This is the most important e-mail you will receive this year regarding keeping our young talented professionals in West Virginia.

On Friday, the Charleston Regional Chamber of Commerce backed Brains for Business bill (HB 4475) was defeated in the Senate Economic Development Committee.

This legislation would provide modest tax credits to state residents 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.

For the past three years, “Brains for Business” has received strong support in the state Senate, which makes the recent news of its defeat all the more unsettling.

We need your help to encourage these senators to take action and reconsider their vote against “Brains for Business.” If one of these senators changes their mind, then the legislation could be reconsidered at the next Senate Economic Development Committee on Tuesday, March 6.

Please sign and send this letter below and let these senators know that you want “Brains for Business” saved.

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Dear Senator (Insert Name Here):

It is my understanding you opposed the passage of legislation, commonly known as the Brains for Business bill (HB 4475), in the Senate Economic Development Committee on March 2, 2012.

Please take action to bring this bill up for reconsideration as soon as possible in the Senate Economic Development Committee.

Senator, this bill is aimed at attracting and retaining young professionals; but it doesn’t stop there!  The modest tax credit within the bill will:

• ease the burden of the  overwhelming student loan debt plaguing our young professionals as they enter the workforce
• provide leverage for higher education institutions to recruit new students
• give an edge to our border county businesses competing for workforce just across the state line
• provide inspiration for the some 175,000 people in WV who have “some higher education,” but have not yet completed their degree
• secure the state’s return on investment by providing Promise Scholarship recipients with an incentive to stay in WV
• enhance WV businesses ability to recruit new workforce talent

If the fiscal note is the sticking point, then let’s explore lowering the credit to $1,200 or even $1,000 per year?  Senator, we need your leadership NOW!

The Senate passed this bill each of the last three years. While we want our legislature to practice fiscal prudence, the legislature is also responsible for investing in our future.

Together, let’s tackle the challenge of attracting and keeping our intellectual capital. Let’s build a better WV now. Help us pass this legislation by calling for reconsideration at the next Economic Development Committee.

Sincerely,

(Your Name Here)

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Copy and paste this into an e-mail or sign it and fax it to the following senators:

Senator Herb Snyder
Capitol Phone: (304) 357-7957
FAX: 304-357-4496
E-mail: herb.snyder@wvsenate.gov

Senator Dave Sypolt
Capitol Phone: (304) 357-7914
Capitol FAX: 304-357-4489
E-mail: davesypolt@wvsenate.com

Please help us invest in the future. Let these individuals know that West Virginia needs “Brains for Business” passed in the state Senate.