Remember the water crisis in the early 2010s, where the chemical MCHM was leaked into the river and sucked up into our water supply? I was frustrated with the lack of a bill to help prevent chemical spills. I wrote the original draft for that bill and submitted it to my delegate, and with only a few tweaks, it was passed. After republicans took over the legislature, they repealed that comprehensive bill that was keeping our waterways safe, had strict rules for storing chemicals in tanks, and had harsh punishments for spills. 

Infrastructure includes much more. Jim Justice’s plan for dealing with potholes was to temporarily patch them. You can’t drive on most roads in West Virginia without dodging potholes or driving over structurally deficient bridges. Millions in tax dollars that could go towards completely repaving these roads and fixing these bridges, are being spent in the form of giving tax breaks to large corporations in our state who frequently cause damage to our roads and waterways. 

These coal and natural gas companies need what is under their feet. Tax breaks are given when you don’t want a company to leave your state. These companies can’t get our coal and gas from another state. I will make them pay their fair share of taxes to help maintain our infrastructure.