Economic development and the creation of a prosperous future for West Virginia will not occur in a vacuum. It requires cooperation from business leaders and policymakers to ensure that the right policies are implemented — and the wrong ones are defeated — to create an environment where every West Virginian can live, learn, work and prosper.
Banks sit at an integral juncture in economic development. From helping a small business get off the ground to financing projects that employ hundreds or thousands of West Virginians, our industry fosters economic growth and job creation. The West Virginia Bankers Association understands this, which is why electing pro-growth legislators and advocating for pro-growth policies are key to our advocacy and political engagement efforts.
The West Virginia Bankers Association PAC (WVBankPAC) plays a crucial role in fostering a pro-growth climate. Our mission is to support legislative candidates who prioritize pro-growth policy. These policies can range from supporting efforts to streamline regulations to encouraging building growth to ensuring that requisite educational opportunities exist so students can acquire the training and skills necessary to enter the workforce. Sometimes, these policies pertain to banking, but often they improve the fundamentals of the business climate in which banks and their customers operate.
Supporting growth includes opposing policies that hinder it, such as laws that unfairly burden banks and other businesses with unnecessary regulatory requirements or excessive exposure to litigation risk. WVBankPAC is proud to have supported many legislative leaders who have both advocated for positive pro-growth changes — from permitting and occupational licensing reform to broadband expansion — and stood strong in the face of legislation adverse to banks and businesses.
The West Virginia Bankers Association also advocates pro-growth changes during the Legislative Session. We have worked with legislative leaders to pass policies that ensure banks compete on an even regulatory and legal playing field. For instance, in 2025, we supported legislation that created a fairness hearing process at the state level, allowing stock-based mergers and acquisitions without SEC registration, eliminating red tape and allowing banks to respond more quickly to market conditions. We have also supported measures that reform and improve the litigation environment for banks. Finally, we have successfully opposed legislation that would put banks in legal or regulatory peril, working with legislators and business coalitions in the most recent session to ensure no such legislation became law.
Our support of growth is not limited to legislation or PAC giving. We also participate in a wide range of business groups, enabling us to provide feedback and expertise on key pro-growth legislation. Increasingly, we are called upon to provide industry-specific guidance on a broad range of proposals. By ensuring banking has a seat at the table where policy is crafted, we amplify our industry’s voice.
Growing West Virginia’s economy and creating more jobs is crucial for our state and our industry, now more than ever. The West Virginia Bankers Association is proud to support legislators who encourage growth and advocate for policies that will enable banks and the businesses they serve to create jobs and prosperity in the Mountain State. We look forward to continuing this work in both the upcoming General Election and the Legislative Session.
