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GOVERNOR TOMBLIN Delivers Condition OF THE State Tackle
Handle highlights top priorities and essential pieces of legislation
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (January thirteen, 2016) – Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin these days sent the 2016 Point out of the Condition Deal with in the Residence Chamber at the Point out Capitol Intricate.
Gov. Tomblin’s remarks integrated an overview of new programs and initiatives associated to his best priorities as governor, as well as a number of new pieces of legislation he strategies to introduce throughout the 2016 Legislative Session.
Considering that turning into governor in November 2010, Gov. Tomblin has targeted on troubles these kinds of as workforce improvement, combatting material abuse, accountable fiscal procedures and job development. Adhering to are highlights from the Condition of the Condition speech and other legislative initiatives of Gov. Tomblin.
Financial Improvement
Gov. Tomblin has labored to develop a constructive enterprise local climate now and for many years to appear, and he continues to be fully commited to functioning with company and sector leaders from a variety of industries to create new investments and provide employment to West Virginia. Companies from throughout the country and close to the entire world are noticing the modifications the state has created, and nationally and internationally regarded organizations – including Macy’s Amazon, Quad Graphics, Hino Motors, Diamond Electric powered, Toyota and Procter and Gamble – have picked to track down, expand and commit in West Virginia.
Tonight, Gov. Tomblin additional an additional firm to the record of these that have committed to West Virginia. For the duration of the deal with, Gov. Tomblin announced polymer additive producer Addivant has made a decision to continue to be and increase operations in Morgantown, preserving virtually 100 positions and introducing at the very least $twelve million in new investments and additional options for work.
Whilst these huge investments are a vital part of West Virginia’s prolonged-term success, Gov. Tomblin is also committed to making sure tiny company owners have a chance to excel and develop. Tonight, Gov. Tomblin launched the Self-Employment Guidance Act, developed to make it less complicated for unemployed West Virginians to get the help they need to open a organization. The act makes it possible for business people to proceed acquiring unemployment positive aspects although creating their new enterprise. This assists proprietors reinvest in their new enterprise and workers, whilst also delivering a constant supply of monetary help for their family members.
WORKFORCE Improvement
In operating to provide new investments and create positions, Gov. Tomblin has also made it a prime precedence to guarantee these jobs are filled by competent and properly-qualified West Virginians. With the assist of his Workforce Planning Council, Gov. Tomblin has established new workforce improvement applications and strengthened present initiatives to meet up with the needs of company and sector functioning here. The state has gained far more than $40 million in federal grant funding to help Workforce West Virginia functions across the state, assisting coal miners, their people, and these who have exhausted their unemployment advantages uncover professions in increasing industries.
Through a collaborative partnership among organization, market, schooling and labor leaders, Gov. Tomblin has proven a new Regional Job Matching Database, an online resource for the two educational system listings and employment options obtainable close to people’s homes. This database will aid match learners with coaching plans in crucial demands areas and link them with companies seeking those same capabilities.
In addition, Gov. Tomblin also plans to introduce legislation that will broaden the West Virginia Office of Wellness and Human Resources’ (WVDHHR) Short-term Guidance to Need People (TANF) pilot plan. By means of a partnership with the WVDHHR and Southern West Virginia Group and Complex School, the pilot program was designed to help West Virginians previously receiving TANF advantages enroll in school programs, get obtain to monetary help and work with advisors to start a new job route to support by themselves and their families. With this plan growth, much more West Virginians will acquire the help and assist they require to turn out to be productive, effective customers of their nearby communities.
STRENGTHENING SOUTHERN WEST VIRGINIA
Gov. Tomblin has dedicated a lot of his general public support to supporting West Virginia’s coal miners and their households. In recent years, both the state and nation have experienced unparalleled downturns in this sector, adversely influencing neighborhood operations and devastating the life of many hardworking West Virginians.
Tonight, Gov. Tomblin highlighted ongoing efforts to support and strengthen all these affected by the downturn in the coal business. The state has submitted an software to the Nationwide Catastrophe Resilience Competition (NDRC), looking for much more than $one hundred forty million in funding from the United States Section of Housing and City Improvement. This competition has the prospective to aid Boone, Lincoln, Logan, Mingo, McDowell and Wyoming counties adjust, adapt and progress their communities. If productive, funding will be allotted to assist mend and rebuild growing older infrastructure, market land use preparing and hazard reduction endeavours and stimulate housing and financial growth in the region.
Gov. Tomblin tonight also announced strategies to develop of the greatest industrial website in West Virginia heritage – the former Hobet surface mine in Boone and Lincoln counties. At 12,000 acres, this home is massive enough to in shape every significant financial growth undertaking in latest history – with countless numbers of acres left in excess of. The state is functioning in partnership with local landowners, Marshall University, West Virginia College and the Virginia Conservation Legacy Fund to locate methods to re-build this site and diversify southern West Virginia’s economic climate.
Strength
In doing work to make sure West Virginia’s energy sector is robust and varied, Gov. Tomblin has also worked difficult to assist development of West Virginia’s considerable Marcellus, Utica and Rogersville shale formations. Tonight, Gov. Tomblin pressured the need to have to produce the processing and pipeline infrastructure necessary to guarantee this industry’s continued expansion now and for years to occur, highlighting key investment decision tasks this sort of as the Columbia Gasoline Mountaineer Xpress pipeline.
Gov. Tomblin also announced that whilst the Section of Environmental Security carries on to operate on a feasibility examine related to the state’s Thoroughly clean Electricity Program Submission, it is very likely that plan will contain objects this sort of as reforestation and substitution of boilers to enhance the performance of existing coal-fired energy plans.
TACKLING Substance ABUSE
Gov. Tomblin has created combatting the state’s material abuse epidemic a best precedence of his administration. As communities and households across West Virginia proceed to fight material abuse from a number of fronts, Gov. Tomblin has invested a considerable volume of time and funding to strengthen local community-based remedy choices and plans to give individuals battling hope and get them on the street to restoration.
Tonight, Gov. Tomblin released legislation to assistance ongoing material abuse attempts. He announced new licensing requirements for Suboxone and Methadone clinics, requiring treatment-assisted treatment method services to supply thorough therapies in coordination with medication to assist to handle the root causes guiding addictions, rather than just supplying a limited-time period fix.
In addition, Gov. Tomblin released laws 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 demands pharmacists to practice these who receive this drug on how to administer opioid antagonists and assists the condition monitor these getting Narcan to support much better emphasis condition assets in locations most difficult strike by opioid overdoses.
JUVENILE JUSTICE
Gov. Tomblin’s juvenile justice reforms have also manufactured a substantial influence on our state’s youth, as he has worked to improve results for these presently in the juvenile justice program and provide early-intervention care to at-chance learners to keep them in the classroom and out of the courtroom. During his address, Gov. Tomblin touted the good results of 2015’s Juvenile Justice Reform, exclusively highlighting optimistic outcomes of the truancy diversion plan.
He also announced the Division of Juvenile Services has decreased the quantity of youngsters becoming sent to out-of-house placements by a lot more than 1-3rd and lowered the variety of detention beds by far more than 40 per cent. So far the state has saved $six million, and the Division of Juvenile Providers is self-confident West Virginia can double that cost savings in coming years.
Education and learning
Making certain college students continue to be in the classroom for a hundred and eighty times of understanding is just a single of Gov. Tomblin’s training priorities, as he is similarly committed to making sure West Virginia’s education and learning program stands prepared to provide learners with the complete and successful education they should have. In addition, they must get new understanding chances that provide the skills and fingers-on encounter they want attain lengthy-expression accomplishment in West Virginia.
To increase on West Virginia’s instructional choices, Gov. Tomblin has created the Innovation in Education and learning Grant Program, which will not only source pupils with particular skills and fingers-on instruction, but will also give them the possibility to compete between their peers on a national and planet-broad scale. This new system is developed to reward teachers and schools in West Virginia for innovation and creativeness in the classroom. The reallocation of $two.eight million in existing West Virginia Section of Education money will assistance new classroom offerings that are created to aid college students create and achieve these abilities in higher-need fields, these kinds of as science, technological innovation, engineering, math and entrepreneurship.
FISCAL Duty
Through his administration, Gov. Tomblin has manufactured positive to enact and uphold fiscally accountable procedures. He understands the state is going through significant budget difficulties, but remains committed to creating difficult selections now that will support make certain West Virginia has a bright future now and for many years to occur.
Gov. Tomblin tonight introduced laws to pay off West Virginia’s previous workers’ compensation debt far more than a 10 years forward of schedule. This also will take away extra severance taxes on coal and all-natural gasoline industries before than anticipated, offering considerably-essential aid for vitality companies battling with reduced prices.
In assisting to make certain West Virginia’s tax base is both steady and varied, Gov. Tomblin tonight also proposed boosting the state’s tobacco tax by forty five cents to a total of $1 a pack. This enhance will not only support discourage West Virginians from using tobacco or utilizing tobacco products, it will also provide $seventy one.five million annually to help health-relevant fees. $43 million of this earnings will aid fund PEIA, ensuring public employees do not see the extraordinary gain reductions initially proposed.
Gov. Tomblin also proposed laws to get rid of a sale tax exemption that will provide our state’s telecommunications tax in line with 41 other states across the country. This laws will area the same 6 % product sales tax on mobile telephone and mobile phone line usage and create $sixty million every year.
With these proposed adjustments, the 2017 spending budget Gov. Tomblin offered uses no income from the state’s Rainy Day Fund and in fact predicts surpluses starting in 2019.
Gov. Tomblin will also introduce the pursuing pieces of legislation:
Workforce Innovation & Opportunity Act (WIOA) Reporting Update
Updates present West Virginia code to replicate 2014 federal regulation for compliance and continuation of federal funding from the U.S. Section of Labor.
Authorizes details sharing by Workforce West Virginia with the condition companies accountable for vocational rehabilitation, work and training to far better align the workforce technique with training and economic growth in an work to create a collective reaction to economic and labor market place issues on the nationwide, condition and nearby amounts.
West Virginia Workforce Growth Board Updates
Updates the composition of the West Virginia Workforce Investment decision Council and changes its name to the West Virginia Workforce Development Board to comply with WIOA.
Borrowing from Wet Day for Unemployment Payment Fund
Authorizes borrowing in volume up to $25 million to give further money for unemployment payment.
Controlled Substances Monitoring Software (CSMP) Update Invoice:
Needs practitioners (medical professionals, pharmacists and other folks) to sign up for the CSMP to receive or renew a license.
Creates an administrative fine of $1,000 for failure to register for the CSMP, as nicely as an administrative fantastic of $five hundred for failure to accessibility the CSMP as needed.
Certificate of Want Exemption for Out-Affected person Behavioral Well being Neighborhood-Primarily based Services
Exempts neighborhood-based mostly behavioral health treatment amenities, programs or companies from the certification of need to have procedure contained in W.Va. Code 16-2nd-one et seq.
811 – One Phone Program
Tends to make underground pipelines of four" in diameter and greater matter to "call prior to you dig" reporting if not or else necessary by state or federal regulation. Applies to fuel, oil or any hazardous material pipelines.
Membership in 811 demands an entity to offer mapping data indicating in which their underground pipelines are situated and to respond within the specified time periods when notified by the 811 administrator and be capable to mark its underground pipes.
15 Minutes Rule
Calls for that drilling, manufacturing and pipeline routines are matter to the state’s 15-minute unexpected emergency notification regulation (WV Code 15-5B-3a (b)(1)).
Provisions implement to emergency occasions that include a loss of life or severe injuries, unplanned ignitions, fires or explosions and comparable significant crisis events (verified emergencies) at drilling, manufacturing and pipeline internet sites.
Notification should be presented in fifteen minutes to the West Virginia Division of Homeland Protection and Emergency Management and include preliminary data with regards to the character and extent of the crisis occasion, any existence or non-existence of threats to public health, substances concerned or unveiled and designated principal speak to data.
Transportation Community Firm Bill (TNC) – Uber/Lyft
Authorizes TNCs to work in West Virginia by getting a allow from DMV.
Requires auto insurance policy and uninsured and underinsured motorist protection.
Calls for a zero tolerance for drug and alcohol coverage.
Demands TNCs to have a nondiscrimination coverage and comply with nondiscrimination rules.
Place of work of Coalfield Group Advancement Monthly bill
Proceeds the Workplace of Coalfield Neighborhood Advancement in Commerce (beforehand in Division of Strength)
Air Ambulance Monthly bill
Offers air transportation or related unexpected emergency or treatment providers vendors working in West Virginia from collecting a lot more for support from PEIA covered persons than the presently allowable Medicare reimbursement rate.
Repeal Behavioral Well being Severance & Privilege Tax
Gets rid of the behavioral wellness severance and privilege tax and limits the income tax exemption on sturdy medical items to these purchased for residence use only.
The alter is considered to be revenue neutral and will help make certain ongoing federal matching funds for Medicaid and Medicare.
Lessen Needed Once-a-year Severance Tax Deposit to Infrastructure Bond Fund
Reduces the sum of severance tax proceeds deposited into the West Virginia Infrastructure Common Obligation Credit card debt Support Fund for payment of financial debt service on such bonds from $22.5 million yearly to an sum equivalent to annual financial debt support, not to exceed $22.25 million yearly.
Personalized Revenue Tax update
Updates the Individual Cash flow Tax code to be in compliance with federal tax regulations
CNIT Update & Revised Submitting Date
Updates the Corporate Net Revenue Tax code to be in compliance with federal tax laws.
Intermodal
Terminates funding of the Unique Railroad and Intermodal Improvement Fund commencing January one, 2016. The supply of funding is corporate web revenue taxes.
Racetrack and Historic Resort Modernization Funds Cessation
Finishes the Licensed Racetrack Modernization Fund and Historic Resort Modernization Fund and moves all funds presently in these kinds of money to the General Revenue Fund.
Cessation of Deposit into Street Fund from Product sales Tax for FY2016
Gets rid of for fiscal year 2016 the deposit of income tax proceeds into the Condition Highway Fund from revenue of development and upkeep materials obtained by a next get together for use in the design or upkeep of a freeway project.
This sort of income tax proceeds will be deposited into the General Revenue Fund in lieu of the Condition Street Fund.
Point out Support System Adjustments
Eradicates the Development County University Facilities Act, which allowed expansion county boards of schooling to designate general fund revenues from new development (growing property taxes) for placement in a development county school facilities act fund.
Adjusts the formulation for the basis allowance for the two professional educators and support staff.
Adjusts and eradicates particular adjustments to the basis allowance for transportation expenses (rising bus daily life from twelve to 15 many years and mileage from one hundred eighty,000 to 225,000 miles).
Adjusts the calculation for the basis allowance to improve tutorial packages.
Eradicates particular limits in the computation of the nearby share relevant to progress county educational institutions.
Infrastructure Fund Surplus Lottery Deposit Reduction
Decreases the annual deposit of Excess Lottery revenues to the Infrastructure Fund from $forty million to $30 million for fiscal yr 2017.
Increases the share of funds that may be disbursed from the Infrastructure Fund in the sort of grants from 20% to 50% for fiscal year 2017.
SBA Deposit Reduction
Decreases for fiscal calendar year 2017 the yearly deposit of revenue tax proceeds into the University Developing Authority’s Faculty Significant Improvement Fund from $5 million to $four million (was decreased for FY16 to $three million).
Decreases for fiscal year 2017 the College Building Authority’s University Building Fund from $27,216,996 to $24,216,996 (was reduced for FY16 to $21,216,996).
Photographs available for media use. All photographs should be attributed “Photo courtesy of Business office of the Governor.”
By Governor Earl Ray Tomblin on 2016-01-thirteen 19:forty four:thirty