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GOVERNOR TOMBLIN Provides Condition OF THE Condition Deal with
Deal with highlights best priorities and important parts of legislation
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (January thirteen, 2016) – Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin right now delivered the 2016 Point out of the Condition Address in the House Chamber at the Condition Capitol Intricate.
Gov. Tomblin’s remarks integrated an overview of new programs and initiatives relevant to his top priorities as governor, as effectively as a number of new items of laws he ideas to introduce for the duration of the 2016 Legislative Session.
Considering that turning into governor in November 2010, Gov. Tomblin has focused on problems these kinds of as workforce improvement, combatting compound abuse, responsible fiscal guidelines and task generation. Adhering to are highlights from the State of the Point out speech and other legislative initiatives of Gov. Tomblin.
Economic Growth
Gov. Tomblin has worked to create a constructive business climate now and for many years to appear, and he continues to be fully commited to operating with business and business leaders from a range of industries to create new investments and deliver employment to West Virginia. Companies from across the nation and about the world are noticing the changes the state has produced, and nationally and internationally acknowledged companies – which includes Macy’s Amazon, Quad Graphics, Hino Motors, Diamond Electric, Toyota and Procter and Gamble – have decided on to locate, grow and spend in West Virginia.
Tonight, Gov. Tomblin included another organization to the listing of these that have dedicated to West Virginia. In the course of the address, Gov. Tomblin introduced polymer additive manufacturer Addivant has made the decision to stay and grow operations in Morgantown, conserving nearly a hundred employment and introducing at minimum $twelve million in new investments and further possibilities for employment.
Even though these big investments are a important part of West Virginia’s lengthy-time period good results, Gov. Tomblin is also dedicated to ensuring tiny business homeowners have a opportunity to excel and increase. Tonight, Gov. Tomblin released the Self-Employment Help Act, designed to make it simpler for unemployed West Virginians to get the support they need to have to open up a business. The act permits business people to proceed acquiring unemployment positive aspects although setting up their new business. This assists house owners reinvest in their new undertaking and employees, while also supplying a continual resource of economic help for their people.
WORKFORCE Improvement
In operating to provide new investments and produce work, Gov. Tomblin has also manufactured it a top precedence to guarantee these positions are loaded by competent and nicely-trained West Virginians. With the aid of his Workforce Arranging Council, Gov. Tomblin has recognized new workforce advancement programs and strengthened existing initiatives to satisfy the wants of company and sector operating here. The state has obtained more than $forty million in federal grant funding to assistance Workforce West Virginia operations across the condition, assisting coal miners, their family members, and people who have fatigued their unemployment positive aspects locate professions in growing industries.
Through a collaborative partnership between company, industry, education and learning and labor leaders, Gov. Tomblin has recognized a new Regional Job Matching Databases, an online supply for each academic plan listings and employment options offered close to people’s properties. This databases will assist match students with training plans in essential wants locations and link them with businesses looking for those exact same abilities.
In addition, Gov. Tomblin also plans to introduce legislation that will expand the West Virginia Division of Health and Human Resources’ (WVDHHR) Short-term Guidance to Need to have Family members (TANF) pilot program. By way of a partnership with the WVDHHR and Southern West Virginia Group and Complex Higher education, the pilot program was developed to support West Virginians already receiving TANF advantages enroll in college classes, get obtain to fiscal assist and function with advisors to begin a new career route to help them selves and their families. With this plan expansion, a lot more West Virginians will obtain the help and assist they want to turn out to be productive, successful customers of their local communities.
STRENGTHENING SOUTHERN WEST VIRGINIA
Gov. Tomblin has dedicated a lot of his general public service to supporting West Virginia’s coal miners and their people. In latest many years, each the condition and country have skilled unprecedented downturns in this market, adversely impacting local functions and devastating the lives of many hardworking West Virginians.
Tonight, Gov. Tomblin highlighted ongoing initiatives to help and improve all individuals influenced by the downturn in the coal industry. The state has submitted an software to the National Disaster Resilience Competition (NDRC), in search of more than $140 million in funding from the United States Division of Housing and Urban Development. This opposition has the potential to assist Boone, Lincoln, Logan, Mingo, McDowell and Wyoming counties change, adapt and progress their communities. If successful, funding will be allocated to support fix and rebuild getting older infrastructure, encourage land use planning and hazard reduction initiatives and stimulate housing and economic improvement in the location.
Gov. Tomblin tonight also introduced plans to create of the greatest industrial internet site in West Virginia history – the previous Hobet floor mine in Boone and Lincoln counties. At 12,000 acres, this home is large enough to in shape every single significant economic growth project in recent historical past – with 1000’s of acres still left above. The state is operating in partnership with neighborhood landowners, Marshall College, West Virginia University and the Virginia Conservation Legacy Fund to locate approaches to re-create this website and diversify southern West Virginia’s financial system.
Vitality
In operating to make sure West Virginia’s energy sector is powerful and assorted, Gov. Tomblin has also labored hard to help development of West Virginia’s considerable Marcellus, Utica and Rogersville shale formations. Tonight, Gov. Tomblin pressured the want to generate the processing and pipeline infrastructure necessary to ensure this industry’s continued expansion now and for many years to arrive, highlighting major investment decision initiatives these kinds of as the Columbia Gas Mountaineer Xpress pipeline.
Gov. Tomblin also declared that whilst the Department of Environmental Protection continues to work on a feasibility examine associated to the state’s Clear Power Strategy Submission, it really is probably that prepare will incorporate items this sort of as reforestation and substitute of boilers to boost the efficiency of current coal-fired power strategies.
TACKLING Compound ABUSE
Gov. Tomblin has manufactured combatting the state’s material abuse epidemic a leading precedence of his administration. As communities and households throughout West Virginia keep on to battle compound abuse from a variety of fronts, Gov. Tomblin has invested a considerable quantity of time and funding to reinforce community-primarily based treatment choices and packages to give those struggling hope and get them on the highway to recovery.
Tonight, Gov. Tomblin launched laws to support ongoing compound abuse efforts. He introduced new licensing demands for Suboxone and Methadone clinics, demanding medicine-assisted treatment method services to offer thorough therapies in coordination with medication to aid to deal with the root triggers driving addictions, instead than just giving a short-expression repair.
In addition, Gov. Tomblin introduced legislation to broaden the Opioid Antagonist Act of 2015, creating opioid antagonists, such as Narcan, offered to any West Virginian with no a prescription. This new laws calls for pharmacists to prepare those who get this drug on how to administer opioid antagonists and helps the state track individuals acquiring Narcan to support much better concentrate condition resources in areas hardest strike by opioid overdoses.
JUVENILE JUSTICE
Gov. Tomblin’s juvenile justice reforms have also produced a important impact on our state’s youth, as he has worked to increase results for individuals presently in the juvenile justice method and offer early-intervention care to at-threat college students to hold them in the classroom and out of the courtroom. Throughout his deal with, Gov. Tomblin touted the achievement of 2015’s Juvenile Justice Reform, especially highlighting positive results of the truancy diversion plan.
He also declared the Division of Juvenile Services has diminished the number of youngsters getting sent to out-of-home placements by far more than 1-third and lowered the variety of detention beds by more than forty percent. So far the state has saved $6 million, and the Division of Juvenile Solutions is assured West Virginia can double that financial savings in coming years.
Education
Making certain learners continue to be in the classroom for 180 days of finding out is just one particular of Gov. Tomblin’s schooling priorities, as he is equally fully commited to guaranteeing West Virginia’s education and learning system stands ready to supply pupils with the extensive and productive schooling they should have. In addition, they must acquire new learning opportunities that provide the abilities and arms-on encounter they require accomplish prolonged-time period success in West Virginia.
To improve on West Virginia’s educational choices, Gov. Tomblin has created the Innovation in Education and learning Grant Plan, which will not only offer college students with particular capabilities and hands-on training, but will also give them the opportunity to compete amongst their peers on a nationwide and planet-broad scale. This new program is developed to reward lecturers and colleges in West Virginia for innovation and creative imagination in the classroom. The reallocation of $2.eight million in existing West Virginia Office of Training cash will assistance new classroom choices that are designed to support students build and gain these abilities in higher-demand from customers fields, this sort of as science, technological innovation, engineering, math and entrepreneurship.
FISCAL Duty
During his administration, Gov. Tomblin has produced sure to enact and uphold fiscally dependable insurance policies. He understands the state is enduring considerable funds issues, but remains dedicated to producing difficult alternatives now that will help guarantee West Virginia has a vivid potential now and for a long time to arrive.
Gov. Tomblin tonight introduced laws to pay off West Virginia’s outdated workers’ compensation financial debt more than a 10 years in advance of timetable. This also will get rid of extra severance taxes on coal and all-natural gasoline industries before than anticipated, offering significantly-essential relief for energy businesses struggling with low prices.
In assisting to make certain West Virginia’s tax base is each stable and varied, Gov. Tomblin tonight also proposed increasing the state’s tobacco tax by forty five cents to a whole of $one a pack. This improve will not only support discourage West Virginians from smoking cigarettes or employing tobacco goods, it will also offer $71.5 million each year to support wellness-associated fees. $43 million of this profits will help fund PEIA, making sure community personnel do not see the spectacular reward reductions initially proposed.
Gov. Tomblin also proposed laws to eliminate a sale tax exemption that will bring our state’s telecommunications tax in line with forty one other states throughout the country. This legislation will area the exact same 6 percent product sales tax on mobile cellphone and telephone line use and make $60 million yearly.
With these proposed adjustments, the 2017 price range Gov. Tomblin presented utilizes no money from the state’s Wet Day Fund and in reality predicts surpluses starting in 2019.
Gov. Tomblin will also introduce the adhering to parts of laws:
Workforce Innovation & Prospect Act (WIOA) Reporting Update
Updates existing West Virginia code to replicate 2014 federal law for compliance and continuation of federal funding from the U.S. Office of Labor.
Authorizes data sharing by Workforce West Virginia with the point out agencies dependable for vocational rehabilitation, employment and coaching to much better align the workforce program with education and learning and financial development in an effort to generate a collective response to financial and labor market place difficulties on the nationwide, point out and regional ranges.
West Virginia Workforce Advancement Board Updates
Updates the composition of the West Virginia Workforce Investment decision Council and changes its name to the West Virginia Workforce Improvement Board to comply with WIOA.
Borrowing from Wet Day for Unemployment Compensation Fund
Authorizes borrowing in quantity up to $twenty five million to supply added money for unemployment compensation.
Managed Substances Monitoring Software (CSMP) Update Bill:
Calls for practitioners (physicians, pharmacists and other folks) to register for the CSMP to receive or renew a license.
Creates an administrative fantastic of $one,000 for failure to sign-up for the CSMP, as well as an administrative fantastic of $five hundred for failure to accessibility the CSMP as required.
Certificate of Require Exemption for Out-Affected person Behavioral Health Neighborhood-Dependent Companies
Exempts local community-dependent behavioral overall health care facilities, packages or providers from the certification of need approach contained in W.Va. Code 16-2nd-1 et seq.
811 – One particular Call System
Makes underground pipelines of four" in diameter and higher topic to "call just before you dig" reporting if not otherwise required by point out or federal legislation. Applies to gas, oil or any hazardous material pipelines.
Membership in 811 needs an entity to offer mapping knowledge indicating the place their underground pipelines are positioned and to react inside the specified time periods when notified by the 811 administrator and be in a position to mark its underground pipes.
15 Minutes Rule
Calls for that drilling, creation and pipeline routines are subject to the state’s fifteen-moment unexpected emergency notification legislation (WV Code fifteen-5B-3a (b)(1)).
Provisions apply to unexpected emergency functions that involve a dying or critical accidents, unplanned ignitions, fires or explosions and equivalent serious crisis events (confirmed emergencies) at drilling, creation and pipeline internet sites.
Notification should be provided within 15 minutes to the West Virginia Division of Homeland Safety and Unexpected emergency Management and consist of preliminary details regarding the mother nature and extent of the crisis celebration, any existence or non-existence of threats to general public health, substances involved or introduced and selected principal get in touch with information.
Transportation Network Business Monthly bill (TNC) – Uber/Lyft
Authorizes TNCs to function in West Virginia by getting a permit from DMV.
Calls for automobile insurance policies and uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage.
Needs a zero tolerance for drug and alcohol coverage.
Needs TNCs to have a nondiscrimination plan and comply with nondiscrimination regulations.
Office of Coalfield Neighborhood Development Monthly bill
Carries on the Workplace of Coalfield Local community Improvement in Commerce (beforehand in Division of Vitality)
Air Ambulance Bill
Gives air transportation or connected emergency or treatment companies providers operating in West Virginia from accumulating much more for service from PEIA lined folks than the currently allowable Medicare reimbursement price.
Repeal Behavioral Well being Severance & Privilege Tax
Gets rid of the behavioral wellness severance and privilege tax and limitations the revenue tax exemption on tough health-related merchandise to people bought for house use only.
The modify is thought to be revenue neutral and will support guarantee continued federal matching cash for Medicaid and Medicare.
Decrease Necessary Yearly Severance Tax Deposit to Infrastructure Bond Fund
Minimizes the amount of severance tax proceeds deposited into the West Virginia Infrastructure Standard Obligation Debt Services Fund for payment of debt support on this kind of bonds from $22.5 million each year to an volume equal to once-a-year financial debt provider, not to exceed $22.twenty five million yearly.
Personal Revenue Tax update
Updates the Personal Earnings Tax code to be in compliance with federal tax rules
CNIT Update & Revised Submitting Day
Updates the Corporate Net Revenue Tax code to be in compliance with federal tax laws.
Intermodal
Terminates funding of the Specific Railroad and Intermodal Improvement Fund starting January 1, 2016. The supply of funding is company net income taxes.
Racetrack and Historic Resort Modernization Cash Cessation
Finishes the Licensed Racetrack Modernization Fund and Historic Hotel Modernization Fund and moves all resources at present in this kind of funds to the Basic Earnings Fund.
Cessation of Deposit into Street Fund from Revenue Tax for FY2016
Eliminates for fiscal yr 2016 the deposit of income tax proceeds into the State Street Fund from sales of development and maintenance materials obtained by a next get together for use in the construction or maintenance of a highway project.
Such product sales tax proceeds will be deposited into the Standard Earnings Fund in lieu of the Point out Street Fund.
State Help Formula Adjustments
Removes the Growth County College Facilities Act, which authorized development county boards of education and learning to designate common fund revenues from new design (increasing property taxes) for placement in a expansion county college facilities act fund.
Adjusts the formulas for the foundation allowance for equally skilled educators and support staff.
Adjusts and eradicates particular adjustments to the basis allowance for transportation costs (increasing bus lifestyle from twelve to fifteen years and mileage from one hundred eighty,000 to 225,000 miles).
Adjusts the calculation for the foundation allowance to improve instructional packages.
Gets rid of certain limits in the computation of the local share applicable to development county colleges.
Infrastructure Fund Excess Lottery Deposit Reduction
Decreases the annual deposit of Extra Lottery revenues to the Infrastructure Fund from $40 million to $30 million for fiscal yr 2017.
Increases the percentage of money that could be disbursed from the Infrastructure Fund in the kind of grants from 20% to 50% for fiscal year 2017.
SBA Deposit Reduction
Decreases for fiscal calendar year 2017 the yearly deposit of sales tax proceeds into the College Creating Authority’s Faculty Key Improvement Fund from $5 million to $4 million (was lowered for FY16 to $3 million).
Decreases for fiscal calendar year 2017 the University Building Authority’s University Design Fund from $27,216,996 to $24,216,996 (was diminished for FY16 to $21,216,996).
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By Governor Earl Ray Tomblin on 2016-01-thirteen 19:19:31