West Virginia voters are very familiar with the problems that are currently hurting our state’s legal system, according to a recent public opinion survey conducted for West Virginia Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse.
Our survey – which was just completed by Mark Blankenship Enterprises – questioned more than 500 registered, likely West Virginia voters about a variety of topics related to the state’s legal climate.
More than six in ten (62%) West Virginians believe that there are too many lawsuits filed in West Virginia. And more than half (52%) of West Virginians see lawsuits hurting job creation in the Mountain State. Three out of four West Virginians (76%) say the state’s legal climate is an important issue for them as voters.
These survey results indicate that most West Virginians are keenly aware of the legal issues which have an impact on our state’s economy.
A majority of those surveyed also expressed support for the creation of an intermediate appeals court – which was recommended nearly two years ago by then-Governor Joe Manchin’s Independent Commission on Judicial Reform. Intermediate appeals court legislation passed in the state Senate earlier this year, and was also an issue during the recent special election for governor.
Jobs and the economy are the single most important issue for West Virginians, with 94% of those surveyed citing it as “very” important. Fixing West Virginia’s legal system will be critical to future job growth, as meaningful legal reform could translate into tens of thousands of new jobs for the state.
If policymakers don’t take the necessary steps towards reforming our state courts, it looks like a large number of West Virginia voters will be looking for change.
