By David Beard, The Dominion Post
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – House and Senate Democratic leaders gathered at the Capitol Monday morning to talk about some of their ideas to keep West Virginia’s youth in the state.
Senate Minority Leader Stephen Baldwin, D-Greenbrier, called the state’s youth “our greatest export.”
He graduated from high school in 2000, he said, and today only about 10% of his classmates are stil here. He’s been a pastor for 13 years and he can count on one hand the number of kids in his youth group who’ve stayed here.
Our youth, he said, lack job opportunities, cultural opportunities and hope for the future. They need incentives that the majority aren’t offering.
“No young people have ever asked me to cut the state income tax to stay here in the state of West Virginia.”
The issues that need to be addressed, he said, include substance abuse, broadband, protecting education funding, clean water and equality for all. “We’ve got to give our young people a reason to stay.” …
To read more: https://www.dominionpost.com/2021/03/08/democrat-legislators-raise-ideas-to-keep-states-youth-in-west-virginia/