LEWISBURG, W.Va. (WVDN) – West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey celebrated St. Patrick’s Day with a festive dinner at the Lewisburg Elks Club on Saturday evening at one of his first appearances in the state since his election to governor. The event, which drew a crowd of GOP members featured a buffet and speeches highlighting Morrisey’s work in office.
The dinner, which took place in the Elks Club’s spacious banquet hall, had a menu of beef, fried chicken, salad and vegetables. There was also coffee and a full cash bar for the GOP attendees.
Morrisey, a Republican, has served as the state’s attorney general since 2013 and recently became West Virginia’s governor. In his remarks, he discussed his efforts to help West Virginians become the best state it can possibly be.
Several prominent community leaders were also in attendance, including local lawmakers, business owners and civic activists. Many expressed their support for Morrisey’s win as governor, praising his leadership and commitment to the state.
The evening kicked off with the pledge of allegiance, the national anthem and a prayer.
During his speech, Morrisey focused on the future of the state’s workforce, economic development, coal, transgender issues and ensuring a bright future for West Virginia’s young people. Throughout his speech, Morrisey outlined his administration’s priorities, including improving education, attracting businesses and creating jobs allowing West Virginia’s younger people to stay and thrive here in the Mountain State.
“It’s great to be back here today and in fact this is the first time I’m giving a speech to a local executive party or club since I’ve become Governor. And so, it’s fitting to be here in Greenbrier County today because this is really a place where we see tremendous growth among the Republican Party,” said Morrisey. “As your governor, we are working on a number of incredible things. We have a bold vision set forth to really help West Virginia reach its full potential.”
“Only by being transparent with the people, can we ultimately realize the benefits of going where we’re going. We know we are at the bottom of the rankings in a lot of key areas such as standard of living, workforce participation, education, population growth. That needs to change, and the good news is here in West Virginia we have the tools to fix our problems, and we are going to get it done,” said Morrisey.
He then went on to discuss the passing of the Riley Gaines bill to eliminate biological males from competing in women’s sports. He discussed needing more efficiency in the government and more accountability from its members. Morrisey said, “If a regulation is wasteful, we need to toss it out.”
One of the last points to be made was about education and Morrisey stated, “We need to make sure we have our kids educated in the best possible way. I want to be very clear: West Virginia schools will be for learning and not social experiments.”
Morrisey also pointed out how China already generates half of the world’s coal-fired power, which gives it a huge advantage in the arms race for computing power and intelligence. He said that America needs to find a way to dramatically increase its power production. According to Morrisey, West Virginia will play a critical role in this competition. He reiterated that his plan is to use more coal and gas and utilizing our rich water resources.
The evening’s festivities were also an opportunity for attendees to socialize and enjoy the spirit of the season. As the dinner ended, Morrisey mingled with guests, thanking them for their continued support.
The St. Patrick’s Day dinner at the Lewisburg Elks Club is the first of many events Morrisey has planned throughout the state to strengthen his connections with West Virginians as their new governor.
