CHARLESTON -- Senate President Bill Cole, R-Mercer, issued the following statement in response to Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin's State of the State address:
"There is no question that West Virginia is standing on the doorstep of one the most challenging periods of her existence.
I stand ready to work with the Governor and my colleagues in the Legislature on both sides of the aisle to stabilize the budget now and fix it for the long term. This is going to take strong leadership to cut spending and pass legislation that will create the environment for private sector growth and job creation. We must work together now because we don't have the luxury of time to wait.
The Legislature will pursue an agenda that strongly promotes both job creation and economic growth. The real war on West Virginia’s working families is the status quo and inaction that has led us to this economic reality we face today, and we stand committed to moving this state forward."