DSC_9146 sos
GOVERNOR TOMBLIN Provides State OF THE Point out Handle
Tackle highlights best priorities and important parts of laws
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (January 13, 2016) – Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin nowadays delivered the 2016 State of the Condition Tackle in the Property Chamber at the State Capitol Sophisticated.
Gov. Tomblin’s remarks incorporated an overview of new plans and initiatives relevant to his leading priorities as governor, as properly as a variety of new pieces of legislation he ideas to introduce during the 2016 Legislative Session.
Since becoming governor in November 2010, Gov. Tomblin has centered on troubles this sort of as workforce advancement, combatting material abuse, accountable fiscal procedures and occupation creation. Pursuing are highlights from the Point out of the Point out speech and other legislative initiatives of Gov. Tomblin.
Economic Development
Gov. Tomblin has worked to generate a constructive company weather now and for a long time to occur, and he stays committed to operating with enterprise and market leaders from a range of industries to create new investments and provide employment to West Virginia. Organizations from across the nation and about the entire world are noticing the changes the point out has produced, and nationally and internationally recognized companies – which includes Macy’s Amazon, Quad Graphics, Hino Motors, Diamond Electric, Toyota and Procter and Gamble – have picked to locate, increase and commit in West Virginia.
Tonight, Gov. Tomblin included one more company to the checklist of these that have committed to West Virginia. For the duration of the tackle, Gov. Tomblin announced polymer additive producer Addivant has made a decision to remain and grow operations in Morgantown, saving virtually a hundred positions and including at the very least $12 million in new investments and additional opportunities for work.
Although these big investments are a important element of West Virginia’s prolonged-phrase achievement, Gov. Tomblin is also committed to ensuring little organization owners have a chance to excel and develop. Tonight, Gov. Tomblin introduced the Self-Employment Help Act, made to make it easier for unemployed West Virginians to get the aid they need to have to open a organization. The act enables business owners to carry on getting unemployment benefits whilst setting up their new company. This will help owners reinvest in their new undertaking and workers, whilst also providing a continual source of monetary support for their family members.
WORKFORCE Improvement
In functioning to carry new investments and produce jobs, Gov. Tomblin has also produced it a best priority to make sure these work are crammed by competent and effectively-trained West Virginians. With the aid of his Workforce Arranging Council, Gov. Tomblin has proven new workforce advancement programs and strengthened current initiatives to meet the needs of business and business operating right here. The condition has received a lot more than $40 million in federal grant funding to assistance Workforce West Virginia operations across the point out, assisting coal miners, their families, and these who have fatigued their unemployment advantages discover professions in expanding industries.
By means of a collaborative partnership amongst enterprise, business, education and learning and labor leaders, Gov. Tomblin has proven a new Regional Job Matching Database, an online source for both instructional software listings and employment options offered near to people’s homes. This database will support match learners with training programs in vital needs areas and hook up them with employers searching for those exact same expertise.
In addition, Gov. Tomblin also ideas to introduce legislation that will expand the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources’ (WVDHHR) Short-term Guidance to Require People (TANF) pilot plan. Through a partnership with the WVDHHR and Southern West Virginia Neighborhood and Technological University, the pilot system was developed to support West Virginians previously receiving TANF positive aspects enroll in university classes, get entry to economic help and work with advisors to begin a new job path to help them selves and their households. With this system enlargement, more West Virginians will get the assist and assistance they need to turn out to be productive, effective users of their nearby communities.
STRENGTHENING SOUTHERN WEST VIRGINIA
Gov. Tomblin has focused much of his community services to supporting West Virginia’s coal miners and their families. In current years, both the point out and country have skilled unprecedented downturns in this sector, adversely impacting nearby operations and devastating the lives of numerous hardworking West Virginians.
Tonight, Gov. Tomblin highlighted ongoing initiatives to support and bolster all those impacted by the downturn in the coal business. The point out has submitted an application to the Countrywide Catastrophe Resilience Opposition (NDRC), in search of more than $a hundred and forty million in funding from the United States Division of Housing and City Improvement. This competitiveness has the possible to support Boone, Lincoln, Logan, Mingo, McDowell and Wyoming counties alter, adapt and progress their communities. If effective, funding will be allocated to assist repair and rebuild ageing infrastructure, market land use arranging and hazard reduction attempts and encourage housing and economic advancement in the area.
Gov. Tomblin tonight also introduced plans to create of the greatest industrial web site in West Virginia heritage – the former Hobet surface mine in Boone and Lincoln counties. At twelve,000 acres, this home is large adequate to match each and every key economic improvement undertaking in recent history – with hundreds of acres still left more than. The point out is functioning in partnership with neighborhood landowners, Marshall College, West Virginia University and the Virginia Conservation Legacy Fund to locate approaches to re-produce this web site and diversify southern West Virginia’s economic climate.
Power
In working to ensure West Virginia’s strength sector is sturdy and varied, Gov. Tomblin has also worked difficult to assist growth of West Virginia’s abundant Marcellus, Utica and Rogersville shale formations. Tonight, Gov. Tomblin stressed the need to develop the processing and pipeline infrastructure required to make sure this industry’s continued growth now and for several years to appear, highlighting significant expenditure projects this kind of as the Columbia Gasoline Mountaineer Xpress pipeline.
Gov. Tomblin also introduced that whilst the Section of Environmental Safety continues to perform on a feasibility research connected to the state’s Cleanse Energy Prepare Submission, it truly is very likely that program will contain products this kind of as reforestation and replacement of boilers to boost the efficiency of current coal-fired electricity programs.
TACKLING Substance ABUSE
Gov. Tomblin has made combatting the state’s substance abuse epidemic a prime precedence of his administration. As communities and families throughout West Virginia carry on to struggle substance abuse from a variety of fronts, Gov. Tomblin has invested a significant volume of time and funding to reinforce local community-dependent therapy possibilities and packages to give individuals battling hope and get them on the street to restoration.
Tonight, Gov. Tomblin introduced legislation to help ongoing compound abuse endeavours. He announced new licensing demands for Suboxone and Methadone clinics, necessitating medication-assisted remedy services to supply complete therapies in coordination with treatment to support to handle the root leads to guiding addictions, fairly than basically providing a short-time period resolve.
In addition, Gov. Tomblin released laws to increase the Opioid Antagonist Act of 2015, creating opioid antagonists, such as Narcan, offered to any West Virginian with no a prescription. This new laws needs pharmacists to train individuals who get this drug on how to administer opioid antagonists and assists the point out track individuals receiving Narcan to aid far better focus condition methods in regions toughest hit by opioid overdoses.
JUVENILE JUSTICE
Gov. Tomblin’s juvenile justice reforms have also manufactured a significant impact on our state’s youth, as he has labored to increase results for these at the moment in the juvenile justice method and supply early-intervention treatment to at-threat learners to hold them in the classroom and out of the courtroom. For the duration of his deal with, Gov. Tomblin touted the accomplishment of 2015’s Juvenile Justice Reform, especially highlighting constructive benefits of the truancy diversion software.
He also announced the Division of Juvenile Services has decreased the quantity of little ones currently being despatched to out-of-property placements by far more than a single-third and decreased the variety of detention beds by much more than 40 p.c. So far the condition has saved $6 million, and the Division of Juvenile Solutions is assured West Virginia can double that personal savings in coming years.
Education
Ensuring students stay in the classroom for a hundred and eighty times of understanding is just one particular of Gov. Tomblin’s education priorities, as he is similarly dedicated to making certain West Virginia’s schooling system stands prepared to provide students with the comprehensive and successful education and learning they are worthy of. In addition, they ought to receive new studying possibilities that provide the skills and palms-on encounter they require obtain extended-term accomplishment in West Virginia.
To boost upon West Virginia’s instructional offerings, Gov. Tomblin has developed the Innovation in Education Grant Plan, which will not only source students with particular expertise and fingers-on instruction, but will also give them the possibility to contend amongst their peers on a nationwide and planet-extensive scale. This new system is designed to reward lecturers and schools in West Virginia for innovation and creativeness in the classroom. The reallocation of $2.eight million in current West Virginia Department of Schooling cash will support new classroom choices that are made to help college students produce and gain these skills in high-need fields, these kinds of as science, technologies, engineering, math and entrepreneurship.
FISCAL Responsibility
Through his administration, Gov. Tomblin has produced certain to enact and uphold fiscally accountable policies. He understands the state is experiencing substantial funds challenges, but remains fully commited to generating challenging options now that will support guarantee West Virginia has a brilliant long term now and for many years to arrive.
Gov. Tomblin tonight introduced laws to spend off West Virginia’s old workers’ compensation personal debt much more than a decade forward of routine. This also will take away additional severance taxes on coal and natural fuel industries previously than anticipated, delivering much-needed aid for energy businesses struggling with lower costs.
In helping to guarantee West Virginia’s tax foundation is equally stable and assorted, Gov. Tomblin tonight also proposed raising the state’s tobacco tax by 45 cents to a whole of $one a pack. This improve will not only help discourage West Virginians from smoking cigarettes or employing tobacco goods, it will also provide $seventy one.5 million each year to assistance well being-associated costs. $43 million of this profits will support fund PEIA, ensuring general public staff do not see the dramatic benefit reductions originally proposed.
Gov. Tomblin also proposed laws to eliminate a sale tax exemption that will deliver our state’s telecommunications tax in line with forty one other states throughout the region. This legislation will location the same six p.c revenue tax on cell cellphone and telephone line usage and create $sixty million annually.
With these proposed changes, the 2017 funds Gov. Tomblin offered employs no money from the state’s Rainy Day Fund and in simple fact predicts surpluses commencing in 2019.
Gov. Tomblin will also introduce the following parts of legislation:
Workforce Innovation & Possibility Act (WIOA) Reporting Update
Updates existing West Virginia code to reflect 2014 federal law for compliance and continuation of federal funding from the U.S. Division of Labor.
Authorizes information sharing by Workforce West Virginia with the condition organizations accountable for vocational rehabilitation, employment and coaching to better align the workforce technique with education and financial advancement in an effort to create a collective response to economic and labor market place challenges on the nationwide, condition and local stages.
West Virginia Workforce Advancement Board Updates
Updates the composition of the West Virginia Workforce Expenditure Council and modifications its identify to the West Virginia Workforce Advancement Board to comply with WIOA.
Borrowing from Wet Working day for Unemployment Compensation Fund
Authorizes borrowing in sum up to $25 million to supply further cash for unemployment payment.
Managed Substances Monitoring Software (CSMP) Update Invoice:
Calls for practitioners (medical professionals, pharmacists and other individuals) to sign-up for the CSMP to obtain or renew a license.
Produces an administrative fine of $1,000 for failure to sign-up for the CSMP, as properly as an administrative good of $five hundred for failure to entry the CSMP as necessary.
Certification of Need to have Exemption for Out-Client Behavioral Health Local community-Based Companies
Exempts group-based mostly behavioral well being care facilities, packages or solutions from the certificate of need approach contained in W.Va. Code 16-2nd-one et seq.
811 – One particular Call Program
Tends to make underground pipelines of 4" in diameter and greater subject matter to "call ahead of you dig" reporting if not normally essential by condition or federal legislation. Applies to gasoline, oil or any dangerous substance pipelines.
Membership in 811 calls for an entity to provide mapping data indicating in which their underground pipelines are found and to answer within the specified time periods when notified by the 811 administrator and be in a position to mark its underground pipes.
fifteen Minutes Rule
Demands that drilling, creation and pipeline routines are topic to the state’s 15-moment crisis notification legislation (WV Code fifteen-5B-3a (b)(one)).
Provisions use to crisis functions that require a demise or critical accidents, unplanned ignitions, fires or explosions and related severe unexpected emergency occasions (verified emergencies) at drilling, generation and pipeline sites.
Notification need to be provided inside 15 minutes to the West Virginia Division of Homeland Security and Crisis Administration and incorporate preliminary details with regards to the nature and extent of the emergency function, any existence or non-existence of threats to community health, substances included or unveiled and selected principal speak to data.
Transportation Community Organization Monthly bill (TNC) – Uber/Lyft
Authorizes TNCs to work in West Virginia by obtaining a allow from DMV.
Calls for car insurance policy and uninsured and underinsured motorist protection.
Requires a zero tolerance for drug and alcoholic beverages policy.
Requires TNCs to have a nondiscrimination policy and comply with nondiscrimination regulations.
Office of Coalfield Group Development Monthly bill
Carries on the Workplace of Coalfield Community Improvement in Commerce (beforehand in Division of Energy)
Air Ambulance Bill
Gives air transportation or related crisis or treatment method solutions suppliers functioning in West Virginia from amassing more for services from PEIA covered folks than the presently allowable Medicare reimbursement price.
Repeal Behavioral Health Severance & Privilege Tax
Removes the behavioral wellness severance and privilege tax and boundaries the product sales tax exemption on sturdy health-related products to individuals acquired for property use only.
The modify is considered to be income neutral and will support make sure continued federal matching cash for Medicaid and Medicare.
Lessen Required Once-a-year Severance Tax Deposit to Infrastructure Bond Fund
Reduces the quantity of severance tax proceeds deposited into the West Virginia Infrastructure Standard Obligation Credit card debt Services Fund for payment of debt provider on these kinds of bonds from $22.5 million yearly to an volume equal to yearly credit card debt provider, not to exceed $22.twenty five million annually.
Personal Income Tax update
Updates the Private Earnings Tax code to be in compliance with federal tax legal guidelines
CNIT Update & Revised Filing Date
Updates the Company Web Earnings Tax code to be in compliance with federal tax legal guidelines.
Intermodal
Terminates funding of the Unique Railroad and Intermodal Improvement Fund commencing January one, 2016. The resource of funding is company internet cash flow taxes.
Racetrack and Historic Lodge Modernization Funds Cessation
Finishes the Certified Racetrack Modernization Fund and Historic Lodge Modernization Fund and moves all money at present in this kind of resources to the Standard Revenue Fund.
Cessation of Deposit into Highway Fund from Income Tax for FY2016
Eradicates for fiscal calendar year 2016 the deposit of revenue tax proceeds into the State Road Fund from sales of development and routine maintenance resources acquired by a second get together for use in the development or maintenance of a highway project.
Such revenue tax proceeds will be deposited into the Standard Income Fund in lieu of the Condition Highway Fund.
State Help System Alterations
Eliminates the Progress County University Facilities Act, which permitted progress county boards of education to designate common fund revenues from new design (growing home taxes) for placement in a development county faculty amenities act fund.
Adjusts the formulas for the basis allowance for the two specialist educators and support personnel.
Adjusts and eradicates specific changes to the foundation allowance for transportation costs (growing bus daily life from twelve to fifteen a long time and mileage from a hundred and eighty,000 to 225,000 miles).
Adjusts the calculation for the foundation allowance to boost tutorial programs.
Removes particular limitations in the computation of the regional share relevant to progress county colleges.
Infrastructure Fund Extra Lottery Deposit Reduction
Decreases the yearly deposit of Excess Lottery revenues to the Infrastructure Fund from $40 million to $thirty million for fiscal yr 2017.
Raises the share of resources that might be disbursed from the Infrastructure Fund in the kind of grants from 20% to fifty% for fiscal calendar year 2017.
SBA Deposit Reduction
Decreases for fiscal calendar year 2017 the once-a-year deposit of income tax proceeds into the College Building Authority’s University Main Advancement Fund from $five million to $four million (was lowered for FY16 to $three million).
Decreases for fiscal calendar year 2017 the College Creating Authority’s School Building Fund from $27,216,996 to $24,216,996 (was reduced for FY16 to $21,216,996).
Pictures available for media use. All photos ought to be attributed “Photo courtesy of Business office of the Governor.”
By Governor Earl Ray Tomblin on 2016-01-13 19:07:forty six