A field of business and industry experts spoke briefly about proposed legislation and its impact on West Virginia at the annual West Virginia Press Association’s Legislative Breakfast on Thursday at the Town Center Marriott in Charleston.
Members of the business, labor and industry panel included Chris Hamilton, chairman of the West Virginia Business & Industry Council and Senior Vice President of WV Coal Association; Steve White, director of West Virginia State Building & Construction Trades Council; Corky DeMarco, chairman of West Virginia Oil and Natural Gas Association; Gaylene Miller, state director of AARP WV.
Hamilton said the West Virginia Business & Industry Council is worried about coal mining and the jobs and economic impact it provides West Virginia citizens.
“How the state lawmakers and leaders respond to Washington, D.C.’s attack on coal and the overreach of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and all these new rules and regulations will have a direct impact on coal mining jobs and how much every West Virginian will pay on their electric bills,” Hamilton said. “We are happy to see this new Legislature addressing those issues and giving us a voice in Charleston.”
White said the Affiliated Construction Trades speaks for hundreds of contractors across the state and their main concern is the prevailing wage. “We need to base discussions and debate on prevailing wage on facts, not theories,” White said. “Proponents claim wages are too high, but lower wages is not something I think we want.” White said the prevailing wage law’s intention was passed decades ago to level the playing field on public works projects, like new public schools. “As an example, in West Virginia with the prevailing wage, studies show the cost per square foot is cheaper than in states like North Carolina and Virginia, which do not have prevailing wage laws,” he said. “Lower wages isn’t saving taxpayers’ money.” White admitted there could be improvements made to the law, but it would take compromise. “In the private sector, companies get projects based on reputation and past history,” he said. “But in the public sector the lowest bidder gets the project. This means folks from far away from West Virginia will come here and under-cut our local contractors with local workers. Therefore, we need to make our laws based on factual data. The studies show projected losses to the state without prevailing wage and no savings.”
DeMarco with the WV Oil & Natural Gas Association says he wants legislation to add more certainty to his industry. “We’re interested in things that are impediments to our industry,” he said. “Things like track leasing, old leases and unknown errors are some things, as well as fair pooling, lease integration and cleaning up above ground storage legislation that doesn’t block our industry.” DeMarco said a bill involving coal bed methane gas took away an exemption, which led to venting of methane gas into the atmosphere. “We need an economical solution to reduce methane emissions, not something that will devastate our industry.”
Miller said the AARP WV has 300,000 members in West Virginia. They represent West Virginia citizens age 50 and above. “This is one in six of West Virginia residents,” she said.
Miller said they are concerned with supporting family caregivers. “A vast majority of people want to remain in their homes when they get older,” she said. “The Care Act allows for a senior citizen to designate a lay caregiver for at home care when discharged from the hospital. We are working with the hospital association on this issue.” She said an aged and disabled waiver is also good for respite care in home. “The AD waiver is good public policy and make fiscal sense as well,” Miller said. “It also saves West Virginia money and resources.” Miller added that only 50 percent of workers in West Virginia save for retirement, which is also a concern. “We know that 90 percent of West Virginia senior citizens rely on Social Security for over half of their income,” she said. “We want some common sense solutions to enhancing retirement security.”