BY JOHN CONLEY

Associate Editor

The Ninth District’s newest senator, Richard Browning, has been named chair of the Senate Economic Development Committee.

“We’re going to deal with a broad range of economic development issues in West Virginia,” Browning said in a Monday interview.

“One of my goals has always been to put our state on a level playing field with other states and nations,” he commented. “We have to look like our competition to compete.”

His priorities include infrastructure and a diversified economy.

“With this committee, we can work toward better water, better sewer and broadband in under served areas,” Browning said.

While coal and timber are the state’s economic “backbone,” he remarked, “We need to further develop coal liquefaction and those type of things, but we also need other types of manufacturing jobs, and if we make ourselves more competitive we should get those.

“We need to make our laws, our tax system similar to what our competitors in other states have,” he observed. “With infrastructure, a good education system and high speed broadband, we can make ourselves more competitive.”

Browning says he wants to make West Virginia “the” place to live. “This state has so much to offer,” he noted. “With just a bit of effort, we can do that.”

The senator plans to meet with Gov. Joe Manchin and Commerce Secretary Kelly Goes soon.

“I want to sit down with them and talk about the big picture statewide,” he remarked. “I know what we need in the southern part of the state. I want to talk with them about their vision for the whole state.”

With a distressed national economy, Browning says now is the time to act.

“It’s economic development which is going to dig us out of (that),” he said. “If we don’t get our act together, we’re just going to keep sinking.

“I think we have a new president smart enough to hire the experts who can can get us out of these problems,” Browning added.

He says he is pleased with new delegates Linda Phillips and Daniel Hall, as well as fellow Ninth District Senator Mike Green.

“I look forward to working with them and tacking the issues that are in front of us,” he stated. “I’m really pleased with the team we have in place representing Wyoming County.”

The Legislature convenes on Feb. 11 for its 60-day session.