You did it!

This morning, the Charleston Regional Chamber of Commerce- backed “Brains for Business” bill was reconsidered and approved unanimously by the Senate Economic Development Committee. We thank the members of the committee for their support of this important public policy initiative.

The Charleston Chamber also salutes the countless business leaders and young professionals who contacted  committee members and expressed their strong support for the legislation. A big hurdle has been cleared, but there is still much work to do.

The legislation is now on its way to the Senate Finance Committee. We need your CONTINUED support to ensure “Brains for Business” moves forward into law.

The bill (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.

If passed, the bill would: • Ease the burden of the  overwhelming student loan debt plaguing our young professionals as they enter the workforce • Provide inspiration for the thousands of people in West Virginia who have “some higher education,” but have not yet completed their degree • Give West Virginia businesses a new tool to recruit top talent      • Encourage those that have a degree to seek an advanced degree by using the credit • Help employers in our border counties be more competitive with businesses located across the state line We urge you to contact Senate Finance Committee members and ask them to support “Brains for Business.” Let them know what this bill means for the future of West Virginia.

Below is contact info for the Senate Finance Committee members:

Senator Donna J. Boley Capitol Phone: (304) 357-7905 donnaboley@suddenlink.net

Senator H. Truman Chafin Capitol Phone: (304) 357-7808 truman.chafin@wvsenate.gov

Senator Larry J. Edgell Capitol Phone: (304) 357-7827 larry.edgell@wvsenate.gov

Senator Douglas E. Facemire Capitol Phone: (304) 357-7845 douglas.facemire@wvsenate.gov

Senator Mike Green Capitol Phone: (304) 357-7831 mike.green@wvsenate.gov

Senator Mike Hall Capitol Phone: (304) 357-7901 mike.hall@wvsenate.gov

Senator Walt Helmick Capitol Phone: (304) 357-7980 walt.helmick@wvsenate.gov

Senator William R. Laird IV Capitol Phone: (304) 357-7849 william.laird@wvsenate.gov

Senator Brooks McCabe Capitol Phone: (304) 357-7990 brooks.mccabe@wvsenate.gov

Senator Ronald F. Miller Capitol Phone: (304) 357-7959 ronald.miller@wvsenate.gov

Senator Robert H. Plymale Capitol Phone: (304) 357-7937 robert.plymale@wvsenate.gov

Senator Roman Prezioso Capitol Phone: (304) 357-7961 roman.prezioso@wvsenate.gov

Senator Ron Stollings Capitol Phone: (304) 357-7939 ron.stollings@frontier.com

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

Senator John R. Unger II Capitol Phone: (304) 357-7933 john.unger@wvsenate.gov

Senator Erik Wells Capitol Phone: (304) 357-7841 erik.wells@wvsenate.gov

Senator Jack Yost Capitol Phone: (304) 357-7984 jack.yost@wvsenate.gov

*** Together, let’s tackle the challenge of attracting and keeping our intellectual capital. Let’s build a better West Virginia now!