Virginia Constitution:

Any bill which shall not be returned by the governor within five days, Sundays excepted, after it shall have been presented to him shall be a law, in the same manner as if he had signed it, unless the Legislature shall, by adjournment sine die, prevent its return, in which case it shall be filed ...

While much of the state’s infrastructure discussion this year has focused on the conditions of West Virginia’s secondary roads, policymakers quietly continue to make significant strides in another critical area of state infrastructure – broadband enhancement and development.

For years, West Virginia has lagged behind the rest of the nation with respect to the development of high-speed internet and other wireless technologies.  The lack of sufficient broadband infrastructure is often cited as a deterrent to jobs, with many parts of the state being underserved or even ...