CHARLESTON – The West Virginia Chamber of Commerce is taking umbrage with comments from the chairman of the state Senate Judiciary Committee who criticized its efforts to push business legislation.
On March 18, Sen. Mike Stuart (R-Kanawha) said the state Chamber “has failed to prioritize critical business legislation in favor of playing politics.”
“We need a Chamber focused on improving the business climate and less direct involvement in the social and political environment of West Virginia,” Stuart told The West Virginia Record. “The Chamber needs to lead on tort reform and other critical issues that demand their leadership in educating legislators on the positive impact of passing critical pro-business bills.”
Stuart was commenting on two legal reform bills that failed to make it out of his Judiciary Committee.
Last week, Senate Bill 473 was tabled in the Judiciary Committee. That bill would have limited the cause of action for medical monitoring lawsuits, essentially eliminating such claims. The vote to table the bill was 11-4.
And SB 543 would have changed the process for local governments to hire private lawyers on a contingency fee. The bill was defeated on a 5-11 vote.
Versions of both bills have made it out of the committee in previous legislative sessions.
But W.Va. Chamber President Steve Roberts disagrees with Stuart’s assessment of his group’s work. He said other issues are to blame.
“The real story here is that many members of the Senate Judiciary are beholden to the trial lawyers, Roberts told The Record. “Some of these gleefully accepted large contributions from the trial lawyers – and others are influenced by them. It is no surprise that the funders have come to collect on their debt.”
Roberts said legislative leaders have more than two dozen proposals from the state Chamber to improve West Virginia’s competition position.
“Earlier this week, we sent a letter to all legislators which points to many good bills for employers providing jobs and driving economic growth for our state,” Roberts said. “We are spending too much time and effort working to remove provisions from Senate bills that allow frivolous lawsuits against churches, businesses, schools and childcare centers.”
In that letter, the Chamber said tax and economic development remains a concern for employers.
“According to the Council on State Taxation State and Local Business Taxes Report, West Virginia is number eight in the nation for the percentage of tax paid to the state by businesses,” the Chamber letter states. “High business taxes do not help make us the best state for business, and being the best state for business is a goal of the West Virginia Chamber.
“We believe economic development and job creation are of paramount importance. Lower business costs can help us add to West Virginia’s employment opportunities.”
It also said education and child care must be legislative priorities.
“The most recent National Assessment of Education Progress report places West Virginia students as 48th and 49th for reading and math achievement,” the Chamber says in its halfway-mark letter to lawmakers. “This should be a clarion call to make changes to help our students be better prepared for the challenges they are sure to face as the 21st Century progresses.
“States that establish rigorous statewide standards geared toward students’ achievement experience success. In our state we must overcome the bigotry of low expectations. Accountability and additional transparency must be baked into West Virginia’s education culture.”
As for child care, the Chamber letter says the lack of affordable and available childcare is one of the most pressing issues facing West Virginia.
“On average, the cost of childcare is approximately $800 per month per child,” the letter states. “This cost, coupled with the lack of available childcare in several areas, causes many families to face the difficult decision of whether or not to withdraw a parent from the workforce in order to care for young children.
“Over three-quarters of the West Virginia Chamber’s members have stated that inadequate childcare is a prime reason that they struggle with attracting and retaining workforce. Tackling childcare in a meaningful way is pro-family, pro-jobs, and will help set West Virginia up for future success and growth.”