Editorials

Pay Property Taxes Today for Tax Credit

West Virginia residents have until the close of business today to pay at least the first half of their 2025-26 personal property tax on vehicles and other items to be eligible to have that money returned next year when they file taxes. Through a system created two years ago by the West Virginia Legislature, those who pay their personal property tax on time — before the penalty period kicks in on Oct. 1 — will receive a refund in the form of a credit when they file their 2025 state income taxes early next year. For example, if you paid your second half of 2024-25 on time and your ...

An Important Blueprint

New manufacturing employers may not be banging down the door (or fulfilling their promises) to build in Ohio as state officials might once have hoped, but the fact remains the Buckeye State is already home to plenty of manufacturers looking to grow. They are also hoping Ohio’s workforce learns and grows along with them. So the state has developed the Ohio’s Manufacturing Workforce Blueprint — a strategy for meeting that need. “Ohio’s manufacturers are a crucial part of our state’s economy, contributing 17.5% of our GDP and employing more than 680,000 Ohioans,” said Gov. ...

West Virginia Youth Should Embrace Voting

There are few duties more important for American citizens than casting their ballots in elections. It is their opportunity to actively influence the way governments operate. And there’s no reason to wait to exercise that right, so it was good to see West Virginia Secretary of State Kris Warner at Wheeling Park and John Marshall high schools last week touting the importance of registering to vote — and getting juniors and seniors at those schools to register that day. He reminded students that even those who were 17 years old could register and vote in the November general election ...

Keeping Speech Free

Freedom of speech is on a lot of minds these days — even that of Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, who spoke at the state Department of Higher Education’s Trustees Conference recently. According to a report by the Ohio Capital Journal, DeWine felt it important to remind policymakers on college campuses that an environment in which people are comfortable speaking freely is essential. His remarks were inspired, of course, by the killing of Charlie Kirk and its aftermath, though he noted the notion of whether Kirk’s death could have been prevented was a security issue, not a speech ...

Morrisey Scores With Energy Plan

It’s been easy over the past nine months to see West Virginia not just falling behind, but getting outmatched at every turn in the “Economic Backyard Brawl” against our neighboring states. But perhaps there is a game plan finally coming together on the West Virginia sideline, as earlier this month, Gov. Patrick Morrisey, during a stop in Wheeling, unveiled his “50 by 50 Generation Plan,” which would see the Mountain State increase its baseload power production from its current 15 gigawatts to 50 gigawatts by 2050. That increase — fueled by coal, natural gas and perhaps ...

Ohio Setting Example on How To Legislate

West Virginia leaders would do well to look west for a model of the future. In Ohio, not only are leaders there attracting new businesses and growing the state’s population, they also are finding ways to put money back into the pockets of residents. Consider: starting in January, Ohio residents making more than $26,050 annually will pay a flat personal income tax rate of 2.75%. That’s in contrast to West Virginia’s top rate of 4.82% on income. Then there’s this: a group in Ohio this month is finalizing a plan to present to the General Assembly on how to reform the state’s ...