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GOVERNOR TOMBLIN Provides Point out OF THE Condition Deal with
Handle highlights prime priorities and important items of laws
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (January 13, 2016) – Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin right now sent the 2016 State of the Point out Tackle in the Property Chamber at the Condition Capitol Complex.
Gov. Tomblin’s remarks provided an overview of new applications and initiatives connected to his best priorities as governor, as nicely as a amount of new pieces of legislation he plans to introduce during the 2016 Legislative Session.
Since turning out to be governor in November 2010, Gov. Tomblin has targeted on troubles this kind of as workforce development, combatting material abuse, responsible fiscal policies and work development. Subsequent are highlights from the Point out of the State speech and other legislative initiatives of Gov. Tomblin.
Economic Development
Gov. Tomblin has worked to develop a constructive enterprise local climate now and for many years to occur, and he continues to be dedicated to functioning with enterprise and sector leaders from a assortment of industries to produce new investments and deliver work to West Virginia. Companies from throughout the nation and close to the globe are noticing the changes the condition has manufactured, and nationally and internationally regarded organizations – including Macy’s Amazon, Quad Graphics, Hino Motors, Diamond Electric powered, Toyota and Procter and Gamble – have decided on to locate, increase and make investments in West Virginia.
Tonight, Gov. Tomblin included one more firm to the checklist of those that have committed to West Virginia. For the duration of the tackle, Gov. Tomblin declared polymer additive producer Addivant has made a decision to remain and expand functions in Morgantown, saving almost one hundred positions and incorporating at least $twelve million in new investments and additional chances for employment.
Whilst these massive investments are a essential portion of West Virginia’s prolonged-term success, Gov. Tomblin is also fully commited to ensuring modest business proprietors have a opportunity to excel and expand. Tonight, Gov. Tomblin introduced the Self-Employment Guidance Act, developed to make it less difficult for unemployed West Virginians to get the help they need to have to open up a company. The act permits business people to keep on acquiring unemployment rewards even though establishing their new organization. This helps proprietors reinvest in their new undertaking and workers, while also delivering a continual resource of financial assist for their family members.
WORKFORCE Growth
In doing work to bring new investments and generate work, Gov. Tomblin has also produced it a prime precedence to ensure these employment are crammed by expert and nicely-trained West Virginians. With the support of his Workforce Planning Council, Gov. Tomblin has set up new workforce development plans and strengthened current initiatives to meet the wants of organization and industry running right here. The state has obtained far more than $40 million in federal grant funding to assistance Workforce West Virginia functions throughout the condition, helping coal miners, their households, and these who have exhausted their unemployment benefits discover professions in expanding industries.
By means of a collaborative partnership between organization, business, training and labor leaders, Gov. Tomblin has set up a new Regional Job Matching Databases, an on the web supply for equally educational system listings and work opportunities offered shut to people’s houses. This databases will help match students with instruction packages in crucial requirements locations and connect them with companies looking for people exact same expertise.
In addition, Gov. Tomblin also strategies to introduce legislation that will grow the West Virginia Office of Wellness and Human Resources’ (WVDHHR) Momentary Help to Want Family members (TANF) pilot software. Through a partnership with the WVDHHR and Southern West Virginia Group and Specialized University, the pilot system was created to support West Virginians presently obtaining TANF positive aspects enroll in college programs, get access to fiscal aid and perform with advisors to get started a new occupation route to help on their own and their people. With this system growth, a lot more West Virginians will receive the help and assistance they need to grow to be productive, effective members of their regional communities.
STRENGTHENING SOUTHERN WEST VIRGINIA
Gov. Tomblin has dedicated considerably of his general public service to supporting West Virginia’s coal miners and their people. In latest years, both the condition and nation have experienced unparalleled downturns in this sector, adversely affecting regional functions and devastating the lives of a lot of hardworking West Virginians.
Tonight, Gov. Tomblin highlighted ongoing endeavours to assist and bolster all these impacted by the downturn in the coal business. The condition has submitted an software to the Countrywide Disaster Resilience Competition (NDRC), looking for much more than $one hundred forty million in funding from the United States Office of Housing and Urban Advancement. This competitiveness has the potential to support Boone, Lincoln, Logan, Mingo, McDowell and Wyoming counties adjust, adapt and progress their communities. If effective, funding will be allotted to assist fix and rebuild ageing infrastructure, advertise land use planning and hazard reduction efforts and stimulate housing and economic advancement in the location.
Gov. Tomblin tonight also announced plans to create of the largest industrial internet site in West Virginia history – the former Hobet surface mine in Boone and Lincoln counties. At 12,000 acres, this home is massive enough to suit each and every main financial improvement project in recent historical past – with hundreds of acres remaining more than. The condition is functioning in partnership with nearby landowners, Marshall College, West Virginia University and the Virginia Conservation Legacy Fund to discover approaches to re-build this web site and diversify southern West Virginia’s financial system.
Vitality
In operating to make certain West Virginia’s vitality sector is strong and assorted, Gov. Tomblin has also worked difficult to assist advancement of West Virginia’s ample Marcellus, Utica and Rogersville shale formations. Tonight, Gov. Tomblin pressured the need to have to produce the processing and pipeline infrastructure required to ensure this industry’s continued progress now and for years to occur, highlighting major investment decision initiatives such as the Columbia Gasoline Mountaineer Xpress pipeline.
Gov. Tomblin also introduced that although the Office of Environmental Security proceeds to function on a feasibility examine related to the state’s Thoroughly clean Power Prepare Submission, it truly is very likely that strategy will contain things these kinds of as reforestation and replacement of boilers to enhance the efficiency of existing coal-fired electrical power programs.
TACKLING Substance ABUSE
Gov. Tomblin has produced combatting the state’s substance abuse epidemic a top precedence of his administration. As communities and families across West Virginia carry on to battle substance abuse from a amount of fronts, Gov. Tomblin has invested a considerable volume of time and funding to bolster community-dependent remedy options and programs to give people battling hope and get them on the street to recovery.
Tonight, Gov. Tomblin released legislation to help ongoing material abuse attempts. He announced new licensing needs for Suboxone and Methadone clinics, requiring medication-assisted therapy facilities to supply thorough therapies in coordination with treatment to assist to deal with the root causes guiding addictions, relatively than merely supplying a short-expression repair.
In addition, Gov. Tomblin introduced laws to grow the Opioid Antagonist Act of 2015, creating opioid antagonists, this sort of as Narcan, available to any West Virginian with no a prescription. This new laws requires pharmacists to train these who acquire this drug on how to administer opioid antagonists and aids the point out track people obtaining Narcan to assist greater emphasis condition methods in places toughest strike by opioid overdoses.
JUVENILE JUSTICE
Gov. Tomblin’s juvenile justice reforms have also manufactured a considerable influence on our state’s youth, as he has worked to improve results for individuals currently in the juvenile justice technique and provide early-intervention care to at-chance students to maintain them in the classroom and out of the courtroom. During his address, Gov. Tomblin touted the accomplishment of 2015’s Juvenile Justice Reform, especially highlighting constructive results of the truancy diversion plan.
He also announced the Division of Juvenile Companies has decreased the number of kids being sent to out-of-property placements by far more than 1-third and diminished the variety of detention beds by much more than forty p.c. So much the condition has saved $6 million, and the Division of Juvenile Companies is self-assured West Virginia can double that financial savings in coming a long time.
Schooling
Making certain college students continue to be in the classroom for a hundred and eighty days of learning is just one of Gov. Tomblin’s training priorities, as he is similarly committed to making sure West Virginia’s education method stands all set to provide learners with the extensive and productive education and learning they ought to have. In addition, they should obtain new finding out opportunities that provide the capabilities and palms-on encounter they need achieve extended-time period achievement in West Virginia.
To improve on West Virginia’s educational offerings, Gov. Tomblin has designed the Innovation in Schooling Grant Plan, which will not only offer pupils with specific capabilities and hands-on training, but will also give them the prospect to compete between their friends on a national and globe-wide scale. This new software is created to reward academics and colleges in West Virginia for innovation and creative imagination in the classroom. The reallocation of $2.eight million in present West Virginia Division of Education cash will assist new classroom choices that are created to support college students create and obtain these skills in large-need fields, this kind 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 point out is going through substantial price range issues, but continues to be fully commited to making tough selections now that will aid guarantee West Virginia has a brilliant future now and for a long time to occur.
Gov. Tomblin tonight introduced laws to spend off West Virginia’s outdated workers’ compensation financial debt far more than a ten years in advance of schedule. This also will remove extra severance taxes on coal and normal fuel industries before than expected, supplying significantly-essential relief for vitality firms struggling with minimal prices.
In helping to ensure West Virginia’s tax foundation is both steady and assorted, Gov. Tomblin tonight also proposed boosting the state’s tobacco tax by 45 cents to a overall of $1 a pack. This boost will not only support discourage West Virginians from smoking or making use of tobacco goods, it will also supply $71.five million each year to assistance well being-related costs. $forty three million of this earnings will assist fund PEIA, making certain public personnel do not see the extraordinary advantage reductions originally proposed.
Gov. Tomblin also proposed legislation to remove a sale tax exemption that will provide our state’s telecommunications tax in line with forty one other states throughout the region. This laws will location the exact same 6 % revenue tax on mobile mobile phone and phone line usage and make $sixty million each year.
With these proposed modifications, the 2017 price range Gov. Tomblin offered employs no money from the state’s Wet Working day Fund and in fact predicts surpluses beginning in 2019.
Gov. Tomblin will also introduce the following parts of legislation:
Workforce Innovation & Prospect Act (WIOA) Reporting Update
Updates current West Virginia code to mirror 2014 federal regulation for compliance and continuation of federal funding from the U.S. Division of Labor.
Authorizes info sharing by Workforce West Virginia with the condition businesses dependable for vocational rehabilitation, work and instruction to greater align the workforce system with training and economic advancement in an work to create a collective reaction to economic and labor market challenges on the countrywide, point out and local stages.
West Virginia Workforce Development Board Updates
Updates the composition of the West Virginia Workforce Investment Council and alterations its identify to the West Virginia Workforce Growth Board to comply with WIOA.
Borrowing from Wet Working day for Unemployment Payment Fund
Authorizes borrowing in volume up to $twenty five million to give additional resources for unemployment payment.
Controlled Substances Checking Plan (CSMP) Update Bill:
Demands practitioners (medical doctors, pharmacists and other individuals) to sign-up for the CSMP to acquire or renew a license.
Results in an administrative good of $1,000 for failure to sign-up for the CSMP, as nicely as an administrative good of $500 for failure to access the CSMP as essential.
Certification of Need Exemption for Out-Individual Behavioral Well being Group-Dependent Services
Exempts neighborhood-primarily based behavioral wellness treatment facilities, plans or companies from the certification of need to have approach contained in W.Va. Code sixteen-2d-1 et seq.
811 – 1 Call Method
Can make underground pipelines of four" in diameter and higher matter to "call ahead of you dig" reporting if not normally needed by state or federal law. Applies to gas, oil or any hazardous substance pipelines.
Membership in 811 needs an entity to offer mapping data indicating in which their underground pipelines are located and to answer inside the specified time periods when notified by the 811 administrator and be ready to mark its underground pipes.
fifteen Minutes Rule
Needs that drilling, production and pipeline routines are subject matter to the state’s fifteen-moment emergency notification legislation (WV Code fifteen-5B-3a (b)(1)).
Provisions utilize to unexpected emergency events that involve a demise or severe accidents, unplanned ignitions, fires or explosions and similar severe unexpected emergency occasions (verified emergencies) at drilling, production and pipeline websites.
Notification should be offered inside 15 minutes to the West Virginia Division of Homeland Protection and Emergency Administration and incorporate preliminary information with regards to the character and extent of the emergency event, any existence or non-existence of threats to general public wellness, substances included or launched and specified principal contact information.
Transportation Community Firm Monthly bill (TNC) – Uber/Lyft
Authorizes TNCs to function in West Virginia by obtaining a permit from DMV.
Requires auto insurance policy and uninsured and underinsured motorist protection.
Calls for a zero tolerance for drug and alcohol policy.
Calls for TNCs to have a nondiscrimination coverage and comply with nondiscrimination rules.
Business office of Coalfield Local community Growth Monthly bill
Carries on the Business office of Coalfield Local community Advancement in Commerce (beforehand in Division of Vitality)
Air Ambulance Bill
Provides air transportation or associated emergency or treatment method providers companies operating in West Virginia from collecting more for provider from PEIA lined folks than the presently allowable Medicare reimbursement charge.
Repeal Behavioral Wellness Severance & Privilege Tax
Gets rid of the behavioral wellness severance and privilege tax and limitations the product sales tax exemption on durable health-related items to individuals purchased for property use only.
The adjust is thought to be income neutral and will aid guarantee ongoing federal matching funds for Medicaid and Medicare.
Decrease Necessary Annual Severance Tax Deposit to Infrastructure Bond Fund
Reduces the volume of severance tax proceeds deposited into the West Virginia Infrastructure Common Obligation Financial debt Services Fund for payment of financial debt services on such bonds from $22.five million each year to an quantity equivalent to once-a-year debt support, not to exceed $22.twenty five million each year.
Personal Earnings Tax update
Updates the Private Earnings Tax code to be in compliance with federal tax rules
CNIT Update & Revised Filing Day
Updates the Company Web Cash flow Tax code to be in compliance with federal tax regulations.
Intermodal
Terminates funding of the Special Railroad and Intermodal Enhancement Fund commencing January 1, 2016. The resource of funding is corporate web earnings taxes.
Racetrack and Historic Lodge Modernization Funds Cessation
Finishes the Certified Racetrack Modernization Fund and Historic Hotel Modernization Fund and moves all money currently in this sort of resources to the Common Earnings Fund.
Cessation of Deposit into Highway Fund from Product sales Tax for FY2016
Gets rid of for fiscal calendar year 2016 the deposit of revenue tax proceeds into the State Street Fund from income of building and maintenance resources obtained by a 2nd get together for use in the design or servicing of a highway venture.
These kinds of sales tax proceeds will be deposited into the Standard Earnings Fund in lieu of the Condition Highway Fund.
State Assist Formula Alterations
Eliminates the Growth County University Amenities Act, which allowed expansion county boards of schooling to designate standard fund revenues from new construction (escalating residence taxes) for placement in a expansion county university services act fund.
Adjusts the formulation for the foundation allowance for the two professional educators and service personnel.
Adjusts and removes specific changes to the basis allowance for transportation charges (escalating bus daily life from 12 to 15 many years and mileage from a hundred and eighty,000 to 225,000 miles).
Adjusts the calculation for the basis allowance to boost educational applications.
Eliminates particular limits in the computation of the local share applicable to growth county educational institutions.
Infrastructure Fund Excess Lottery Deposit Reduction
Decreases the annual deposit of Surplus Lottery revenues to the Infrastructure Fund from $40 million to $30 million for fiscal 12 months 2017.
Increases the share of cash that may be disbursed from the Infrastructure Fund in the form of grants from twenty% to fifty% for fiscal yr 2017.
SBA Deposit Reduction
Decreases for fiscal 12 months 2017 the once-a-year deposit of product sales tax proceeds into the Faculty Developing Authority’s School Significant Improvement Fund from $5 million to $four million (was lowered for FY16 to $three million).
Decreases for fiscal yr 2017 the Faculty Building Authority’s School Design Fund from $27,216,996 to $24,216,996 (was decreased for FY16 to $21,216,996).
Images obtainable for media use. All pictures should be attributed “Photo courtesy of Office of the Governor.”
By Governor Earl Ray Tomblin on 2016-01-thirteen 19:08:21