(Graphic by Steven Allen Adams)
CHARLESTON — It’s been nearly 90 days since the end of the 2025 regular session of the West Virginia Legislature, with lobbyist spending reports shedding light on how interest groups worked to get the attention of lawmakers for their issues.
Registered lobbyists in the state were required to submit activity reports covering activities between Jan. 1 and April 30 to the West Virginia Ethics Commission by May 15.
According to the first quarter lobbyist activity report published by the commission on May 30, 70 registered lobbyists spent a total of $221,695 between January and April, coinciding with the 60-day legislative session between Feb.12 and April 12 — a 39% decrease from the $364,586 spent during the same time period in 2024, which was also an election year.
The 10 biggest spenders during the quarter represent major constituency groups and industry sectors in West Virginia, including seniors, labor, fossil fuels, and health care, among others.
The top spender during the session was AARP West Virginia, which represents more than 40% of state residents 50 and older. AARP is a nonpartisan organization that does not endorse candidates or give political donations, but it does have a robust public policy and legislative agenda each year.
According to the Ethics Commission, Angela Vance, AARP associate state director, spent $33,264 during the 2023 session. AARP-WV’s expense report was not yet available on the Ethics Commission website, though most of that spending traditionally includes advertising; as well as meals and beverages for legislators and staff; and group expenditures, defined as any expenditure on dinners, parties or other functions.
AARP-West Virginia’s legislative agenda successes included the passage of House Bill 2575, establishing a full-time dementia services director position within the Department of Health (the bill became law without the signature of Gov. Patrick Morrisey); Senate Bill 810, clarifying the requirements for administration of anesthesia and chronic pain practice by certain licensed nurses; and Senate Bill 848, permitting financial institutions to delay, refuse or prevent certain activities or transactions when an entity or employer suspects financial exploitation of an elder adult or incapacitated adult may be at issue.
The second largest spender was the West Virginia AFL-CIO with $26,304, though an individual report had not yet been posted online by the Ethics Commission. The third largest spender was the West Virginia Coal Association, which also had no individual report available. According to the Ethics Commission composite report, West Virginia Coal Association President Chris Hamilton spent $22,162 during the reporting period.
The Coal Association was active in lobbying to include pro-coal provisions in House Bill 2014, the Power Generation and Consumption Act. The bill is aimed at attracting high-impact industrial businesses and data centers to West Virginia along with microgrids to power the data centers using both fossil fuels and renewable energy.
One of the provisions of the new law requires owners of a data center participating in the program to file tax returns with the Board of Public Works annually, with property tax collections for those entities being distributed through a new formula. According to this formula, 5% of property tax collections would go to a new fund administered by the Department of Commerce to support electric grid stabilization and security, including coal and natural gas electric generation and transmission resources.
“Thank you for including us in the development and passage of HB 2014 ‘Power Generation and Consumption Act,'” Hamilton wrote in a May 2 letter to Morrisey. “Full implementation of this legislation will serve to solidify West Virginia’s place as the nation’s ‘Energy State.’ With coal being the centerpiece of the initial phase of this legislative act, we are eager to work with you and your staff towards shoring up our in-state coal assets so they can provide higher volumes of base load power supplies to serve growing power demands, including new data centers that are incentivized in HB 2014.”
The fourth largest spender was Philip Reale with Reale Law at $11,984 during the cycle. Reale Law represents multiple clients, including the Gas and Oil Association of West Virginia (GO-WV), Amazon, the Beer Wholesalers Association of West Virginia, the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers Association and the Thoroughbred Breeders Association of West Virginia.
The fifth largest spender was Daniel Hall with Access Strategies with $8,108. Clients of Hall’s also included GO-WV, as well as the West Virginia Oil Marketers and Grocers Association, the West Virginia Academy of Eye Physicians and Surgeons, the West Virginia Gaming and Racing Association, the Independent Insurance Agents of West Virginia (Big-I WV) and the West Virginia Trucking Association.
Remaining big spenders included: Chad Robinson of Robinson Capitol Consulting with $7,892, Richie Heath of the Bowles Rice law firm with $7,082, Brian Dayton with the West Virginia Chamber of Commerce with $6,581, Olivia Laverty with the West Virginia Child Advocacy Network with $6,217 and Conrad Lucas with Capitol Resources with $5,706.
Steven Allen Adams can be reached at sadams@newsandsentinel.com
