"The mission of the Beckley-Raleigh County Chamber of Commerce is to build a vibrant community through programs of advocacy, public awareness and policy development"

The BRCCC Governmental Affairs Committee will continually update this section with information on local and state government.

The Key Objectives of the Governmental Affairs Committee are to communicate to elected officials our positions on legislative issues; offer assistance in monitoring good business legislation; to generally be the liaison between government and the business community in matter where governmental decisions affect business in our region, state and nation.

BRCCC Legislative Positions 2010

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Civil Justice Reform 
The Chamber supports civil justice reform that will restore balance and fairness to all citizens of our State, and which will create a business climate needed to attract new business venture capital and to support existing businesses.  The Chamber supports the following issues as essential to the process for civil justice reform and which will require legislative action:

Comparative Fault – liability limited by the degree of fault as determined by the jury

Collateral Source – consideration given to all non-family sources of compensation to cover costs

Punitive Damage Distribution and Caps – reasonable limits to punish wrong-doing

“Other” Non-Economic Damages – a uniform standard for non-economic awards

Statue of Repose – eighteen-year period of liability

Medical Monitoring – reverse the State Supreme Court decision on liability where no injury has been suffered

This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of reforms but rather reflects concepts that have been enacted in many states – concepts that have had a significant impact on improving the business climate for employers and their employees.   

Cost of Public Project Funding

The method of calculating prevailing wage in West Virginia imposes artificially inflated employee compensation rates on publicly funding programs and construction projects.  This calculation method set wages above market rates and substantially increases costs.  The legislature needs to pass a resolution to examine how prevailing wages are calculated and determine if it reflects the median wage actually earned by workers in a given region of the state.

Education 

The Chamber supports legislation and/or funding of educational programs that address preparedness of traditional and non-traditional students for the job market. Further, the Chamber supports increased funding for the Promise Scholarship with the additional monies funding scholarships for students entering post secondary vocational or technical training institutions. Further, the Chamber supports amending State Law 18-5-45 to require local school systems to provide a minimum of 180 days of instruction by using all non-instructional days, excluding legal holidays, of the 200 day employment calendar for instructional days until 180 days are provided.

Energy and the Environment

Raleigh, Fayette, Nicholas, Wyoming, Logan, McDowell, Mingo and Boone Counties provide more than sixty percent of the coal mining jobs and produce more than sixty percent of the coal severance taxes for West Virginia.  Each year these counties contribute nearly two hundred million dollars to the State budget by way of coal severance taxes.  The Chamber supports the investment of these tax revenues back into the infrastructure of Southern West Virginia to create complimentary and replacement employment opportunities for the good people of Southern West Virginia.  The Chamber also supports streamlining the permitting process for the natural resource production industries and the responsible enforcement of existing laws, rules, and regulations relative thereto.  The chamber also supports communication with our Congressional Delegation by our elected state officials that opposes the passage of energy legislation that does not adequately protect the ability to mine and affordably market West Virginia coal.

Health & Wellness

The Chamber believes the State should provide additional general revenue to the Medicaid program in order to take full advantage of federal matching funds and reduce the cost shift that is negatively affecting the availability of private health insurance for businesses and their employees.  Further, the Chamber believes that legislation needs to be implemented similar to those adopted by other states that permit state tax credits or deductions for health insurance premiums paid by any taxpayer whether the insurance is provided by an employer or an individual.  The chamber is opposed to any federal or state legislation that increases the cost of providing employer based health insurance to working West Virginians.

Highway Infrastructure

Non-Partisan Judicial Elections or Merit Selections
West Virginia is one of seven states that use partisan politics to elect justices and judges.  The Chamber supports non-partisan elections, which the West Virginia Constitution already permits, to guarantee an independent judiciary system.

Public Employees Collective Bargaining

The Chamber strongly opposes any legislation that mandates taxpayer-funded entities to enter into collective bargaining agreements where wages, hours and working conditions are discussed.

Regional Jail Costs
Raleigh County, like other West Virginia counties, continues to face financial challenges due to rising regional jail costs. The Chamber believes the public safety can be maintained while reducing incarceration rates by supplying more state funding for day reporting centers, developing alternative sentencing options for non-violent offenders and by providing additional funding for community care services to the mentally ill and those with substance abuse problems.

Tax Reform

Economic and fiscal conditions change, and that is as true for West Virginia as anywhere. The current instability in the national economy – particularly in the chaotic oil markets – will no doubt have a deleterious effect upon the state’s ability to sustain its positive fiscal condition. However, this is no reason to panic and backtrack on the recent advancements made in improving the business climate through more rational and reasonable tax burdens and policies. The 2008 CNIT rate reduction phase-in contains stopgap provisions delaying reductions should state revenue collections fall short of prescribed requirements. The Chamber urges policymakers to let the recent business tax reductions go forward and show the business community that the state is serious about economic advancement.

Water Use 

The Chamber supports West Virginia maintaining control of the water resources within its borders while urging caution and restraint on the regulation of water usage.

How BRCCC can help you reach your legislative representatives:

Make Correspondence Easy – Keep legislative contact information on hand at work.  Enter phone, fax and email contact information in an easy-to-activate database.  A brief letter to your representative with your concerns can have influence.

Use BRCCC as a Megaphone – BRCCC is the region’s strongest business voice, representing over 700 member businesses which can quickly draw the attention of legislators and other elected officials.

Use Your Member Influence – BRCCC functions provide a forum in which you may discuss public policy with the most influential members of our society.  This is a good way to express your opinion and educate others.  Reporters routinely contact the Chamber to discuss public policy issues.

Call to Action – Our strongest means of communication is the “Call to Action.”  During such a call, members immediately begin to contact representatives to express their opinions on a particular issue.

BRCCC publishes an Annual Guide of its Legislative Positions & Representative Contacts.  For a copy of the Guide contact BRCCC.


CONTACT INFO FOR OUR LOCAL LEGISLATIVE REPRESENTATIVES

WEST VIRGINIA GOVERNOR

Joe Manchin, III

Office of the Governor

1900 Kanawha Blvd. East

State Capital Building 1

Charleston, WV 25305

304-558-2000

888-438-2731

304-342-7025 fax

www.wvgov.org

governor@wvgov.org

U.S. SENATORS

Robert C. Byrd

U.S. Senator Robert C. Byrd

311 Hart Senate Office Building

Washington, DC 20510

202-224-3954 Washington, DC

202-228-0002 fax DC
www.byrd.senate.gov                                     

senator_byrd@byrd.senate.gov

U.S. Senator Robert C. Byrd

300 Virginia Street, East, Suite 2630

Charleston, WV 25301-2523

304-342-5855 Charleston, WV

304-343-7144 fax WV

John D. Rockefeller IV

U.S. Senator John D. Rockefeller IV

531 Hart Senate Office Building

Washington, DC 20510                                         

202-224-6472 Washington, DC

202-224-7665 fax DC

senator@rockefeller.senate.gov

U.S. Senator John D. Rockefeller IV

405 Capital Street, Suite 308

Charleston, WV 25301

304-347-5372 Charleston, WV

304-347-5371 fax Charleston WV

U.S. Senator John D. Rockefeller IV

220 North Kanawha Street, Suite 1

Beckley, WV 25801

304-253-9704 Beckley, WV

304-253-2578 fax Beckley WV

U.S. HOUSE REPRESENTATIVES

Nick Joe Rahall II

Nick Joe Rahall II

U.S. House of Representatives

2307 Rayburn House Office Building

Washington, DC 20515-4803

202-225-3452 Washington DC

202-225-9061 fax DC

nrahall@mail.house.gov

Nick Joe Rahall II

U.S. House of Representatives

301 Prince Street

Beckley, WV 25801

304-252-5000 Beckley WV

304-252-9803 fax WV

WEST VIRGINIA SENATORS-DIST. 9

Mike Green                                                               

Senator Mike Green

West Virginia State Senate

Building One, State Capitol Complex

Charleston, WV 25305                                        

304-357-7831

mkgreen@mail.wvnet.edu
 

Senator Mike Green

PO Box 274

Daniels, WV 25832

304-763-3365

Richard Browning

Senator Richard Browning
West Virginia State Senate
Building One, State Capitol Complex
1900 Kanawha Blvd. East
Charleston, WV  25305
304-357-7807
richardbrowning@verizon.net 

Senator Richard Browning
PO Box 1837
Pineville, WV  24874
304-732-6707
304-732-6963 fax
 

WEST VIRGINIA HOUSE OF DELEGATES-DIST.27

Linda Sumner

Delegate Linda Sumner

West Virginia House of Delegates

1900 Kanawha Blvd., East, Room 150-R

Charleston, WV 25305

304-340-3180

304-340-3305 fax
lsumner@mail.wvnet.edu

Delegate Linda Sumner

West Virginia House of Delegates

155 Oak Run

Beckley, WV 25801

304-256-4586

Virginia Mahan

Delegate Virginia Mahan

West Virginia House of Delegates

1900 Kanawha Blvd., East

Charleston, WV 25305
304-340-3102
vmahan@mail.wvnet.edu

Delegate Virginia Mahan

West Virginia House of Delegates

Post Office Box 1114

Green Sulphur Springs, WV 25966

304-466-4980

304-466-4980 fax

Rick Moye

Delegate Rick Moye     

West Virginia House of Delegates

Building One, State Capitol Complex

Charleston, WV  25305

304-340-3162

304-3403377
rmoye@mail.wvnet.edu

Delegate Ricky Moye

125 Waterbug Lane

Crab Orchard, WV  25827

304-255-1185

304-255-2932

304-255-5041 fax
 

RALEIGH COUNTY COMMISSION

116 ½ N. Heber St.

Beckley, WV 25801

304-255-9146

304-255-9166 fax

Pat Reed, Commissioner       

preed@raleighcounty.com

John Aliff, Commissioner

jaliff@raleighcounty.com

John Humphrey, Commissioner

jhumphrey@raleighcounty.com

MAYOR OF BECKLEY

Emmett S. Pugh III

Honorable Emmett S. Pugh III, Mayor

Post Office Box 2514

Beckley, WV 25802-2514  

304-256-1750

304-256-1816 fax

bkw@cwv.net

hzhnr@beckley.org

RALEIGH COUNTY SHERIFF

Steve Tanner, Sheriff
Raleigh County Sheriff Office
215 Main Street
Beckley, WV 25801
304-255-9300

For complete WV Legislature infomation click on West Virginia Legislature