It’s crunch time for legislation supported by the Charleston Regional Chamber of Commerce in the final days of the regular session.

On Tuesday, the “Brains for Business” bill was reconsidered and approved unanimously by the Senate Economic Development Committee. The legislation (HB 4475) would provide modest tax credits to any state resident for the two years after receiving an associate, bachelor’s or advanced degree from an accredited institution in certain areas of study, including science, technology, math, engineering, education and nursing.

The bill is now headed to the Senate Finance Committee. The Charleston Chamber urges you to contact the committee members and let them know what “Brains for Business” will mean for the future of West Virginia

A full list of committee members and their contact information is available HERE.

If approved, the bill will head to the full Senate for final passage. We encourage our constituents to let their senators know that they support the “Brains for Business.”

The Charleston Chamber is also keeping an close watch on legislation that would authorize the sale and transfer of natural gas vehicle (NGV) tax credits.

The Chamber believes the proposed legislation, SB 624, will advance new infrastructure for natural gas vehicles and allow local, county and state government to save taxpayer dollars by converting their vehicle fleets to cleaner burning natural gas.

With the recent Marcellus and Utica Shale gas discoveries, natural gas has become important commodity in West Virginia. As a result, natural gas could be utilized as a cleaner, alternative fuel.

Currently, the bill set to go before the House Finance Committee. The Chamber believes this bill is essential to achieving the goals or creating new jobs and saving the taxpayers money. If you agree, call your legislator now and ask them to support and pass the bill in its current form.

A full list of the House Finance Committee members and their contact information is available HERE.

The Charleston Chamber will continue to work with our legislative leaders on policies that will support job creation and build stronger communities in coming days, and keep members informed of critical issues that will impact our future.