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GOVERNOR TOMBLIN Delivers Point out OF THE Condition Deal with
Handle highlights top priorities and essential parts of laws
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (January thirteen, 2016) – Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin right now sent the 2016 State of the State Handle in the Residence Chamber at the Condition Capitol Complicated.
Gov. Tomblin’s remarks included an overview of new packages and initiatives connected to his leading priorities as governor, as well as a quantity of new parts of laws he programs to introduce for the duration of the 2016 Legislative Session.
Given that becoming governor in November 2010, Gov. Tomblin has focused on problems this sort of as workforce development, combatting compound abuse, dependable fiscal insurance policies and work generation. Following are highlights from the State of the Point out speech and other legislative initiatives of Gov. Tomblin.
Financial Development
Gov. Tomblin has worked to create a constructive enterprise weather now and for many years to arrive, and he continues to be dedicated to working with business and market leaders from a selection of industries to develop new investments and provide positions to West Virginia. Organizations from across the country and around the planet are noticing the changes the condition has produced, and nationally and internationally recognized companies – such as Macy’s Amazon, Quad Graphics, Hino Motors, Diamond Electrical, Toyota and Procter and Gamble – have selected to find, grow and commit in West Virginia.
Tonight, Gov. Tomblin extra one more firm to the listing of people that have fully commited to West Virginia. For the duration of the tackle, Gov. Tomblin declared polymer additive producer Addivant has made the decision to stay and expand functions in Morgantown, conserving virtually one hundred jobs and introducing at minimum $twelve million in new investments and further chances for work.
Whilst these massive investments are a vital component of West Virginia’s prolonged-expression accomplishment, Gov. Tomblin is also dedicated to guaranteeing tiny enterprise proprietors have a opportunity to excel and expand. Tonight, Gov. Tomblin launched the Self-Employment Help Act, made to make it easier for unemployed West Virginians to get the help they need to open a business. The act permits business owners to carry on receiving unemployment positive aspects whilst creating their new organization. This will help owners reinvest in their new venture and employees, whilst also offering a regular supply of financial assistance for their families.
WORKFORCE Improvement
In working to deliver new investments and create jobs, Gov. Tomblin has also manufactured it a best precedence to make certain these work are filled by competent and effectively-educated West Virginians. With the aid of his Workforce Planning Council, Gov. Tomblin has recognized new workforce improvement plans and strengthened current initiatives to meet up with the demands of organization and business running below. The state has obtained a lot more than $forty million in federal grant funding to help Workforce West Virginia operations across the point out, assisting coal miners, their people, and people who have exhausted their unemployment benefits find careers in growing industries.
Via a collaborative partnership amid business, business, training and labor leaders, Gov. Tomblin has set up a new Regional Job Matching Database, an on the web supply for the two instructional software listings and work options obtainable near to people’s residences. This database will aid match learners with education packages in critical demands places and join them with employers seeking those exact same expertise.
In addition, Gov. Tomblin also programs to introduce legislation that will increase the West Virginia Section of Health and Human Resources’ (WVDHHR) Momentary Assistance to Need People (TANF) pilot system. Through a partnership with the WVDHHR and Southern West Virginia Group and Technological College, the pilot plan was designed to aid West Virginians presently acquiring TANF benefits enroll in higher education courses, get obtain to fiscal aid and operate with advisors to commence a new occupation path to support on their own and their family members. With this software expansion, far more West Virginians will get the aid and assistance they require to become successful, productive associates of their regional communities.
STRENGTHENING SOUTHERN WEST VIRGINIA
Gov. Tomblin has devoted considerably of his community provider to supporting West Virginia’s coal miners and their households. In current several years, both the point out and nation have seasoned unprecedented downturns in this business, adversely influencing regional functions and devastating the lives of many hardworking West Virginians.
Tonight, Gov. Tomblin highlighted ongoing efforts to assistance and improve all these influenced by the downturn in the coal business. The condition has submitted an application to the Nationwide Catastrophe Resilience Competition (NDRC), searching for more than $a hundred and forty million in funding from the United States Section of Housing and Urban Improvement. This competitors has the likely to support Boone, Lincoln, Logan, Mingo, McDowell and Wyoming counties change, adapt and progress their communities. If effective, funding will be allocated to help fix and rebuild getting older infrastructure, market land use planning and hazard reduction efforts and encourage housing and financial growth in the location.
Gov. Tomblin tonight also introduced plans to develop of the premier industrial web site in West Virginia background – the previous Hobet area mine in Boone and Lincoln counties. At twelve,000 acres, this home is large sufficient to fit each and every key economic advancement undertaking in modern heritage – with countless numbers of acres left above. The point out is working in partnership with local landowners, Marshall University, West Virginia University and the Virginia Conservation Legacy Fund to find approaches to re-develop this internet site and diversify southern West Virginia’s economic system.
Power
In functioning to guarantee West Virginia’s strength sector is powerful and varied, Gov. Tomblin has also labored hard to assistance improvement of West Virginia’s ample Marcellus, Utica and Rogersville shale formations. Tonight, Gov. Tomblin stressed the need to have to generate the processing and pipeline infrastructure required to make certain this industry’s ongoing progress now and for several years to occur, highlighting major expenditure tasks such as the Columbia Gas Mountaineer Xpress pipeline.
Gov. Tomblin also announced that even though the Section of Environmental Defense proceeds to operate on a feasibility review associated to the state’s Thoroughly clean Power Plan Submission, it is probably that strategy will include products this sort of as reforestation and replacement of boilers to enhance the efficiency of present coal-fired energy programs.
TACKLING Substance ABUSE
Gov. Tomblin has made combatting the state’s material abuse epidemic a top priority of his administration. As communities and family members throughout West Virginia continue to struggle substance abuse from a variety of fronts, Gov. Tomblin has invested a considerable sum of time and funding to bolster community-primarily based remedy alternatives and applications to give these battling hope and get them on the highway to recovery.
Tonight, Gov. Tomblin launched legislation to support ongoing material abuse attempts. He announced new licensing demands for Suboxone and Methadone clinics, necessitating treatment-assisted therapy facilities to provide complete therapies in coordination with medication to assist to take care of the root triggers powering addictions, instead than simply supplying a short-phrase correct.
In addition, Gov. Tomblin released legislation to broaden the Opioid Antagonist Act of 2015, generating opioid antagonists, this kind of as Narcan, offered to any West Virginian with out a prescription. This new laws needs pharmacists to train those who get this drug on how to administer opioid antagonists and will help the point out track individuals acquiring Narcan to assist much better target condition resources in regions most difficult strike by opioid overdoses.
JUVENILE JUSTICE
Gov. Tomblin’s juvenile justice reforms have also produced a considerable influence on our state’s youth, as he has labored to enhance outcomes for those at present in the juvenile justice program and offer early-intervention treatment to at-threat pupils to preserve them in the classroom and out of the courtroom. During his deal with, Gov. Tomblin touted the good results of 2015’s Juvenile Justice Reform, particularly highlighting good benefits of the truancy diversion system.
He also declared the Division of Juvenile Services has decreased the number of kids being sent to out-of-home placements by a lot more than one-3rd and diminished the number of detention beds by a lot more than 40 %. So considerably the state has saved $six million, and the Division of Juvenile Companies is assured West Virginia can double that cost savings in coming a long time.
Education and learning
Ensuring pupils continue to be in the classroom for a hundred and eighty days of finding out is just 1 of Gov. Tomblin’s training priorities, as he is equally committed to guaranteeing West Virginia’s education and learning program stands completely ready to supply pupils with the complete and effective schooling they deserve. In addition, they need to obtain new finding out chances that source the capabilities and arms-on encounter they require accomplish extended-expression accomplishment in West Virginia.
To increase upon West Virginia’s educational choices, Gov. Tomblin has developed the Innovation in Schooling Grant Software, which will not only supply pupils with unique capabilities and fingers-on instruction, but will also give them the possibility to contend among their peers on a national and entire world-broad scale. This new system is made to reward lecturers and schools in West Virginia for innovation and creativeness in the classroom. The reallocation of $2.eight million in existing West Virginia Division of Education and learning cash will help new classroom choices that are made to help learners build and achieve these abilities in large-demand from customers fields, this sort of as science, technological innovation, engineering, math and entrepreneurship.
FISCAL Responsibility
All through his administration, Gov. Tomblin has created confident to enact and uphold fiscally dependable procedures. He understands the point out is experiencing substantial spending budget difficulties, but remains fully commited to creating challenging selections now that will assist ensure West Virginia has a brilliant long term now and for a long time to arrive.
Gov. Tomblin tonight launched legislation to shell out off West Virginia’s outdated workers’ compensation personal debt more than a ten years ahead of schedule. This also will take away extra severance taxes on coal and natural gas industries previously than expected, providing much-required relief for strength companies having difficulties with low charges.
In aiding to ensure West Virginia’s tax base is equally stable and diverse, Gov. Tomblin tonight also proposed increasing the state’s tobacco tax by forty five cents to a whole of $one a pack. This boost will not only help discourage West Virginians from using tobacco or making use of tobacco items, it will also supply $71.5 million yearly to support overall health-related charges. $43 million of this profits will assist fund PEIA, making sure public personnel do not see the remarkable advantage reductions to begin with proposed.
Gov. Tomblin also proposed legislation to remove a sale tax exemption that will carry our state’s telecommunications tax in line with 41 other states across the country. This laws will area the exact same 6 p.c sales tax on mobile phone and cellphone line usage and make $sixty million every year.
With these proposed alterations, the 2017 spending budget Gov. Tomblin presented makes use of no cash from the state’s Wet Working day Fund and in simple fact predicts surpluses starting in 2019.
Gov. Tomblin will also introduce the subsequent parts of legislation:
Workforce Innovation & Opportunity Act (WIOA) Reporting Update
Updates present West Virginia code to reflect 2014 federal law for compliance and continuation of federal funding from the U.S. Division of Labor.
Authorizes details sharing by Workforce West Virginia with the state companies accountable for vocational rehabilitation, employment and instruction to better align the workforce system with training and financial growth in an energy to generate a collective reaction to financial and labor market place problems on the national, point out and local ranges.
West Virginia Workforce Improvement Board Updates
Updates the composition of the West Virginia Workforce Expense Council and modifications its name to the West Virginia Workforce Improvement Board to comply with WIOA.
Borrowing from Rainy Working day for Unemployment Compensation Fund
Authorizes borrowing in quantity up to $25 million to give further money for unemployment payment.
Managed Substances Checking Program (CSMP) Update Monthly bill:
Demands practitioners (medical doctors, pharmacists and other folks) to sign-up for the CSMP to obtain or renew a license.
Creates an administrative good of $1,000 for failure to sign up for the CSMP, as nicely as an administrative wonderful of $five hundred for failure to accessibility the CSMP as required.
Certificate of Require Exemption for Out-Affected person Behavioral Health Neighborhood-Based mostly Services
Exempts local community-primarily based behavioral overall health care facilities, plans or services from the certificate of need to have approach contained in W.Va. Code 16-2d-1 et seq.
811 – A single Get in touch with System
Can make underground pipelines of four" in diameter and increased subject matter to "call before you dig" reporting if not in any other case necessary by point out or federal legislation. Applies to gas, oil or any hazardous compound pipelines.
Membership in 811 calls for an entity to offer mapping knowledge indicating exactly where their underground pipelines are positioned and to answer inside the specified time periods when notified by the 811 administrator and be able to mark its underground pipes.
15 Minutes Rule
Requires that drilling, manufacturing and pipeline actions are matter to the state’s fifteen-minute emergency notification regulation (WV Code 15-5B-3a (b)(1)).
Provisions use to unexpected emergency activities that include a dying or serious injuries, unplanned ignitions, fires or explosions and similar serious emergency functions (confirmed emergencies) at drilling, production and pipeline sites.
Notification must be provided within fifteen minutes to the West Virginia Division of Homeland Stability and Emergency Administration and contain preliminary info concerning the nature and extent of the emergency event, any existence or non-existence of threats to community overall health, substances involved or unveiled and specified principal get in touch with info.
Transportation Community Company Invoice (TNC) – Uber/Lyft
Authorizes TNCs to work in West Virginia by obtaining a permit from DMV.
Needs auto insurance policy and uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage.
Requires a zero tolerance for drug and alcohol coverage.
Demands TNCs to have a nondiscrimination plan and comply with nondiscrimination legal guidelines.
Place of work of Coalfield Neighborhood Advancement Bill
Proceeds the Office of Coalfield Group Advancement in Commerce (previously in Division of Power)
Air Ambulance Invoice
Gives air transportation or relevant emergency or remedy companies vendors running in West Virginia from gathering more for service from PEIA covered folks than the currently allowable Medicare reimbursement rate.
Repeal Behavioral Well being Severance & Privilege Tax
Eliminates the behavioral health severance and privilege tax and boundaries the product sales tax exemption on resilient medical goods to people obtained for residence use only.
The modify is considered to be income neutral and will help ensure continued federal matching funds for Medicaid and Medicare.
Lessen Essential Once-a-year Severance Tax Deposit to Infrastructure Bond Fund
Reduces the volume of severance tax proceeds deposited into the West Virginia Infrastructure Basic Obligation Financial debt Service Fund for payment of financial debt service on such bonds from $22.5 million every year to an quantity equal to annual financial debt services, not to exceed $22.25 million annually.
Personalized Cash flow Tax update
Updates the Personal Income Tax code to be in compliance with federal tax regulations
CNIT Update & Revised Filing Date
Updates the Company Net Earnings Tax code to be in compliance with federal tax rules.
Intermodal
Terminates funding of the Special Railroad and Intermodal Enhancement Fund commencing January 1, 2016. The source of funding is company web earnings taxes.
Racetrack and Historic Lodge Modernization Money Cessation
Finishes the Accredited Racetrack Modernization Fund and Historic Resort Modernization Fund and moves all funds presently in this sort of funds to the General Income Fund.
Cessation of Deposit into Highway Fund from Sales Tax for FY2016
Removes for fiscal 12 months 2016 the deposit of revenue tax proceeds into the State Street Fund from product sales of construction and servicing components acquired by a next social gathering for use in the development or maintenance of a freeway venture.
This kind of revenue tax proceeds will be deposited into the Basic Earnings Fund in lieu of the Point out Highway Fund.
Point out Help Formulation Adjustments
Eliminates the Growth County University Facilities Act, which permitted development county boards of education to designate basic fund revenues from new development (escalating home taxes) for placement in a progress county school amenities act fund.
Adjusts the formulation for the basis allowance for both professional educators and services staff.
Adjusts and gets rid of particular changes to the basis allowance for transportation fees (increasing bus lifestyle from twelve to fifteen years and mileage from one hundred eighty,000 to 225,000 miles).
Adjusts the calculation for the basis allowance to improve educational programs.
Eliminates particular limitations in the computation of the nearby share applicable to expansion county colleges.
Infrastructure Fund Excessive Lottery Deposit Reduction
Decreases the yearly deposit of Excess Lottery revenues to the Infrastructure Fund from $forty million to $30 million for fiscal year 2017.
Boosts the proportion of money that could be disbursed from the Infrastructure Fund in the kind of grants from twenty% to 50% for fiscal year 2017.
SBA Deposit Reduction
Decreases for fiscal calendar year 2017 the once-a-year deposit of income tax proceeds into the College Creating Authority’s College Significant Advancement Fund from $five million to $4 million (was lowered for FY16 to $three million).
Decreases for fiscal yr 2017 the School Building Authority’s Faculty Design Fund from $27,216,996 to $24,216,996 (was reduced for FY16 to $21,216,996).
Photographs obtainable for media use. All images must be attributed “Photo courtesy of Business office of the Governor.”
By Governor Earl Ray Tomblin on 2016-01-thirteen 19:eighteen:forty eight