Steven Allen Adams Gov. Patrick Morrisey and First Lady Denise Morrisey greet lawmakers and attendees as he walks down the aisle of the House of Delegates chamber to give his second State of the State address. -- Steven Allen Adams

CHARLESTON – With his first year as governor of West Virginia in the rear-view mirror, Patrick Morrisey used his second State of the State address Wednesday night to lay out a vision for doubling down on what he called “West Virginia’s comeback.”

Morrisey addressed a joint session of the West Virginia Legislature, which gaveled in at noon Wednesday to begin its regular 60-day session.

There were 316 House bills introduced Wednesday, and 249 bills introduced in the state Senate, with committee meetings for each body scheduled to begin today.

First Lady Denise Morrisey, members of state’s Board of Public Works, state Board of Education members, justices of the Supreme Court of Appeals, cabinet officials, and other invited guests were also in attendance for Morrisey’s State of the State address.

Morrisey, who recently welcomed a new granddaughter into the family, said he was committed to building a better West Virginia for all West Virginians.

“The future of West Virginia belongs to our kids and our grandkids. And I’m going to fight like hell to make sure that future is bright,” Morrisey said. “I am 100% committed to delivering, for Lucille and every child in our state, a West Virginia we can be proud of. A shining state in the mountains.”