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Quad State Legislative Conference an exchange of ideas and information

By MARIA HAISLIP

The State Journal

MARTINSBURG, W.Va.  — Tourism, economic development and the opioid crisis were topics discussed at the 28th Quad State Legislative Conference held in Hagerstown, Maryland.

Conference members came from Maryland, West Virginia, Pennsylvania and Virginia.

West Virginia Sen. Craig Blair, R-Berkeley, called it “one of the best meetings I attend throughout the year.”

Sen. Craig Blair
Blair said an exchange of ideas and information is the purpose of the conference.

“One of the positives discussed at this conference was tourism and its impact on the economy,” Blair said.

West Virginia Del. John Overington, R-Berkeley, agreed.

Overington said conference members are focused on trying to find a way to get tourists to come to the quad states and stay for more than a day.

Overington said the No. 1 source of income from tourism is food and beverage; No. 2 is retail; No. 3 is transportation; No. 4 is lodging; No. 5 is recreation; and No. 6 is people with second homes in the quad states.

“With major draws like the Appalachian Trail, the C&O Canal in Washington County, coupled with Civil War attractions such as Harpers Ferry, Antietam (Maryland) and Manassas (Virginia) — all those draw people. We should find a way to focus on those places and others to a certain degree so people would want to stay for more than just one day,” Overington said.

Another discussion was led by Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent David Shields; Glenn Fueston, director of the Maryland Governor’s Office of Crime Control & Prevention; and law enforcement officers from the region. The discussion was about the opioid crisis along the Interstate 81 corridor.

West Virginia House Majority Leader Del. Daryl Cowles, R-Morgan, said he was pleased to attend the conference again.

“I thought the discussion on substance abuse and the opioid crisis was important,” Cowles said.

Clearly, the need for focused efforts on youth education and prevention, as well as expanded treatment options, is present across the four-state area, Cowles said.

Overington said the discussion regarding drugs was very helpful.

 

“This drug problem is very serious. We need to find out where it’s coming from. Law enforcement needs to get the kingpins — sellers — off the streets. I believe focusing on educating middle school children, making them aware of the seriousness of these drugs, would also help,” he said.

Blair said he believes children begin using drugs for the most part because they are bored.

“We have to learn how to give them something in the education system to stimulate and keep them from drugs,” Blair said.

Economically, Overington said the quad states have to work together to promote the region.

“I was surprised at how many of the Pennsylvania and West Virginia (residents) work at the Volvo facility in Hagerstown, Maryland,” Overington said.

He said nearly half of the employees at Volvo are residents of neighboring states.

The yearly conference began in 1986. Among its accomplishments are establishing an interstate dialogue and working relations, evaluation of traffic flow on I-81, resolution of withholding taxes for government employees residing in other states, establishment of mandatory recycling programs in all four states and sharing ideas on emergency service.

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