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GOVERNOR TOMBLIN Provides Condition OF THE State Deal with
Address highlights leading priorities and key pieces of laws
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (January thirteen, 2016) – Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin nowadays sent the 2016 State of the Condition Deal with in the Property Chamber at the Condition Capitol Intricate.
Gov. Tomblin’s remarks included an overview of new packages and initiatives relevant to his top priorities as governor, as well as a amount of new items of laws he programs to introduce throughout the 2016 Legislative Session.
Because turning into governor in November 2010, Gov. Tomblin has targeted on concerns this sort of as workforce growth, combatting material abuse, accountable fiscal procedures and occupation creation. Subsequent are highlights from the State of the Point out speech and other legislative initiatives of Gov. Tomblin.
Economic Improvement
Gov. Tomblin has labored to create a constructive business climate now and for a long time to appear, and he continues to be fully commited to operating with business and industry leaders from a variety of industries to create new investments and bring work to West Virginia. Firms from across the country and about the entire world are noticing the changes the state has produced, and nationally and internationally recognized businesses – which includes Macy’s Amazon, Quad Graphics, Hino Motors, Diamond Electric powered, Toyota and Procter and Gamble – have picked to track down, increase and make investments in West Virginia.
Tonight, Gov. Tomblin added one more organization to the listing of people that have dedicated to West Virginia. During the deal with, Gov. Tomblin announced polymer additive producer Addivant has made the decision to stay and broaden functions in Morgantown, preserving virtually 100 work and including at minimum $twelve million in new investments and additional opportunities for employment.
Although these huge investments are a important part of West Virginia’s lengthy-phrase accomplishment, Gov. Tomblin is also fully commited to making sure modest company homeowners have a possibility to excel and increase. Tonight, Gov. Tomblin launched the Self-Work Help Act, created to make it simpler for unemployed West Virginians to get the aid they need to open a company. The act permits business people to keep on acquiring unemployment advantages even though creating their new enterprise. This aids homeowners reinvest in their new venture and staff, even though also delivering a steady resource of financial assist for their households.
WORKFORCE Growth
In doing work to carry new investments and develop employment, Gov. Tomblin has also made it a prime priority to guarantee these work are filled by competent and properly-trained West Virginians. With the help of his Workforce Preparing Council, Gov. Tomblin has proven new workforce growth packages and strengthened existing initiatives to meet up with the wants of company and sector working listed here. The state has gained much more than $40 million in federal grant funding to assist Workforce West Virginia functions across the state, supporting coal miners, their families, and individuals who have exhausted their unemployment advantages locate occupations in increasing industries.
Via a collaborative partnership between company, industry, schooling and labor leaders, Gov. Tomblin has set up a new Regional Work Matching Database, an on-line resource for both instructional software listings and employment chances offered close to people’s properties. This database will assist match learners with education plans in vital needs places and join them with businesses in search of those same abilities.
In addition, Gov. Tomblin also programs to introduce laws that will grow the West Virginia Department of Overall health and Human Resources’ (WVDHHR) Temporary Support to Need Households (TANF) pilot program. By way of a partnership with the WVDHHR and Southern West Virginia Local community and Technical School, the pilot system was made to help West Virginians presently receiving TANF advantages enroll in college classes, get accessibility to financial aid and perform with advisors to begin a new career path to assist themselves and their families. With this system growth, a lot more West Virginians will obtain the support and help they require to become successful, effective associates of their regional communities.
STRENGTHENING SOUTHERN WEST VIRGINIA
Gov. Tomblin has dedicated much of his community services to supporting West Virginia’s coal miners and their families. In modern many years, each the state and nation have seasoned unprecedented downturns in this business, adversely influencing local operations and devastating the life of several hardworking West Virginians.
Tonight, Gov. Tomblin highlighted ongoing attempts to support and improve all individuals impacted by the downturn in the coal industry. The point out has submitted an application to the National Catastrophe Resilience Competitiveness (NDRC), searching for far more than $one hundred forty million in funding from the United States Department of Housing and City Advancement. This competitiveness has the possible to assist Boone, Lincoln, Logan, Mingo, McDowell and Wyoming counties modify, adapt and progress their communities. If profitable, funding will be allotted to assist mend and rebuild getting older infrastructure, advertise land use planning and hazard reduction initiatives and stimulate housing and financial improvement in the location.
Gov. Tomblin tonight also announced strategies to create of the greatest industrial internet site in West Virginia heritage – the previous Hobet floor mine in Boone and Lincoln counties. At 12,000 acres, this house is massive sufficient to suit each major economic advancement venture in latest historical past – with 1000’s of acres still left above. The state is working in partnership with local landowners, Marshall University, West Virginia University and the Virginia Conservation Legacy Fund to uncover approaches to re-build this site and diversify southern West Virginia’s economic climate.
Strength
In functioning to ensure West Virginia’s strength sector is powerful and assorted, Gov. Tomblin has also labored challenging to help advancement of West Virginia’s plentiful Marcellus, Utica and Rogersville shale formations. Tonight, Gov. Tomblin stressed the need to have to produce the processing and pipeline infrastructure essential to make sure this industry’s ongoing growth now and for several years to come, highlighting key investment tasks this sort of as the Columbia Gasoline Mountaineer Xpress pipeline.
Gov. Tomblin also announced that whilst the Division of Environmental Safety carries on to function on a feasibility study related to the state’s Clean Electricity Program Submission, it truly is very likely that prepare will contain items this sort of as reforestation and replacement of boilers to increase the efficiency of current coal-fired power strategies.
TACKLING Compound ABUSE
Gov. Tomblin has made combatting the state’s substance abuse epidemic a leading priority of his administration. As communities and people across West Virginia keep on to struggle substance abuse from a variety of fronts, Gov. Tomblin has invested a significant quantity of time and funding to reinforce group-based mostly remedy alternatives and applications to give those struggling hope and get them on the road to recovery.
Tonight, Gov. Tomblin launched legislation to support ongoing substance abuse endeavours. He introduced new licensing requirements for Suboxone and Methadone clinics, requiring medication-assisted treatment facilities to give complete therapies in coordination with treatment to support to handle the root leads to driving addictions, relatively than merely providing a brief-time period fix.
In addition, Gov. Tomblin launched laws to broaden the Opioid Antagonist Act of 2015, creating opioid antagonists, these kinds of as Narcan, obtainable to any West Virginian with no a prescription. This new laws calls for pharmacists to practice those who obtain this drug on how to administer opioid antagonists and will help the state keep track of these acquiring Narcan to assist better target state resources in regions hardest hit by opioid overdoses.
JUVENILE JUSTICE
Gov. Tomblin’s juvenile justice reforms have also produced a significant affect on our state’s youth, as he has worked to increase results for these at the moment in the juvenile justice technique and offer early-intervention care to at-chance students to hold them in the classroom and out of the courtroom. Throughout his handle, Gov. Tomblin touted the achievement of 2015’s Juvenile Justice Reform, specifically highlighting optimistic final results of the truancy diversion program.
He also announced the Division of Juvenile Solutions has decreased the amount of youngsters getting despatched to out-of-home placements by more than one particular-third and diminished the quantity of detention beds by much more than forty per cent. So significantly the point out has saved $six million, and the Division of Juvenile Solutions is self-confident West Virginia can double that cost savings in coming many years.
Education and learning
Guaranteeing learners stay in the classroom for one hundred eighty times of studying is just one particular of Gov. Tomblin’s schooling priorities, as he is equally dedicated to guaranteeing West Virginia’s education technique stands completely ready to supply college students with the comprehensive and effective schooling they ought to have. In addition, they must receive new studying chances that provide the skills and palms-on encounter they need accomplish long-phrase achievement in West Virginia.
To increase on West Virginia’s academic choices, Gov. Tomblin has designed the Innovation in Education and learning Grant Software, which will not only provide learners with unique capabilities and fingers-on instruction, but will also give them the chance to compete amongst their peers on a countrywide and globe-vast scale. This new program is made to reward teachers and colleges in West Virginia for innovation and creativeness in the classroom. The reallocation of $two.8 million in present West Virginia Office of Schooling cash will assist new classroom choices that are made to support pupils produce and obtain these skills in substantial-demand from customers fields, this kind of as science, technologies, engineering, math and entrepreneurship.
FISCAL Accountability
All through his administration, Gov. Tomblin has made positive to enact and uphold fiscally accountable insurance policies. He understands the state is experiencing important budget challenges, but continues to be dedicated to generating challenging alternatives now that will help guarantee West Virginia has a vibrant future now and for years to arrive.
Gov. Tomblin tonight released legislation to shell out off West Virginia’s outdated workers’ compensation credit card debt a lot more than a 10 years forward of routine. This also will get rid of further severance taxes on coal and organic gas industries earlier than anticipated, offering considerably-essential relief for power organizations battling with low charges.
In supporting to make certain West Virginia’s tax foundation is both secure and diverse, Gov. Tomblin tonight also proposed elevating the state’s tobacco tax by 45 cents to a overall of $1 a pack. This increase will not only help discourage West Virginians from cigarette smoking or employing tobacco goods, it will also supply $71.5 million yearly to assistance overall health-connected fees. $forty three million of this earnings will aid fund PEIA, making sure community workers do not see the extraordinary reward reductions initially proposed.
Gov. Tomblin also proposed legislation to eliminate a sale tax exemption that will bring our state’s telecommunications tax in line with 41 other states across the region. This legislation will place the identical six p.c income tax on cell telephone and cellphone line usage and make $60 million each year.
With these proposed changes, the 2017 spending budget Gov. Tomblin introduced makes use of no cash from the state’s Rainy Working day Fund and in simple fact predicts surpluses beginning in 2019.
Gov. Tomblin will also introduce the pursuing parts of legislation:
Workforce Innovation & Opportunity Act (WIOA) Reporting Update
Updates present West Virginia code to replicate 2014 federal legislation for compliance and continuation of federal funding from the U.S. Section of Labor.
Authorizes information sharing by Workforce West Virginia with the state companies dependable for vocational rehabilitation, work and coaching to better align the workforce system with education and learning and financial development in an effort to generate a collective reaction to economic and labor market challenges on the national, condition and regional stages.
West Virginia Workforce Growth Board Updates
Updates the composition of the West Virginia Workforce Expenditure Council and modifications its title to the West Virginia Workforce Advancement Board to comply with WIOA.
Borrowing from Wet Day for Unemployment Payment Fund
Authorizes borrowing in volume up to $twenty five million to offer extra resources for unemployment payment.
Managed Substances Monitoring Program (CSMP) Update Invoice:
Demands practitioners (physicians, pharmacists and other folks) to register for the CSMP to acquire or renew a license.
Creates an administrative wonderful of $one,000 for failure to sign-up for the CSMP, as properly as an administrative fine of $500 for failure to access the CSMP as necessary.
Certification of Require Exemption for Out-Affected person Behavioral Well being Group-Based Solutions
Exempts community-based behavioral well being treatment services, programs or providers from the certification of need process contained in W.Va. Code sixteen-Second-1 et seq.
811 – One Get in touch with Program
Makes underground pipelines of 4" in diameter and greater matter to "call just before you dig" reporting if not normally needed by condition or federal law. Applies to gas, oil or any dangerous compound pipelines.
Membership in 811 needs an entity to offer mapping info indicating where their underground pipelines are found and to respond within the specified time durations when notified by the 811 administrator and be in a position to mark its underground pipes.
15 Minutes Rule
Demands that drilling, generation and pipeline actions are matter to the state’s 15-minute emergency notification legislation (WV Code 15-5B-3a (b)(1)).
Provisions utilize to unexpected emergency events that entail a dying or serious accidents, unplanned ignitions, fires or explosions and comparable severe unexpected emergency functions (confirmed emergencies) at drilling, generation and pipeline websites.
Notification must be presented in 15 minutes to the West Virginia Division of Homeland Safety and Emergency Management and incorporate preliminary data relating to the mother nature and extent of the unexpected emergency event, any existence or non-existence of threats to community health, substances concerned or unveiled and selected principal speak to details.
Transportation Network Business Bill (TNC) – Uber/Lyft
Authorizes TNCs to run in West Virginia by obtaining a permit from DMV.
Demands vehicle insurance policy and uninsured and underinsured motorist protection.
Requires a zero tolerance for drug and alcoholic beverages plan.
Calls for TNCs to have a nondiscrimination plan and comply with nondiscrimination laws.
Workplace of Coalfield Neighborhood Improvement Bill
Carries on the Workplace of Coalfield Local community Improvement in Commerce (earlier in Division of Vitality)
Air Ambulance Invoice
Offers air transportation or relevant emergency or treatment method solutions vendors functioning in West Virginia from gathering far more for services from PEIA covered folks than the currently allowable Medicare reimbursement price.
Repeal Behavioral Health Severance & Privilege Tax
Eradicates the behavioral overall health severance and privilege tax and limitations the product sales tax exemption on resilient health care goods to individuals acquired for residence use only.
The alter is considered to be earnings neutral and will help make sure ongoing federal matching money for Medicaid and Medicare.
Reduce Essential Annual Severance Tax Deposit to Infrastructure Bond Fund
Decreases the volume of severance tax proceeds deposited into the West Virginia Infrastructure Common Obligation Debt Services Fund for payment of personal debt service on this sort of bonds from $22.5 million every year to an sum equivalent to yearly financial debt support, not to exceed $22.25 million each year.
Private Revenue Tax update
Updates the Individual Earnings Tax code to be in compliance with federal tax rules
CNIT Update & Revised Submitting Day
Updates the Corporate Internet Income Tax code to be in compliance with federal tax regulations.
Intermodal
Terminates funding of the Particular Railroad and Intermodal Enhancement Fund starting January 1, 2016. The resource of funding is corporate internet income taxes.
Racetrack and Historic Lodge Modernization Cash Cessation
Finishes the Certified Racetrack Modernization Fund and Historic Lodge Modernization Fund and moves all resources presently in such money to the Basic Profits Fund.
Cessation of Deposit into Street Fund from Product sales Tax for FY2016
Gets rid of for fiscal year 2016 the deposit of sales tax proceeds into the Condition Street Fund from income of construction and maintenance supplies acquired by a next party for use in the construction or maintenance of a highway venture.
This sort of product sales tax proceeds will be deposited into the Basic Earnings Fund in lieu of the Point out Street Fund.
Point out Aid Formula Changes
Removes the Expansion County School Facilities Act, which allowed expansion county boards of education and learning to designate general fund revenues from new development (increasing residence taxes) for placement in a progress county college amenities act fund.
Adjusts the formulation for the basis allowance for both skilled educators and support personnel.
Adjusts and gets rid of specific changes to the basis allowance for transportation expenses (rising bus daily life from twelve to 15 a long time and mileage from one hundred eighty,000 to 225,000 miles).
Adjusts the calculation for the foundation allowance to increase tutorial applications.
Eradicates particular restrictions in the computation of the regional share applicable to expansion county faculties.
Infrastructure Fund Extra Lottery Deposit Reduction
Decreases the annual deposit of Extra Lottery revenues to the Infrastructure Fund from $40 million to $thirty million for fiscal 12 months 2017.
Boosts the percentage of money that could be disbursed from the Infrastructure Fund in the sort of grants from twenty% to fifty% for fiscal calendar year 2017.
SBA Deposit Reduction
Decreases for fiscal yr 2017 the once-a-year deposit of product sales tax proceeds into the Faculty Creating Authority’s School Significant Improvement Fund from $5 million to $four million (was reduced for FY16 to $3 million).
Decreases for fiscal year 2017 the Faculty Constructing Authority’s School Design Fund from $27,216,996 to $24,216,996 (was diminished for FY16 to $21,216,996).
Photos available for media use. All pictures should be attributed “Photo courtesy of Workplace of the Governor.”
By Governor Earl Ray Tomblin on 2016-01-thirteen 19:fifteen:01