What are OMEGA's issues?

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.
 
Civil Justice Reform

West Virginia's business community should continue to seek passage of additional civil justice reforms including: comparative fault, collateral source, limiting punitive and non-economic damages, and establishing a uniform standard for non-economic awards.

Fair Competition

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.

Fuel Tax Stability

While it is critical to appropriately fund our highway system, OMEGA believes we need to analyze where the dollars are going and determine how they can be spent more efficiently.  We need to find alternate sources of funding for our highway system and not rely on fuel taxes to fund roads.

Governmental/Regulatory Cooperation

OMEGA members provide both employment and valuable services to West Virginia.  Representing three separate, yet inter-related industries, OMEGA members interact with numerous governmental and regulatory agencies on a daily basis. We desire fair and consistent treatment and an environment that s business friendly. 

Healthcare

Affordable healthcare continues to be a major issue for OMEGA members. The adequate funding of government healthcare programs, the reduction and control of healthcare costs, and the availability of affordable health insurance for West Virginia employers and employees are fundamental components of a strategy that will help reduce the cost-shift and the rise in private health insurance remiums experienced by the business community. 

Interchange Fees

Credit card fees cost a typical convenience store 2.5 to 3 percent of the transaction and are the third-largest expense at the store level. Only labor and rent costs are more.  Solutions regulatory and otherwise need to be found to reduce these credit card fees before they become even more burdensome.

Plastic Bags

OMEGA is against eliminating plastic bags from the use in retail establishments.  The notion that a product should be banned in West Virginia because it could potentially create litter sets a bad precedent.  Public education campaigns about littering and recycling can help more than ineffective bans on products that are used every day.

Universal Carding

OMEGA supports universal carding.  Retailers across the West Virginia are selling age restricted products, such as alcohol and tobacco.  As an industry, we are under a great deal of scrutiny and face an increasing number of stings related to the sale of these products.  Universal carding would be an invaluable tool to not only protect our industry, bust also to ensure that these products do not get into the hands of youth in West Virginia.

For more information on OMEGA's issues, contact us at (304) 343-5500.