Economic and Jobs Development
Build and sustain a business competitive environment.
Fiscal Responsibility
State government maintain prudent budgeting.
Responsible Government
We would like to see prudence, integrity and transparency in government.
Education
Have a responsible and work-ready workforce.
Legal Reform
Continued legal reform in needed in WV.
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.
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”.
