Maintain Constructive Reforms
We applaud Governor Manchin and the legislature for their previous actions and want to stress that we maintain the reforms on these measures: 
Workers' Compensation
Insurance
Tax

Bottle Bill
We oppose this legislation.  Forced deposits do little to help the environment and essentially impose a hidden, regressive tax on consumers.  Forced deposits are costly to operate and administer and introduce a significant health and safety risk.  OMEGA believes that comprehensive recycling programs are better investments and comprehensive litter control outperforms forced deposits.

Fair Competition & Border Stability
OMEGA is comprised of hometown employers and entrepreneurs contributing to our communities.  We believe that advantages should not be given to large out-of-state companies or that our surrounding states should have advantages over us.  We continue to seek an even playing field to conduct business.  Differences in excise tax rates across jurisdictions create incentives for consumers to cross the border and purchase in lower tax jurisdictions.  There are certain commodities that consumers shop price for and among these are gasoline, cigarettes, soft drinks and beer.  It is estimated that fifty percent of West Virginia residents live near a border, therefore being competitive on those borders is important to West Virginia retailers.  We know that when consumers go across the border for these items that they make other purchases. 

Governmental/Regulatory Cooperation 
OMEGA members provide both employment and valuable services to West Virginia. OMEGA members interact with numerous governmental and regulatory agencies on a daily basis.  We desire fair and consistent treatment and an environment that is business friendly.

Unemployment Compensation
Last session business and government stepped up to fund unemployment compensation in West Virginia.  Unemployment compensation is still being misused and abused.  Because these abuses are drains on the fund, we are hopeful that they will be monitored and managed.

Civil Justice Reform & Judicial Reform
OMEGA is very happy with the work done by the Governor’s Independent Commission on Judicial Reform for their thoughtful and appropriate recommendations, which will serve as a foundation for important reform of the West Virginia court system. The option for state businesses to appeal judicial decisions affecting their operations is not only fair, it sends a positive message to other businesses considering locating in West Virginia. 

We urge the West Virginia Legislature to codify the Judicial Commission’s recommendation on the automatic right to appeal.

One area of success in West Virginia has been medical malpractice reform.  The reforms granted to the medical community – providing a measure of certainty in non-economic damages and holding a defendant accountable only for his or her own actions – are grounded in fairness, and deserve to be extended to the public at large, including the business community. We urge these reforms, and believe they will go a long way toward proving West Virginia’s is, in fact, “Open for Business”.