West Virginia Amendment 1, Bonds for Roads and Bridges Measure (October 2017)

West Virginia Amendment 1
Election date October 7, 2017
Topic Bond issues and Transportation
Status a Approved
Type Constitutional amendment	Origin State legislature

2017 measures
October 7, 2017
West Virginia Amendment 1

West Virginia Amendment 1, the Bonds for Roads and Bridges Measure, was on the ballot in West Virginia as a legislatively referred constitutional amendment on October 7, 2017. The measure was approved.

A "yes" vote supported authorizing the state to issue and sell up to $1.6 billion in state bonds to fund highway, road, and bridge construction and improvements.

A "no" vote opposed authorizing the state to issue and sell up to $1.6 billion in state bonds to fund highway, road, and bridge construction and improvements.

Aftermath

On October 9, 2017, Gov. Jim Justice (R), responding to the bond measure's approval, said he will call a special session of the West Virginia State Legislature to begin on October 16, 2017, to address the measure's implementation. He said one piece of legislation he wants approved would streamline the state Department of Highways' hiring process in order to hire more workers faster.

The special legislative session lasted two days, adjourning on October 17, 2017. The state legislature passed six bills, including House Bill 205 (HB 205), Senate Bill 2002 (SB 2002), and Senate Bill 2003 (SB 2003). HB 205 amended the West Virginia Jobs Act. The West Virginia Jobs Act was designed to require that public construction project contractors hire at least 75 percent of their workers from West Virginia. HB 205 increased penalties for contractors who fail to hire enough West Virginians. SB 2002 was designed to allow the West Virginia State Tax Department to share information with the Division of Highways to track the tax payments of contractors. SB 2003, according to the bill's legislative findings and intent, was intended to expedite the hiring of Division of Highways employees.

Election results

Amendment 1
Result		Votes	Percentage
a Yes		89,186	72.85%
No		33,233	27.15%

Election results from West Virginia Secretary of State

Overview

Amendment design

Amendment 1 authorized the state to issue bonds not exceeding $1.6 billion over a four-year period between July 1, 2017, and July 1, 2020. The following amounts were authorized to be issued each year: $800 million in 2017, $400 million in 2018, $200 million in 2019, and $200 million in 2020. Proceeds from the bonds were designated for the improvement and construction of highways, secondary roads, and bridges, as well as to qualify the state for matching federal funds for highway and bridge construction. Amendment 1 also provided for the state legislature to collect an annual state tax to pay bond principal and interest for up to 25 years.

Bond measures in West Virginia

Voters of West Virginia approved four bond amendments, totaling $862 million in value, between 1990 and 2016. Voters defeated one bond amendment in 2005 that proposed $5.5 billion in bonds. Debt from general obligation bonds decreased 61 percent, or $801.0 million to $312.7 million, between 2003 and 2016.

State of transportation infrastructure

According to data from the U.S. Department of Transportation on West Virginia in 2013, 47 percent of roads were in poor or mediocre condition, 35.3 percent of bridges were structurally deficient or obsolete, and the estimated annual total extra vehicle repairs due to roads in need of repair was $273 per motorist. Compared to neighboring states, Kentucky and Ohio had worse road conditions, and Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania had better road conditions. One neighboring state—Pennsylvania—had worse bridge conditions.

Gov. Jim Justice and state GOP on Amendment 1

Gov. Jim Justice was elected on November 8, 2016, as a Democrat. On August 3, 2017, Gov. Justice announced that he was changing his party to Republican. On August 19, 2017, the executive committee of the state Republican Party passed a resolution to oppose Amendment 1. The resolution said the Republican Party “is committed to principles of smaller government, lower taxes, and balanced budgets.” Rob Cornelius, who drafted the resolution, said the ballot measure violates the party’s platform. Gov. Justice released a statement supporting Amendment 1 after his new party’s executive committee called for its defeat. He said, "This is a [sic] not a Democrat, Republican or Independent issue. It’s about jobs, safety, your roads and bridges, and hope for our state.” He also said the amendment would create jobs and not raise taxes.

Would West Virginia's Amendment 1 raise taxes?
September 28, 2017: West Virginians will vote on October 7 whether to authorize sales of up to $1.6 billion in general obligation bonds to fund highway, road, and bridge construction and improvements. Gov. Jim Justice claims that the measure "is not going to raise your taxes at all­—ZERO." Is Justice correct? Read Ballotpedia's fact check »

Text of measure

Ballot title

The ballot title was as follows:

“

Amendment No. 1 Roads to Prosperity Amendment of 2017 To provide for the improvement and construction of safe roads in the state by the issuance of bonds not to exceed $1.6 billion in the aggregate to be paid for from the State Road Fund and the collection of annual state taxes as provided by the Legislature by general law. ▢ For the Amendment ▢ Against the Amendment

”

Constitutional changes

See also: West Virginia Constitution

The measure added a new amendment to the West Virginia Constitution. The following text was added: Note: Hover over the text and scroll to see the full text.

Roads to Prosperity Amendment of 2017.

(a) The Legislature shall have power to authorize the issuing and selling of state bonds not exceeding in the aggregate $1.6 billion. The proceeds of said bonds are hereby authorized to be issued and sold over a four-year period in the following amounts:

(1) July 1, 2017, an amount not to exceed $800 million;

(2) July 1, 2018, an amount not to exceed $400 million;

(3) July 1, 2019, an amount not to exceed $200 million; and

(4) July 1, 2020, an amount not to exceed $200 million.

Any bonds not issued under the provisions of subdivisions (1) through (3), inclusive, of this subsection may be carried forward and issued in any subsequent year before July 1, 2021.

(b) The proceeds of the bonds shall be used and appropriated for the following purposes:

(1) Matching available federal funds for highway and bridge construction in this state; and

(2) General highway and secondary road and bridge construction or improvements in each of the fifty-five counties.

(c) When a bond issue as aforesaid is authorized, the Legislature shall at the same time provide for the collection of an annual state tax which shall be in a sufficient amount to pay the interest on such bonds and the principal thereof as such may accrue within and not exceeding twenty-five years. Such taxes shall be levied in any year only to the extent that the moneys in the state road fund irrevocably set aside and appropriated for and applied to the payment of the interest on and the principal of said bonds becoming due and payable in such year are insufficient therefor. Any interest that accrues on the issued bonds prior to payment shall only be used for the purposes of the bonds.

Readability score

See also: Ballot measure readability scores, 2017

Using the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level (FKGL and Flesch Reading Ease (FRE) formulas, Ballotpedia scored the readability of the ballot title and summary for this measure. Readability scores are designed to indicate the reading difficulty of text. The Flesch-Kincaid formulas account for the number of words, syllables, and sentences in a text; they do not account for the difficulty of the ideas in the text. The West Virginia Legislature wrote the ballot language for this measure. The FKGL for the ballot title is grade level 21, and the FRE is 33. The word count for the ballot title is 49, and the estimated reading time is 13 seconds.

Support

Supporters

Officials

• Gov. Jim Justice (R)
• Secretary of Commerce Woody Thrasher
• Rep. Charlotte Lane (R-35)
• Rep. Eric Nelson (R-35)
• Rep. Mick Bates (D-30)
• Rep. Barbara Fleischauer (D-51)

Municipalities

• Wheeling City Council
• Randolph County Commission
• Tucker County Commission

Organizations

• West Virginia Chamber of Commerce
• West Virginia Business & Industry Council
• Route 2 and I-68 Authority
• Buckhannon-Upshur Chamber of Commerce

Arguments

Gov. Jim Justice (R) issued a statement on Amendment 1 on August 22, 2017. He said:

“

This is a not a Democrat, Republican or Independent issue. It’s about jobs, safety, your roads and bridges, and hope for our state. The overwhelming majority of our elected leaders, along with myself, are in favor of the Road Bond Referendum and providing our citizens with safe roads and bridges. ATTENTION: All West Virginians---The Road Bond Referendum is not going to raise your taxes at all­---ZERO. What we are really voting for on Oct. 7 is whether or not we want to create tens of thousands of good paying jobs and launch our state into an economic recovery, and put us on a pathway to prosperity, that will be remembered forevermore. The funding mechanisms to support this bonding have already been put in place by the Legislature. Our roads and bridges are crumbling in West Virginia and we’ve got to modernize our transportation system. At the same time we also need to make sure the people get what they pay for and that is an effective, efficient, accountable road system---and that’s exactly what we’re going to do.

”

Chris Hamilton, chairperson of the West Virginia Business & Industry Council, stated:

“

Regardless of what the short-sighted, politically motivated opposition to the road bond plan is trying to tell voters, there is no big secret here. The construction plan is widely available and ready. The revenue stream for the road bonds already is in place in the form of select fee increases that the West Virginia Legislature overwhelmingly approved in June and now are being paid. This has been a bipartisan effort with West Virginia’s future in mind. The Roads to Prosperity Amendment is not going to raise taxes at all. Zero. Gov. Jim Justice has promised voters that this project will not require any tax increases.

”

Opposition

Opponents

Officials

• Rep. Marty Gearheart (R-27)
• Lissa Lucas (D), candidate for the state House in 2018

Parties

• Republican Party of West Virginia

Arguments

The West Virginia Republican Party executive committee passed a resolution to oppose Amendment 1 on August 19, 2017. An excerpt from the resolution stated:

“

Whereas​ ​the​ ​West​ ​Virginia​ ​Republican​ ​Party​ ​is​ ​committed​ ​to​ ​principles​ ​of​ ​smaller government,​ ​lower​ ​taxes,​ ​and​ ​balanced​ ​budgets; ... Whereas​ ​the​ ​Road​ ​Bond​ ​Amendment,​ ​passed​ ​as​ ​Senate​ ​Joint​ ​Resolution​ ​6​ ​of​ ​2017, permits​ ​the​ ​borrowing​ ​of​ ​billions​ ​of​ ​dollars​ ​and​ ​payments​ ​of​ ​interest​ ​for​ ​up​ ​to​ ​25​ ​years; Whereas​ ​the​ ​Road​ ​Bond​ ​Amendment​ ​encumbers​ ​the​ ​state​ ​budget​ ​with​ ​unlimited​ ​future interest​ ​costs​ ​and​ ​millions​ ​in​ ​underwriting​ ​fees​ ​to​ ​be​ ​paid​ ​to​ ​lawyers​ ​and​ ​bankers;​ ​and Whereas​ ​there​ ​is​ ​no​ ​limit​ ​in​ ​the​ ​Road​ ​Bond​ ​Amendment​ ​on​ ​future​ ​tax​ ​increases, gasoline​ ​excise​ ​tax​ ​increases,​ ​toll​ ​increases​ ​or​ ​increases​ ​in​ ​DMV​ ​fees​ ​to​ ​pay​ ​interest​ ​or principal​ ​on​ ​these​ ​billions​ ​of​ ​borrowed​ ​dollars;​ ​now​ ​therefore​ ​be​ ​it Resolved,​ ​that​ ​the​ ​State​ ​Executive​ ​Committee​ ​of​ ​the​ ​West​ ​Virginia​ ​Republican​ ​Party opposes​ ​the​ ​passage​ ​of​ ​the​ ​Road​ ​Bond​ ​Amendment​ ​on​ ​October​ ​7th,​ ​and​ ​the​ ​taxes, fees,​ ​borrowing​ ​and​ ​interest​ ​within.

”

Lissa Lucas (D), a candidate for the state House in 2018, stated:

“

I don’t oppose bonds just on principle. I’d prefer not to have to borrow, of course, but due to past legislative inaction, I recognize that it’ll be difficult to get on the right track again. But I AM against this particular bond, because it continues the self-same policies of balancing the budget on the backs of regular tax-payers, rather than having corporations and billionaires like Justice pay their fair share. It is not responsible to fund the roads in the way Justice is doing it.

”

Campaign finance

Total campaign contributions:
Support:	$0.00
Opposition:	$0.00

See also: Campaign finance requirements for West Virginia ballot measures

As of September 17, 2025, no ballot question committees registered to support or oppose the bond amendment.

Media editorials

See also: 2017 ballot measure media endorsements

Support

• Bluefield Daily Telegraph said: "Passage of the road bond is of particular importance to Mercer and McDowell counties where two vital future four-lane corridors — the King Coal Highway and the Coalfields Expressway — have been long stalled. If voters approve the road bond Saturday, construction on the next segment of the King Coal Highway in Mercer County, near Bluefield’s so-called Bridge to Nowhere, can be expedited."
• Charlestown Gazette-Mail said: "When the state fixes roads, people enjoy construction jobs (and the related paychecks and tax revenues) in the short term. After the projects are done, repaired and improved roads make the region more inviting, pleasant, safe and profitable."
• The Exponent Telegram said: "The Exponent Telegram Editorial Board agrees with the governor’s assessment. We must invest in our roads and bridges to attract new business and industry to our state, as well as tourists to allow them to see and enjoy all of the natural assets that make West Virginia "Almost Heaven."

Opposition

Ballotpedia did not find media editorials opposing Amendment 1. If you are aware of an editorial, please email it to editor@ballotpedia.org.

Polls

See also: 2017 ballot measure polls

West Virginia Amendment 1 (2017)
Poll	Support	Oppose	Undecided	Margin of error	Sample size
MetroNews West Virginia Poll 8/11/2017 - 8/20/2017	67.0%	19.0%	14.0%	+/-4.9	400
Note: The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org.

Background

Gov. Jim Justice and state GOP

Gov. Jim Justice was elected on November 8, 2016, as a Democrat. He was sworn in as governor on January 16, 2017. He proposed that the West Virginia State Legislature approve a $2.4 billion bond for transportation infrastructure during the 2017 legislative session. Republicans controlled both the state Senate and state House. On April 8, 2017, the state Senate approved a $1.6 billion bond for transportation infrastructure in a unanimous vote. Also on April 8, 2017, the state House voted 84-11 to pass the bond. The 11 members who voted against the bill were Republicans. The bond bill was enrolled as Amendment 1.

On August 3, 2017, Gov. Justice announced that he was changing his party affiliation from Democratic to Republican, effective August 4, 2017. President Donald Trump (R) joined Gov. Justice at an event where he made the announcement.

On August 19, 2017, the executive committee of the state Republican Party met in Princeton, West Virginia, and passed a resolution to oppose Amendment 1. The resolution said the Republican Party “is committed to principles of smaller government, lower taxes, and balanced budgets,” and Amendment 1 “permits the borrowing of billions​ ​of​ ​dollars​ ​and​ ​payments​ ​of​ ​interest​ ​for​ ​up​ ​to​ ​25​ ​years.” Rob Cornelius, who drafted the resolution, said the ballot measure violates the party’s platform. Conrad Lucas, the party’s chairperson, agreed that the party’s platform and the amendment were not compatible.

Gov. Justice released a statement supporting Amendment 1 after his new party’s executive committee called for its defeat. He said, "This is a [sic] not a Democrat, Republican or Independent issue. It’s about jobs, safety, your roads and bridges, and hope for our state.” He also said the amendment would create well-paying jobs and not raise taxes.

Bond amendments on the ballot in West Virginia

Voters of West Virginia addressed five bond amendments, totaling $6.362 billion in value, between 1990 and 2016. One of the bond amendments, Amendment 1 of 2005, was defeated. The other four were approved. Amendment 1 of 2005 was the largest bond amendment on the ballot between 1990 and 2016, amounting to $5.5 billion for state retirement systems for public employees. As Amendment 1 was rejected, the total amount of bond debt approved between 1990 and 2016 was $862 million. Prior to 2017, the last bond amendment to be approved was in 2004, when voters approved a bond measure for the payment of bonuses and death benefits to veterans, or their relatives, of the conflicts in Kosovo, Afghanistan, and Iraq.

This 2017 bond amendment was related to transportation projects. The last transportation-related bond amendment, Amendment 3, appeared on the ballot in 1996. Voters approved the amendment, allowing the state to issue $550 million in bonds for highway construction.

The following table contains information on the five bond amendments that appeared on the ballot in West Virginia between 1990 and 2016:

Year	Measure	Amount	Primary purpose	Outcome
1992	Amendment 2	$4,000,000	Veterans	a
1994	Amendment 3	$300,000,000	Economic development	a
1996	Amendment 3	$550,000,000	Transportation	a
2004	Amendment 1	$8,000,000	Veterans	a
2005	Amendment 1	$5,500,000,000	Public pensions	d

Debt from voter-approved bonds

The West Virginia state treasurer provides an overview of the state’s debt resulting from general obligation bonds for each year on June 30. In 2007, the general obligation bond debt amount was recorded on December 31, 2007, rather than June 30. Data is not available for the year 2006. A general obligation bond constitutes public debt and is paid for through state funds. Section 4 of Article X of the West Virginia Constitution prohibits state debt except in certain circumstances, and therefore constitutional amendments and voter approval are required to issue general obligation bonds. According to the state treasurer's overview on June 30, 2016, West Virginia had $312.7 million in debt from general obligation bonds. The 2016 debt from general obligation bonds was lower than the 2015 debt, which was $327.50 million. Debt from general obligation bonds decreased 61 percent, or $801.0 million to $312.7 million, from 2003 to 2016.

The graph below provides an illustration of state debt from general obligation bonds in millions of dollars between June 30, 2003, and June 30, 2016:

State of transportation infrastructure

U.S. Department of Transportation

According to data from the U.S. Department of Transportation on West Virginia in 2013, 47 percent of roads were in poor or mediocre condition, 35.3 percent of bridges were structurally deficient or functionally obsolete, and the estimated annual total extra vehicle repairs due to roads in need of repair was $273 per motorist.

The U.S. state average of roads in poor or mediocre condition was 48.8 percent in 2013. Illinois had the highest percentage of roads in poor or mediocre condition at 73 percent. Neighboring Indiana had the lowest percentage of roads in poor or mediocre condition at 17 percent. In 2013, the state average of structurally deficient or functionally obsolete bridges was 25.6 percent. Rhode Island had the highest rate at 56.5 percent, and Minnesota had the lowest rate at 11.5 percent. The state average of annual total extra vehicle repairs due to roads in need of repair was $298 per motorist. New Jersey had the highest average at $601 per motorist, and Georgia had the lowest at $60 per motorist.

The following chart illustrates road and bridge conditions for West Virginia and neighboring states as of 2013:

Road and bridge data for West Virginia and neighboring states, 2013
State	Roads in poor or mediocre condition (percent)	Structurally deficient or functionally obsolete bridges (percent)	Estimated annual extra vehicle repairs (per motorist)
West Virginia	47.0%	35.3%	$273
Kentucky	34.0%	31.4%	$185
Maryland	55.0%	26.8%	$422
Ohio	42.0%	24.6%	$212
Pennsylvania	57.0%	42.2%	$341
Virginia	47.0%	26.1%	$254
U.S. state average	48.8%	25.6%	$298
Source: U.S. Department of Transportation, "Road and Bridge Data by State," October 13, 2016

TRIP

In February 2017, TRIP, a national transportation research organization, issued a report on the state of road and bridge infrastructure in West Virginia. Data from TRIP showed that 29 percent of West Virginia's major roads were in poor condition, 55 percent were in mediocre or fair condition, and 17 percent were in good condition in 2015. The report also showed that 17 percent of the state's bridges were structurally deficient in 2015. TRIP estimated that driving on rough roads had cost the average motorist $647 in extra vehicle operating costs in 2015.

TRIP provided data on the condition of roads in specific urban areas of the state, as illustrated in the following chart:

Road conditions for West Virginia urban areas, 2015
Urban area	Poor	Mediocre	Fair	Good
Charleston	17%	43%	15%	25%
Huntington	16%	21%	20%	44%
Morgantown	47%	21%	9%	23%
Parkersburg	29%	22%	29%	20%
Wheeling	37%	25%	17%	21%
Source: TRIP, "West Virginia Transportation by the Numbers: Meeting the State’s Need for Safe, Smooth and Efficient Mobility," February 2017

TRIP also provided data on the condition of bridges in specific urban areas of the state, as illustrated in the following chart:

Bridge conditions for West Virginia urban areas, 2015
Urban area	Structurally deficient (percent)	Structurally deficient (number)	Total bridges (number)
Charleston	16%	87	552
Huntington	17%	107	619
Morgantown	14%	29	202
Parkersburg	4%	21	488
Wheeling	19%	95	512
Source: TRIP, "West Virginia Transportation by the Numbers: Meeting the State’s Need for Safe, Smooth and Efficient Mobility," February 2017

Path to the ballot

See also: Amending the West Virginia Constitution

In West Virginia, a constitutional amendment must be passed by a two-thirds vote in each house of the state legislature during one legislative session.

On February 23, 2017, the amendment was filed in the state legislature by Senate President Mitch Carmichael (R-4) as Senate Joint Resolution 6. The West Virginia Senate approved the amendment on March 29, 2017. The bill was amended in House committees between March 30 and April 4, 2017. The West Virginia House of Representatives approved the amended bill on April 7, 2017, and sent the measure back to the Senate. Several more changes were made to the amendment in the Senate on April 8, 2017—the day before the legislature was scheduled to adjourn. The Senate unanimously approved the measure. The same day, the House concurred and adopted the proposal as amended in a vote of 84 to 11 with five members not voting.

The 2017 legislative session began on February 8, 2017, and adjourned on April 9, 2017.

Senate Joint Resolution 6 required the governor to set a special election date in 2017 for a public vote on the amendment. On June 27, 2017, Gov. Jim Justice (R) set the election date for October 7, 2017.

Vote in the West Virginia Senate April 8, 2017
Requirement:
Number of yes votes required: 23  a
	Yes	No	Not voting
Total	34	0	0
Total percent	100.00%	0.00%	0.00%
Democrat	12	0	0
Republican	22	0	0

Vote in the West Virginia House of Delegates April 8, 2017
Requirement: Two-thirds (66.67 percent) vote of all members in each chamber
Number of yes votes required: 67  a
	Yes	No	Not voting
Total	84	11	5
Total percent	84.00%	11.00%	5.00%
Democrat	35	0	1
Republican	48	11	4
Independent	1	0	0

Related measures

See also: Bond issues on the ballot

Bond issues measures on the ballot in 2017
State	Measures
Maine	Maine Question 1: Technology Sectors Funds and Business Loans Bond Issue a
New Jersey	New Jersey Public Question 1: Bonds for Public Libraries Measure a
Maine	Maine Question 3: Transportation Bond Issue a

State profile

Demographic data for West Virginia
	West Virginia	U.S.
Total population:	1,841,053	316,515,021
Land area (sq mi):	24,038	3,531,905
Race and ethnicity**
White:	93.6%	73.6%
Black/African American:	3.3%	12.6%
Asian:	0.7%	5.1%
Native American:	0.2%	0.8%
Pacific Islander:	0%	0.2%
Two or more:	2%	3%
Hispanic/Latino:	1.4%	17.1%
Education
High school graduation rate:	85%	86.7%
College graduation rate:	19.2%	29.8%
Income
Median household income:	$41,751	$53,889
Persons below poverty level:	22.2%	11.3%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015) Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in West Virginia. **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.

Presidential voting pattern

See also: Presidential voting trends in West Virginia

West Virginia voted Republican in all seven presidential elections between 2000 and 2024.

More West Virginia coverage on Ballotpedia

• Elections in West Virginia
• United States congressional delegations from West Virginia
• Public policy in West Virginia
• Endorsers in West Virginia
• West Virginia fact checks
• More...

See also

Suggest a link

• 2017 ballot measures
• West Virginia 2017 ballot measures
• West Virginia Legislature
• Bond issues on the ballot
• Transportation on the ballot

External links

• West Virginia Senate Joint Resolution 6

Recent news

The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms West Virginia 2017 Roads Bond. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.

West Virginia Amendment 1, Bonds for Roads and Bridges Measure (October 2017) - Google News