• 5B-12-10 of HB 4001, as currently drafted, would prohibit any person or organization from using the name “TEAM-WV” or words of similar meaning without the written consent of the newly created corporation. As written, this provision could require our long-established organization to seek permission from a newly created entity in order to continue using the name and identity under which we have operated for nearly four decades.

Concerning House Bill 4003, the WV First Small Business Growth Act, I am not persuaded that this legislation will reliably accomplish its stated goal of growing small businesses in West Virginia.

The bill provides substantial incentives to financial intermediaries and capital allocators through insurance premium and retaliatory tax credits, yet it contains no enforceable mechanisms to ensure that small businesses—or their workers—receive durable, meaningful benefits. There are no requirements related to wage growth, job quality, worker retention, local ownership, or reinvestment of profits into West Virginia communities.

In practice, the structure of this bill primarily reduces risk for investment funds and insurers while offering only indirect and weakly constrained benefits to operating businesses. The public assumes real fiscal risk through foregone tax revenue, while the upside of successful investments is captured entirely by private actors.

My concerns are informed not only by a close reading of HB 4003, but also by evidence from other states that have implemented similar insurance-tax-credit–based investment programs. These programs have shown mixed or poor results in terms of long-term small business growth and worker benefit, and many have been scaled back, sunsetted, or quietly discontinued after failing to deliver promised outcomes.

For these reasons, I oppose HB 4003 as written and urge the Legislature to reconsider approaches to small business development that include enforceable outcomes, worker protections, and mechanisms for the public to share in the value created by public policy.

“In any fiscal year in which the Legislature appropriates money for the program,”, is this meaning that say if the bill was passed in its current form, that the program could have money not allocated by the legislature in a fiscal year?

I support West Virginia HB 4009 because it modernizes our workforce by allowing portable benefits that follow workers across jobs. This bill supports independent contractors and gig workers by expanding access to health, retirement, and financial security benefits without disrupting flexible work models or obligating an employer to costly, regulated benefit structures. HB 4009 helps West Virginia stay competitive while respecting worker choice.

House Bill 4009 does not offer a viable solution to the problems it identifies. While the bill acknowledges that gig and contract workers face instability around healthcare, retirement, and other benefits, the proposed Portable Benefit Account model does not meaningfully alleviate those burdens.

Under this bill, participation and contributions are entirely voluntary, with no requirement that hiring parties contribute to worker benefits in any meaningful or proportional way. As a result, workers remain responsible for funding their own healthcare, retirement, and income protection, leaving the underlying precarity of contract work unchanged.

More concerning, the bill explicitly provides that contributions to a portable benefit account may not be used as evidence in determining a worker’s employment classification. This provision protects hiring parties from misclassification challenges and weakens existing labor protections, effectively insulating corporations from responsibility while offering workers little more than a new financial account.

Portable benefits can be part of a serious labor reform only when they include enforceable employer obligations and preserve workers’ rights to proper classification. House Bill 4009 does neither. For these reasons, I urge the House to vote no on this bill as written unless it is substantially revised to prioritize worker protections and corporate accountability.

Delegates, I am imploring you not to pass this bill. For decades West Virginians have been sold to the highest bidder. Given data centers unecessary tax breaks when West Virginians struggle with basic needs such as food, housing, and healthcare is deplorable. Data centers will decrease our water quality, increase our power bills, and WILL NOT create long term jobs. If we are to attract industry to WV via tax breaks it mustn’t be industry that does not create jobs, while creating pollution, expense, and an eye sore on our beautiful state.

1. I write in opposition to this bill.
2. West Virginia has a long and unfortunate history of extraction by outside entities that results in the detriment of our people and environment.
3. To preserve our culture, we must preserve our environment. Data centers consume natural resources, offering nothing of value to WV's people. We struggle to provide clean water to our own people and this would steal it from them to cool computers.
4. Montani semper libri, yet we are continually sold and traded to those who see us as expendable.
5. The Earth groans with us (Romans) as we wait for redemption. Those of the Christian faith are called to live as if the Kingdom is now and that all of Creation is our sibling. We have abused and misused this charge we were given and the damage we have inflicted is reflected in our own bodies and minds.
6. The AI bubble will not last forever and we will be left with nothing but mess, much like an abandoned well or unclaimed spoil pile.
7. I urge you for the sake of all West Virginians, present and future, to reject this betrayal of WV. West Virginians deserve so much better.
8. Thank you.

I oppose House Bill 4013 as written.

West Virginia does need economic development. What we do not need are open-ended tax incentives that primarily benefit capital-intensive projects with minimal long-term benefit to working families and local communities.

This bill creates a broad, discretionary tax credit that heavily rewards equipment purchases and construction costs, not sustained job creation. That matters, because projects like data centers—explicitly included in this bill—are well known to generate very few permanent jobs relative to the size of the public subsidy they receive. Independent economic studies consistently show that data centers often employ dozens, not hundreds, of full-time workers once construction ends, despite consuming massive amounts of electricity and infrastructure capacity.

HB 4013 allows tax credits to be calculated largely on non-manufacturing equipment and construction spending, even when permanent job creation is minimal. That is a poor return on investment for taxpayers.

The bill also allows these credits to offset multiple state taxes, including—remarkably—up to 20 percent of employee withholding taxes. That means the state can end up subsidizing a company using money that would otherwise support schools, roads, emergency services, and healthcare. That is not economic development; it is cost-shifting.

Transparency is another major concern. Information shared between the Tax Department, Workforce West Virginia, and the administering authority is explicitly exempt from the Freedom of Information Act. If taxpayer dollars are being used to subsidize private corporations, the public has a right to see the terms, the performance, and the outcomes. Sunlight is not optional when public money is involved.

The bill places “sole and exclusive jurisdiction” in the hands of the Department of Commerce to decide who qualifies, how much they receive, and whether clawbacks are enforced. That level of discretion, combined with limited public oversight, is exactly how incentive programs drift from economic policy into political favoritism.

Finally, this bill includes no enforceable community benefit requirements. There are no guarantees for:

• local hiring or apprenticeships,

• labor standards or neutrality,

• protections against layoffs after credits are used,

• limits on noise, infrastructure strain, or quality-of-life impacts,

• or binding assurances that utility upgrade costs will not be passed on to ratepayers.

West Virginians have seen this movie before. We are promised jobs and prosperity, and what we get instead are tax breaks, higher infrastructure costs, and communities left with the consequences.

I support real economic development—projects that create good-paying jobs, respect workers, strengthen local communities, and deliver a measurable public return on public investment. HB 4013 does not meet that standard.

If the Legislature wants to attract investment, it should do so on West Virginia’s terms: with transparency, strict job-creation requirements, automatic clawbacks, and clear protections for taxpayers and communities.

Until those standards are written into law, this bill should not advance.

Good morning,

• Preserve strong local zoning and land-use authority
• Require full, independent infrastructure and environmental impact studies
• Protect utility ratepayers and public water resources
• Ensure transparency and meaningful public participation

• Clear, measurable job creation benchmarks tied to real wages;
• Sunset provisions so credits expire if goals aren’t met;
• Strong accountability and clawback provisions so companies must repay credit if performance promises aren’t delivered - including enforcement
• Transparency requirements to ensure public reporting on outcomes.

How about getting rid of property  tax? I live in Hinton, on the Raleigh county side in the New River Parkway. We can't get police when called, our road does not get snow removal for up to a week, yet my property tax in 1 year has risen 400.00 on my house that I own. This is basically paying rent on something I own. Our forefathers would be shaking their heads.

Please support House Bill 4027...Khadija Lewis Khan has the best way to explain WHY this is essential for not just our beautiful mountain state, but the entire country...“Child care is infrastructure. Like roads and bridges, people need child care to get to work. We must invest in child care and systems that support families."  Help build a state where families can thrive and children have a solid foundation of support for healthy lives!

• Parents leave the workforce.
• Small businesses struggle to fill jobs.
• Economic development efforts stall.
• Children lose access to high-quality early learning that improves long-term educational outcomes.

1. Restore and increase dedicated child care funding.
2. Stabilize provider reimbursement rates.
3. Protect infant and toddler slots.
4. Treat child care as essential economic infrastructure in the state budget.

I sat down and read through Committee Substitute for House Bill 4027, the general appropriations bill for Fiscal Year 2027. I can't say I particularly enjoy combing through all your legalese and appropriations language, but I’ve learned that if any of us want to understand what any of you in positions of power in this state truly values, we need to follow the money.

The bill says its purpose is to fund the “economical and efficient discharge of the duties and responsibilities of the state”. I keep thinking about that word — responsibility. In West Virginia, we require our students to meet the Student Success Standards set forth by the Department of Education. In fact, this is a large part of my job as a Behavior Development teacher for middle schoolers. We teach them personal responsibility, empathy, responsible decision-making, and civic engagement. We teach them to consider how their actions affect their community.

If those are the standards we hold our children to, then surely we must hold ourselves — and you, our Legislature — to the same ones. Responsible budgeting means considering long-term impact. Civic responsibility means listening when working families say they are drowning in insurmountable debt, inability to pay their bills, and child care costs. Public service means building systems that allow families to be self-sustaining, not forcing them to patch together survival through grandparents, social networks you all keep gutting, and subsidies that just perpetuate the Cliff Effect.

Responsibility, to me, looks like you all making sure working families can actually function. I pay what amounts to a mortgage every single month in daycare costs. Over $1000. Except instead of building equity, it disappears the moment it’s paid. That money doesn’t go toward home improvements. It doesn’t go into savings... who even know what those accounts are for anymore? It doesn’t circulate through local shops or restaurants. It goes to the absolute necessity of having someone care for my child so I can work.

And I am one of the lucky ones. Most families I know — even with two incomes — are barely holding it together. They rely on grandparents who are already tired. They rely on neighbors. They rely on subsidies if they qualify. They shuffle schedules. They trade shifts and hope nothing falls apart. We don’t say that we are suffering and struggling to our breaking points like it’s a badge of honor. We don’t romanticize the grind. It’s not grit, y'all. We need relief.

I work in public education, and I see how fragile the system is from the inside. When child care arrangements collapse, attendance slips. Parents miss work and stress levels rise. Kids feel it in their bodies and are perpetually dysregulated by the pressure they feel at home. Stability in early childhood isn’t just about supervision, folks. It’s about consistency, healthy attachment, and security... predictability. When that stability exists, children walk into school ready to learn. When it doesn’t, we spend years trying to repair the gaps left from dysfunctional home environments.

We talk constantly about workforce participation in West Virginia and how we have to get more of our folks working. We talk about keeping young families here and encouraging people to have their kids here. We talk about economic development and attracting industries. But none of that conversation is honest if we are not talking about child care. About taking care of our environment. Taking care of the basic needs a village provides for children.

A stable child care industry is a necessity to our social and economic infrastructure. It is the hinge that everything else swings on. If providers can’t survive on these razor-thin margins, centers are forced to close. When our centers close, parents leave the workforce or reduce their hours to the point it's not even worth it to work anymore. When parents reduce their hours, income drops and cue safety nets. When there's nothing left, communities shrink and it's a snowball effect of services shutting down, schools consolidating and jobs go out of business. It is all connected.

When I look at the scale of allocations across this bill, I cannot help but measure them against what families are paying out of pocket just to stay employed. We can fund smear marketing campaigns with false attacks against your opponents. We can fund development offices and new furniture. We can fund new data center initiatives with multi-million dollar price tags and absolutely no regulation to keep our environments safe and livable. Surely we can treat child care like the economic driver it is.

Child care allows parents to work. It allows businesses to retain employees. It allows households to build some form of stability instead of living in constant improvisation. It supports early childhood development in ways that save money long-term in education, health care, and social services. Working families are applying pressure. Right here and now. We are telling you plainly: this is unsustainable.

We are not asking for luxuries. We are asking for breathing room.

If this budget is about responsibility, then let’s be responsible to the families who are doing everything right and still struggling. Invest in child care. Stabilize providers. Increase access. Reduce the financial burden on working parents. Healthy, self-sustaining families do not happen by accident. They require policies that understand how people actually live. Right now, too many families are one childcare disruption away from losing a job, one tuition increase away from real financial strain. We don’t need applause for surviving this. We need structural support so survival isn’t the only option. Stabilize our childcare services. Our communities are counting on this.

• I strongly encourage you to vote for Bill 4027. The most precious resource in
• our state is our children. Investing in them through their care makes them better adjusted and makes for happier families. Do your part to make that happen!

House Bill 4060 addresses a narrow and largely symbolic issue while failing to engage with any of the substantive economic challenges facing West Virginia residents or small businesses.

Cashless retail is not a demonstrated, widespread problem in this state, particularly outside of a small number of urban or chain establishments. The bill provides no data showing that West Virginians are being meaningfully excluded from commerce due to an inability to pay with cash, nor does it identify essential goods or services where such exclusion is occurring.

Additionally, the bill contains minimal enforcement mechanisms and grants broad exemption authority to the Treasurer’s Office, which significantly undermines its practical effect. A modest civil fine and discretionary exemptions suggest that the bill is not intended to produce consistent or enforceable outcomes.

While concerns about financial inclusion, privacy, and access to payment systems are legitimate, this legislation does not meaningfully address those concerns. It does not improve access to banking, reduce payment processing fees, assist small businesses with compliance costs, or protect workers or consumers in any substantive way.

For these reasons, HB 4060 appears to be a symbolic measure rather than a serious policy response to a real economic problem, and it should not be prioritized over legislation that addresses wages, affordability, healthcare, infrastructure, or access to essential services in West Virginia.

• The legislature needs to prioritize childcare and take meaningful action this legislative session.
• Childcare employees working 20+ hours per week deserve a child care subsidy, regardless of household income.
• Child care subsidy payments to licensed facilities should be based on enrollment rather than daily attendance.

I’m writing to express support for subsidizing childcare in WV. My infant attends a well-regarded licensed non-profit daycare in WV. Even as a non-profit, it’s clear that the employees are struggling. One lead teacher quit to return to Door Dash; she told me that Door Dash has better pay and more flexible hours. That really alarmed me because services like Door Dash are notorious for underpaying delivery workers.

In my baby’s classroom in the last year, I have seen three teachers come and go due to the low wages and challenging work conditions — including a high rate of infectious illness. I am concerned teachers begin to look burn-out after only six months. Childcare teachers deserve better pay for doing a job that is critical to society: helping raise the next generation!

I’ve done the math and without subsidies nothing can improve. Tuition at childcare centers is already 1-3 times the cost of a mortgage — a brutal expense for most families. Meanwhile the overhead to run a daycare center leaves no slack. Revenue barely covers operating costs.

Failing to support childcare will lead to further population decline. Most people I know would love to have a child, or more children, yet a realistic assessment of the cost forbids those dreams. It’s truly tragic.

I would prefer to see subsidies based on center enrollment, rather than attendance, because the number of staff booked for any given day is based on *enrollment* ratios. That is, one teacher for every four infants enrolled, etc. Daycares can’t control whether a child fails to attend, so they shouldn’t be penalized if a parent decides to keep a child at home on any given day.

It would also be helpful if teachers were eligible for wage subsidies after working a minimum of 20 hours per week — and without any household income cap — as many teachers are parents themselves and some are college students. (But truly, even subsidies for 32 hours and up would be better than none!) Wage support for part-time workers would encourage more employment overall in this critical sector. And that’s what we need to focus on: better wages and more applicants for these jobs!

I’m so excited this is even being considered because I want to see a prosperous future for West Virginia, and affordable high-quality childcare is absolutely critical to making that happen. For the love of babies, let’s pass this bill!

Childcare plays a vital role in my life and for my family to make a living. I have four children and when I was pregnant with my second I had to either leave the workforce or find childcare. The cost alone didn’t make sense for our family. That is when I went and opened my own tier 2 childcare center as early childhood education is my background and I was working at the state level with. I have now provided care for my four children in an environment I know is safe, developmentally appropriate and preparing the foundation for my children’s later success. Last year however, I had to leave the day to day work of my center and obtain a full time job with Headstart. I needed insurance for my family and our center wasn’t able to afford my income anymore. I know work full time for Headstart and manage my childcare center full time five day a week. It is not the ideal situation, but it’s the only option I have at the moment to be able to provide for my children, and have a safe place to leave them while I do so.

Hard no from me. Ireland is not the Ireland we used to know. It is ran by the woke who are destroying their own culture with islam.

I agree because it causes a unnecessary financial burden to people that own dogs especially elderly dogs. Also dogs being took away because someone cant pay is hard. With this bill it could remove the upsetting feelings and potential loss of their pet.

1. Replace the full exemption with a refundable, income-tested child/family credit that applies regardless of marital status (with a clear phaseout by income).
2. If the Legislature wants to help larger households, base it on number of dependents + income/poverty level, not on whether the taxpayer files as “married.”
3. Require a public fiscal note showing who benefits by income bracket and county, and what services may be reduced to offset lost revenue.

Encouraging larger families aligns with West Virginia's commitment to promoting the institution of the family and ensuring a nurturing environment for children. Providing tax relief to families with four or more children reflects the state's recognition of the vital contributions these families make to the community.

• Bills mandating or privileging Christian religious texts in public schools
• Bills requiring Christian religious displays in classrooms
• Official recognition and observance proposals centered on Christian doctrine

• It conditions compensation on surplus revenue while many state workers continue to struggle with rising housing, food, healthcare, and utility costs.
• It excludes non-state workers — including taxpayers funding state operations — from relief during the same surplus conditions.
• It provides no mechanism to ensure the bonus addresses workforce retention, wage compression, or cost-of-living disparities.

• Standards and Expertise: Certified fire investigators must meet rigorous national standards (such as NFPA 1033) and maintain ongoing education to accurately determine fire origins and causes.
• Economic Fairness: Classifying these specialists as professionals ensures their services are treated equitably under the tax code, similar to other highly regulated fields like engineering or law.
• Public Safety: Professional recognition reinforces the importance of high-quality investigations, which are critical for both criminal justice and the improvement of fire safety codes.

• prior income tax cuts,
• declining or uncertain federal funding,
• and agency directives to cut budgets without replacement funds,

1. A transparent fiscal impact statement,
2. Identification of which services will be reduced or eliminated,
3. Assurance that essential agencies will not absorb disproportionate harm.

Removing this tax would provide immediate relief, promote public health, and reflect basic fairness. I urge you to support this exemption.

I am a West Virginia constituent in Beckley, Raleigh County, and I oppose HB 4442.

West Virginia is already struggling to keep experienced people working for the state. We should strengthen retention and trust, not create new fault lines within the workforce.

This bill draws a hard line at $75,000 and treats state employees differently based on that number. It offers certain Tier II employees who retire under $75,000 access to benefits such as the use of accrued sick/annual leave for retirement credit and the Rule of 80.

But it also does something that alarms me: it exempts any employee earning $75,000 or more from classified civil service coverage, effective July 1, 2026.

That is a major change in protections and accountability. Classified coverage is part of what keeps state service stable, fair, and less vulnerable to favoritism and political churn. Cutting people out of that system because they earn over an arbitrary threshold is disrespectful, and it sends a clear message that performance and experience do not earn security; they earn fewer protections.

I am also concerned about clarity. The bill repeatedly hinges on the phrase “retire making less than $75,000,” and the stakes are high if that language is interpreted differently across agencies or job classifications.

When a bill changes benefits and civil service status, the language needs to be unmistakable and consistently applied.

If lawmakers want to improve Tier II retirement fairness, do that directly. Do not pair it with a provision that weakens civil service protections and risks driving more skilled employees away. Please vote no on HB 4442.

This is America. This is WV. It's not the job of the government to limit our exchange of precious metals.

I agree with this bill for a lot of reasons. Teachers go through several trainings a year and years of schooling so they can teach and help shape small minds. State police go through years of training, exercises, tests, and go through psychological stress everyday to protect the state. They both do so much for the state. However, they do not get paid enough for the work they really do. Their pay needs to be increased to properly reflect their work.

1. fully transparent, audited, and legally compliant spending across public safety programs;
2. fully funded flood prevention/recovery resources and critical infrastructure; and
3. broad taxpayer relief and essential services — before expanding retirement incentives through HB 4803.

• A municipality may create a stabilization fund by majority vote of the governing body.
• The fund may receive appropriations, gifts, grants, and any other funds made available, including non-state funds.
• The statute does not require public justification, itemized reporting, or independent audit triggers tied to fund size or use. (See W. Va. Code § 8-13A-3.)

• W. Va. Code § 6-9A-1 et seq. (Open Governmental Proceedings Act) to require enhanced disclosure of stabilization fund decisions;
• W. Va. Code § 12-1-1 et seq. to impose fiscal reporting thresholds;
• Any provision requiring public accounting of grant or federal funds once deposited into a stabilization fund.

• HB 4833 removes a fiscal cap;
• Adds no new accountability standards;
• Operates within a system where ethics oversight does not cover incompetence or mismanagement absent a defined ethics violation.

• Annual public reporting of stabilization fund balances and sources;
• Disclosure of grant or federal funds deposited;
• A documented public finding of necessity for balances exceeding a defined percentage of the general fund.

• Personal property taxation by counties (WV Code §11-6-1 et seq.);
• Annual vehicle registration fees (WV Code §17A-3-2);
• Mandatory insurance requirements (WV Code §17D-2A-3);
• State inspection/NVI requirements (WV Code §17C-16-1);
• Sales and use taxes at purchase (WV Code §11-15-3).

• a flat rate of $0.205 per gallon, plus
• a variable component tied to wholesale price (with minimums/limits).  

• maintain roads/bridges,
• plow and treat roads during winter,
• repair slides/flood damage,
• keep equipment running,
• and meet debt and matching obligations.

• reduce road maintenance operations,
• limit equipment purchase/maintenance,
• reduce contracted work (hurting WV’s economy),
• create harsh-winter funding tradeoffs (snow/ice operations consuming resources and leaving insufficient repair funds later),
• threaten debt service,
• and threaten the ability to fully match the federal highway program.  

• general revenue (competing with schools, public health, and other needs),
• higher registration/DMV fees, or
• local taxes/bonds (hardest on rural counties).

1. a verified fiscal note for this specific repeal, and
2. a replacement revenue plan that maintains State Road Fund stability and preserves federal match capacity—without regressive cost-shifting to counties and working families.

I am writing not as a political voice, but as a parent who is deeply concerned about what House Bill 4961 would mean for my family and my children.

I grew up without financial stability. I worked hard, put myself through school, and built a professional career so my children could have more opportunity than I did. My husband and I both work. We are not wealthy. We carry a mortgage, tuition payments, and the same rising costs every West Virginia family is facing. The Hope Scholarship is not a luxury for us — it is what makes our children’s school possible.

An income cap of $150,000 may sound high on paper, but in real life it does not make a family financially comfortable. It creates a harsh line where families just over the limit lose all support, even though their day-to-day reality looks nearly identical to those just under it. We would not suddenly have extra money for tuition. We would simply lose the support that makes this education possible.

What hurts most is the message this sends. Parents like me worked hard to climb out of poverty and build stability, only to be told that doing better means losing access to opportunity for our children. That feels less like fairness and more like a penalty for upward mobility.

Our children are thriving in their school. They feel safe, supported, and excited to learn. Losing the Hope Scholarship would not mean we suddenly have the means to cover tuition — it would mean stress, uncertainty, and potentially removing them from the environment where they are flourishing.

This bill does not just change numbers on a page. It affects real children, real families, and real futures. Please do not turn the Hope Scholarship into a program that pushes working middle-income families out of educational choice. I respectfully ask you to oppose HB 4961 or reconsider the hard income cap.

• A fiscal impact analysis showing long-term healthcare savings
• Evidence that gym membership deductions reduce state healthcare costs
• Safeguards to prevent revenue loss during an already constrained state budget

• Broad, income-neutral health credits
• Investments in community recreation infrastructure
• Expanded access to preventive healthcare and rural wellness programs

We need a raise it’s hard to make it on what we make

• Continuous service
• Local institutional knowledge
• Department-specific experience

• Article III, §10 of the West Virginia Constitution (Equal Protection and Due Process)
• Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution (Equal Protection Clause)

• W. Va. Code §7-1-1 (County commissions as governing bodies)
• W. Va. Code §7-7-7 (County compensation authority)

• Higher salary placement
• Increased overtime eligibility
• Accelerated retirement qualification

• Artificial inflation of service credit
• Accelerated vesting
• Increased unfunded pension liabilities

• Disciplinary records
• Performance evaluations
• Internal investigations

• Public safety outcomes
• Emergency response capacity
• Community policing effectiveness

• Article III, §10 of the West Virginia Constitution
• Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution

• Clinically relevant dose-response studies are discouraged or rendered nonviable;
• Research protocols cannot reflect real-world medical use;
• Institutional review boards and universities are deterred from participation due to compliance and liability concerns.

• the Medical Cannabis Program has reached functional maturity;
• regulatory obstacles have been resolved;
• patient access, provider participation, and research infrastructure are operational at scale.

1. Direct General Revenue appropriations recognizing EMS as a core public safety service
2. Medicaid and insurance reimbursement reform to prevent EMS agencies from operating at a loss for non-transport and emergency care
3. Dedicated public safety surcharges (e.g., vehicle registration or insurance-linked fees) tied to service demand rather than gambling losses
4. Statewide EMS funding standards to reduce dependence on uneven county levies
5. Targeted use of federal matching funds and grants to supplement—not replace—state responsibility

• Virginia has a Four-for-Life fund, which is used only for EMS purposes and receives $4 per year that is added to vehicle registration fees.
• Maryland imposes a $29 surcharge on vehicle registrations to support EMS and a $7.50 moving violation surcharge.
• Pennsylvania has an Emergency Medical Services Operating Fund, which provides over $12.5 million in support to EMS annually. Funding comes from a $10 fine assessed on all traffic violations, a $25 fee assessed on all accelerated rehabilitation disposition admissions and other fees, fines and penalties. Pennsylvania also offers a Fire Company and Emergency Medical Services Companies Grant Program and a Unconventional Gas Well Drilling (UGWD) Grant program.
• Ohio operates a grant program funded by seat belt fines to assist EMS operations.
• The Kentucky Board of Emergency Medical Services maintains a block grant fund program for the purposes of assisting in the provision of emergency medical services

• Either the EMS Equipment and Training Fund (§16-4C-24) or the EMS Salary Enhancement Fund (§16-4C-25) would be suitable and already established options for dispensing the lottery funds.
• Local government funding is essential for a sustainable EMS system, but there are multiple ways to provide support. An EMS levy should not be the sole method for counties to show local participation to obtain state resources. Counties that use ambulance fees or allocate significant budget contributions to EMS should not be penalized for alternative support methods.
• The WV EMS Coalition supports the concept of a local match requirement to receive state funding. However, the requirement in HB 5168 for counties to match the surplus lottery funds equally would be challenging for some small counties and agencies which may have the greatest need for the state assistance. We recommend the Legislature replicate the statewide EMS supports funding distributed in 2025 by the Office of EMS, which allocated one-time surplus funds equally to all 55 counties to support transporting agencies providing 911 response. Funding was based on response numbers and required a 30% local match from agencies or counties.
• EMTs and Paramedics are often first responders in demanding situations, supporting disaster survivors both emotionally and physically. These vital roles expose EMS personnel to high trauma risk. The WV EMS Coalition supports the provisions of HB 5168 that allocate $1 million for statewide mental health resources via the Office of Emergency Medical Services. Our workgroup has prepared targeted funding recommendations for the committee.

• Drinking water protections have been weakened or deregulated through statutory and administrative changes, despite the Legislature’s obligation under W. Va. Code §22-11-1 et seq. (Water Pollution Control Act) to safeguard public health.
• Infrastructure deficiencies persist, implicating the state’s duty to protect health and safety under its general police powers.
• Oversight agencies remain under-resourced while expected to enforce increasingly complex regulatory frameworks.

• water and environmental enforcement,
• infrastructure maintenance,
• public health agencies.

• which testimony is accepted,
• which oversight powers are expanded or restricted,
• which agencies retain enforcement authority.

• restored regulatory enforcement,
• measurable infrastructure improvements,
• demonstrable responsiveness to constituent concerns,
• strengthened oversight and transparency.

• Retirement benefits suspended, and
• Benefits recalculated only after meeting statutory re-employment thresholds.

• Re-employment after disability retirement,
• Suspension or recalculation of benefits, or
• Situations where a retiree may simultaneously receive retirement benefits while re-entering service under other advancing legislation.

• PERS,
• Teachers Retirement System, or
• Other law-enforcement retirement structures.

• Be offset if the retiree re-enters public employment,
• Be suspended during re-employment, or
• Be treated as an add-on rather than subject to recalculation.

• Length of service,
• Contribution history, and
• Defined eligibility conditions.

• Re-employment provisions,
• Contribution resumption, or
• Benefit suspension rules.

• Explicitly harmonize it with re-employment and retirement statutes, or
• Address survivor-benefit equity through comprehensive retirement-system reform rather than isolated amendments.

• aging and failing water and wastewater systems,
• underfunded infrastructure maintenance,
• and cuts to school meal programs while food insecurity remains high.

• primary and preventive healthcare access,
• mental health and substance-use treatment capacity,
• food security and nutrition access,
• affordable housing availability,
• basic infrastructure and workforce stability.

1. Lack of clear direct benefit to West Virginians: During legislative hearings, several members of the West Virginia House and Senate expressed concern that high-voltage transmission lines discussed in committee would not benefit electricity customers or the state economy. When asked if the projects would provide local benefits, presenters could not provide specific answers, and producers of these transmission lines acknowledged that no West Virginia substations were included in some proposed routes, meaning power could simply pass through the state to other markets.  
2. Potential increased costs for ratepayers: Legislators referenced independent analysis suggesting that transmission projects could increase West Virginia electric bills by hundreds of millions of dollars without commensurate improvements in reliability or local economic return.  These costs risk being passed directly to consumers via utility rate mechanisms, while the associated tax and regulatory treatment from HB 5359 could further ease cost recovery for developers.
3. Disconnect between surplus generation and local electricity cost improvements: Recent reporting found that despite West Virginia’s surplus generation capacity, resident households still pay higher average electricity bills than the national average, largely because export-oriented projects and long-distance lines do not address local distribution inefficiencies.  
4. Lack of substations and measurable in-state economic impact: One key concern raised by lawmakers is that some long transmission corridors (e.g., the MidAtlantic Resiliency Link) would carry power through West Virginia without building substations or creating significant in-state economic development — leaving ratepayers to shoulder costs without local economic returns.  

• West Virginia Constitution, Article III, § 9
• U.S. Constitution, Fifth Amendment

• Roads
• Utilities
• Infrastructure

• A widow in bankruptcy may keep equity from unsecured creditors,
• But can still lose the same property for unpaid taxes.

• Rising tax assessments,
• Rent escalation,
• Development pressure,
• Economic displacement without formal eminent domain.

• U.S. Constitution, Fourteenth Amendment
• West Virginia Constitution, Article III, § 10

• Urban vs rural residents,
• Heirs vs renters,
• Tax-delinquent owners vs bankruptcy filers.

• Protects equity in some contexts,
• While allowing displacement in others,
• Without structural reform addressing tax pressure, zoning inequities, and infrastructure disparities.

• Review of tax foreclosure timelines,
• Transparency in eminent domain necessity determinations,
• Urban displacement protections,
• Heir property clarity reforms.

• Conflicts of interest
• Use of public office for private gain
• Financial disclosure compliance
• Certain post-employment restrictions

• Excessive borrowing
• Structuring debt in ways that increase long-term taxpayer liability
• Poor refinancing decisions
• Fiscal mismanagement absent personal financial gain

• Repeals and reorganizes multiple bonded indebtedness statutes
• Consolidates procedures under a new chapter
• Expands Treasurer rulemaking authority, including emergency rules

• Require independent third-party fiscal impact analysis before issuance
• Mandate public reporting of refunding savings projections vs. outcomes
• Create enhanced legislative audit triggers
• Strengthen disclosure requirements for bond-related financial advisors or underwriters

• Reduce procedural friction
• Centralize discretion
• Increase reliance on internal review

• Long-term taxpayer obligations
• Credit ratings
• Future budget flexibility
• Infrastructure funding priorities

Please support our students who are deaf and hard of hearing! Many of my students are lower income and their families need this support so that their children have the best access to their educational needs!

I am very much in favor of this bill.  Not hearing is a terrible sense to lose.  Hearing aids are very expensive., especially for children who are just learning.   These have to changed a lot also due to growth.  How are people going to exist in a quiet world.  Please pass this bill

As a practicing Speech-Language Pathologist with a background in hearing sciences, I fully support this bill. Audiological services and hearing aid coverage should be standard in all medical insurances. Please support this bill to ensure West Virginia citizens can receive access to appropriate audiological care.

I would like to start by stating how glad I am to see this bill be introduced. It has been too long that I’ve seen families struggle to get any assistance in obtaining hearing aids for their children when it is abundantly clear how necessary—NECESSARY—they are for the success of a hard of hearing student.

There is abundant research supporting the notions that:

1. Hearing loss adversely affects language acquisition
2. Language is the basis of understanding the world around us
3. Stunted language acquisition adversely affects students’ ability to understand their world and fully access instruction, which…
4. Causes students to struggle in school, particularly in English, Reading, Science, and Social Studies. They also (very often) struggle with word problems in math (WAY more than people with full hearing).
5. Even for students who were not born with a hearing loss, keeping up with the classroom becomes a huge challenge. It is extremely difficult for them to access instruction and functional directions such as page numbers, due dates, etc. Additionally…
6. People with hearing loss often feel isolated and struggle to socialize due to their hearing loss and inability to clearly discriminate speech sounds thus…
7. …leading to lowered motivation and self image, making high achievement in school that much more difficult.

You can see how this spirals, creating a feedback loop that cumulatively puts students farther and farther behind.

Having hearing technology GREATLY assists students who need it and gives them the opportunity to access instruction more equitably with their peers. Conversely, them NOT having hearing technology when they indeed need it GREATLY HURTS their chance of having a positive experience in school. Schools will, at their expense, supply hearing technology to students that can be used ONLY in class, but then when they get home…they don’t have that. This is a struggle to adjust to.

This situation has been unfortunate for students and families, because very often parents/guardians WANT to obtain hearing technology but CANNOT. Why? Because high quality—even just decent—hearing aids cost thousands of dollars (not including additional assistive technology, whose gouged prices often cost additional thousands) that most families simply cannot afford. If they receive Medicaid, it takes MONTHS or even OVER A YEAR to get through the red tape of getting hearing aids, which could be enough to set their child far behind in school.

Heretofore, there has been NO HELP for families to obtain this technology, and it is truly necessary for people with hearing loss to have access to it.

This isn’t just true for students. There is a well documented relationship between hearing loss and dementia, depression, and a number of other conditions.

All of this taken together, we can see plainly the reverberations this will send out: increased cost of care for seniors, lowered performance of West Virginia Schools (NOT the fault of the students), increased strain on families limiting their ability to thrive…all things that affect the state as a whole.

All of these effects are not a mystery. We KNOW the effects already. We also KNOW that the people most impacted by this are low-income families who cannot afford the proper interventions for hearing loss.

What IS a mystery is why this assistance hasn’t already been willingly provided by insurance companies.

Health insurance companies hold people’s health hostage for a price. We’ve seen it time and time again. If the companies won’t willingly provide the support, then something needs to be done to ensure they do.

There is a plethora of books on the subject. Here are a few sources you can read up on:

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6796661/

https://publichealth.jhu.edu/2021/hearing-loss-and-the-dementia-connection

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/2773567 (Abstract and conclusion only)

https://pubs.asha.org/doi/abs/10.1044/jshd.5101.53 (Abstract only)

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamaotolaryngology/fullarticle/2813302

https://www.worldofbooks.com/products/evidence-based-practice-in-educating-deaf-and-hard-of-hearing-students-book-patricia-elizabeth-spencer-9780199735402?sku=GOR014339818 (book citing numerous studies about impact of hearing loss on students difficulty in school and how to teach/accommodate effectively)

1. Please make coverage available to all
2. that needs it . They matter too
3. and some can’t pay for it.

I respectfully urge members of the West Virginia Legislature to support House Bill 5433.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

I am writing in strong support of House Bill 5433. As a speech-language pathologist, I see firsthand how untreated hearing loss impacts speech development, literacy, academic performance, vocational adequacy, and social-emotional well-being. Access to appropriate hearing aids and audiological care is not optional — it is foundational to communication, learning, and long-term success.

I am also the daughter of a mother who wears hearing aids, and I have personally witnessed how essential they are for maintaining independence, connection, and quality of life. No family should have to choose between financial stability and the ability to hear.

In my volunteer work with the Alzheimer’s Association, I have reviewed research demonstrating the clear connection between untreated hearing loss, social isolation, and increased risk for cognitive decline. Expanding insurance coverage for hearing aids and related services is not only an educational issue — it is a public health issue.

HB 5433 would provide meaningful, equitable access to essential care for children and adults across West Virginia. I strongly urge you to support this important legislation.

Im responding for my grandsons. He has been hearing impaired since birth. during covid and the "wear a mask" period,  he cried uncontrollably because he couldn't read faces or smiles. It is almost impossible to get insurances to cover the expenses of the Hearing assistance he needs. We've come a long way in Healthcare. However,  for the hearing impaired and legally deaf , we fall well short of their needs..

As a practicing audiologist in West Virginia, I strongly support House Bill 5433. I see firsthand how untreated hearing loss affects communication, education, employment, cognitive health, and overall quality of life for both children and adults.

HB 5433 would provide meaningful access to hearing healthcare by requiring coverage for hearing aids, audiological testing, fittings, and ongoing care, along with at least one annual audiological evaluation. The allowance of up to $1,400 per ear — while still allowing patient choice to upgrade — is a practical and patient-centered approach.

In my clinical experience, many patients delay or go without treatment due to cost. Expanding access to hearing care will improve patient outcomes and help West Virginians stay active in their families, workplaces, and communities.

I encourage legislators to support HB 5433.

Greenbrier Audiology, Inc.  supports House Bill 5433 and its effort to expand access to essential hearing healthcare across West Virginia. We have 4 locations that serve patients with hearing loss across the state of West Virginia.

Hearing aids and audiological services are medically necessary for many children and adults, yet cost remains a major barrier to care. HB 5433 would ensure state-regulated insurance plans provide meaningful coverage for hearing aids, testing, fittings, adjustments, and annual hearing evaluations.

The bill’s structure — including coverage for replacement devices every 36 months and up to $1,400 per ear — helps balance patient access with responsible healthcare spending while preserving patient choice.

Improving access to hearing care supports better educational outcomes for children, better workplace participation for adults, and better long-term cognitive and physical health for our aging population.

Greenbrier Audiology, Inc strongly encourages passage of HB 5433 to support healthier communities across West Virginia.

As a licensed audiologist practicing in West Virginia, I fully support House Bill 5433. Every day, I witness the significant impact untreated hearing loss has on communication, academic success, employment opportunities, cognitive well-being, and overall quality of life for both children and adults.

HB 5433 would expand access to essential hearing healthcare services by requiring coverage for hearing aids, audiologic evaluations, fittings, follow-up care, and at least one annual hearing assessment. The provision allowing coverage of up to $1,400 per ear—while preserving patient choice—offers a balanced, patient-focused solution.

In my clinical practice, cost is one of the primary reasons patients postpone or forgo treatment altogether. Improving access to hearing healthcare will lead to better outcomes and enable West Virginians to remain engaged in their families, workplaces, and communities.

I respectfully urge legislators to support HB 5433.

As a practicing audiologist in West Virginia, I strongly support House Bill 5433. I have seen firsthand how untreated hearing loss negatively affects communication, education, employment, cognitive health, and overall quality of life for both children and adults.

House Bill 5433 would provide meaningful access to hearing healthcare by requiring coverage for hearing aids, audiological evaluations, hearing aid fittings, and ongoing care, including at least one annual audiological evaluation. The allowance of up to $1,400 per ear, while still preserving patient choice, represents pragmatic and indivdualized care.

In my clinical experience, many patients delay or forgo treatment due to cost. Expanding access to hearing healthcare will improve patient outcomes and help West Virginians remain active and engaged with their families, workplaces, and communities.

I respectfully urge legislators to support House Bill 5433.

I fully support this bill to provide PEIA coverage for hearing aids for all ages. Hearing aids are medically necessary devices that help people communicate, learn, work, and stay connected. Without coverage, many families simply cannot afford them. Expanding coverage will improve quality of life, support children’s education, and help adults remain active and independent. This is a positive and needed step for our state.

Hearing is not a luxury!

I support House Bill 5433 because hearing care is essential healthcare, not optional care.

Hearing aids and hearing services are often too expensive for many families without insurance coverage. Because of cost barriers, many people delay or go without treatment, which can impact learning, communication, job performance, safety, and overall health.

Access to hearing care helps children succeed in school, helps adults stay active in the workforce, and helps older adults stay connected and independent.

Please support House Bill 5433 to improve access to hearing healthcare for West Virginia families.

1. We have a grandchild with Hearing Aids with private insurance, which does not pay for them. Simple question?? Why does medicaid recognize the treatment of hearing loss as a basic medical necessity, while most private medical insurance companies do not. Recent research has confirmed that hearing loss plays a vital role in both cognitive development and decline.  Therefore, the funding of treatment for hearing is essential to both young and the old. 

• Workers in other professions rely on death benefits under WV Code §23-4-10 (Workers’ Compensation).
• No separate, stand-alone funeral benefit statute exists for coal miners, correctional officers, highway workers, sanitation workers, teachers, or public utility workers.
• These professions also face documented occupational fatality risks.

1. Unequal statutory treatment – The benefit is profession-specific, not risk-specific.
2. Budget prioritization – The state continues carving out categorical benefits rather than evaluating equitable, uniform standards.
3. Policy inconsistency – If the Legislature recognizes line-of-duty death as warranting additional state support, the standard should apply to all high-risk public servants.

• Expanded rental assistance programs
• State housing trust fund contributions
• Water and sewer utility affordability measures
• Workforce development
• Public safety net services

1. Coverage Adequacy: Any clarification or limitation on coverage must ensure that policy limits remain sufficient to cover modern reconstruction costs. Construction and material costs have risen significantly in recent years. If coverage caps or structural limitations fail to keep pace with actual rebuilding costs, homeowners will bear uncompensated losses.
2. Risk Allocation: The Mine Subsidence Insurance Program exists because historical mining created long-term structural risk. Legislative changes should not shift more of that financial burden onto individual property owners or taxpayers through narrowed coverage or higher effective exposure.
3. Transparency and Actuarial Justification: Before altering statutory language regarding coverage limits, the Legislature should publicly disclose actuarial data demonstrating:
   • Current claim frequency and severity,
   • Solvency projections of the fund,
   • Whether existing limits are inadequate or excessive,
   • The fiscal necessity of the proposed clarification.
5. Public Protection Purpose: Chapter 33-30 was enacted to provide equitable availability of mine subsidence coverage statewide. Any amendment must preserve that protective purpose and avoid unintentionally weakening consumer safeguards.

• 25 years of service
  • Current formula (2.5%): 62.5% of final average salary
  • Proposed formula (3%): 75% of final average salary

• Investment returns underperform
• Contribution rates fall short
• Liabilities are underestimated

• Expand unfunded actuarial liabilities
• Create precedent for future retroactive enhancements
• Increase pension system volatility

• Projected 10-, 20-, and 30-year cost impacts
• Required employer contribution increases
• Impact on county budgets

• Retire under enhanced benefits
• Then return to work in covered or related positions

• Simultaneous pension draw and re-employment in the same system without actuarial neutrality
• Manipulation of final average salary calculations
• Pension spiking through late-career compensation adjustments

• Is similar enhancement being offered to teachers?
• EMS personnel?
• Public health workers?
• Corrections staff?
• Municipal employees?

• Population decline
• Aging demographics
• Workforce participation challenges

• Fully funded enhancements
• Transparent actuarial certification
• Structural safeguards against future unfunded liabilities

• Long-term solvency
• Intergenerational equity
• Structural pension reform
• Re-employment safeguards

• A full actuarial impact statement
• Anti-double-dipping safeguards
• Long-term funding guarantees
• Equity review across all public retirement systems

• A new revenue source
• A budget offset
• A funding cap
• A sunset provision

• A total projected annual cost
• A long-term fiscal impact estimate
• A funding sustainability analysis

• Reporting on how the funds are used
• Demonstration of recruitment or retention improvements
• Measurable public safety outcomes
• Oversight or auditing requirements specific to the new allocation

• Creates a permanent general revenue expenditure
• Lacks a dedicated funding source
• Provides no fiscal impact estimate in the bill text
• Includes no accountability or performance safeguards

• Dedicated revenue source or cap limiting how often commissions are paid
• Protection to ensure that the commission does not reduce net funds available for county services
• Impact analysis showing how this payment would affect county budgets

• Counties could face increased payroll costs.
• Local tax revenues intended for education, public safety, infrastructure, and other county functions could be diverted to fund these commissions.

• Tax collection performance is influenced by economic factors beyond a sheriff’s direct control (e.g., tax delinquency trends, property values, taxpayer hardship, state economic conditions).
• The bill does not require:
  • Reporting on how this incentive impacts collections over time,
  • Accountability for how any additional revenue is used,
  • Safeguards to ensure the incentive does not disincentivize equitable enforcement of tax liabilities.

• A fiscal note estimating the total annual and multi-year cost of these commissions statewide,
• A breakdown of how many counties currently achieve 85 % property tax collections,
• An assessment of how often the commission would be paid under current law and economic trends.

• Creating uneven compensation systems between counties of varying economic conditions,
• Encouraging a narrow focus on one financial indicator rather than a comprehensive view of county governance.

• Creates additional compensation for sheriffs tied to tax collection,
• Potentially diverts local tax revenue away from essential services,
• Lacks fiscal transparency and long-term cost assessment,
• Does not include accountability provisions linking the bonus to measurable public benefit outcomes.

• A structured review of child development studies found that higher screen use in early childhood is associated with poorer sleep, reduced physical activity, attention difficulties, and challenges in emotional and social functioning.  
• Research specific to preschoolers shows that routine use of devices to soothe or distract children can reduce self-regulation and is linked to lower inhibition and greater emotional lability.  

• Pediatric guidelines (e.g., American Academy of Pediatrics) recommend no screen time under age 2 and no more than ~1 hour/day for ages 2–5, because exceeding these is associated with developmental delays and negative outcomes.  

• A pediatric behavioral study found that children with ≥2 hours/day of screen time showed more behavioral problems and ADHD-like symptoms, and mechanisms like excessive dopamine release from screen engagement make devices harder to disengage from (a marker of addictive patterns).  

• A dedicated funding source to offset expanded eligibility,
• A specific actuarial impact analysis,
• Or a revenue-neutral mechanism to absorb increased liabilities.

1. The actuarial cost of expansion,
2. The long-term impact on system solvency,
3. Contribution rate adjustments,
4. And generational fiscal sustainability.

• In public court filings, Justice agreed to pay more than $5 million in overdue federal income taxes going back to 2009, and IRS liens totaling over $8 million were recorded against him and his wife for unpaid taxes. 
• Forbes reported his personal net worth fell below zero due to liabilities exceeding assets, and historical financial disputes involving businesses he owns include large judgments for unpaid bills. 

• Governor Morrisey has publicly advocated additional income tax cuts and tax relief measures. 
• Independent analysts have noted that proposals to shift away from a progressive income tax toward broader exclusions would primarily benefit higher-income taxpayers and risk destabilizing the tax structure. 

• State revenue projections
• Education, healthcare, and infrastructure funding
• Tax fairness across income levels

• It likely erodes the state tax base,
• It favors wealthier taxpayers at the expense of working families,
• It is advanced by public officials with documented personal and corporate tax controversies, and
• It lacks independent economic justification.

1. spend time filling out paperwork for taxes
2. opening up personal information on tax forms to ID theft
3. costing the state money to refund the loan made to them over a year there are additional benefits.....
4. Tourists pay sales taxes while visiting the state adding to the tax base.
5. It is more fair as it makes all put in some money to the system in tax dollars.  And those on EBT/Food Stamps don't pay taxes on food (if that is added in) anyway thus giving them a break from the sales tax on essentials.
6.  8% with no income tax is reasonable.  Working on occasions in Texas and in-laws in Tennessee its a reasonable amount.  Their sales taxes are higher and yet no income taxes.

Hello,

My name is Tyler Harto, and I am the Owner and Operator of Living My Best Cigar Life – Moundsville, LLC. I also consult for Living My Best Cigar Life in Wheeling. I am writing to respectfully ask you to let HB 5631 die in committee or vote NO on this bill.

HB 5631 would significantly increase costs on premium tobacco products. For small brick-and-mortar businesses like mine, this is not a minor adjustment — it is potentially devastating. If this bill passes and requires a floor tax on existing inventory, it will result in an immediate tax bill of approximately $2,000 based on our current stock. For a small business operating on tight margins, that alone could force us to close our doors.

Beyond the direct financial impact, this legislation would push customers out of our communities and across state lines — particularly to Pennsylvania — to avoid higher taxes. That means West Virginia loses tobacco tax revenue, local sales tax revenue, the 1% municipal tax, and the economic activity that supports revitalization efforts in our small towns.

What makes this even more concerning is that our pipe tobacco community has been steadily growing over the last two years. We are now drawing customers from as far east as Chambersburg, PA, as far west as Cincinnati, OH, as far south as Charleston, WV, and as far north as Ashtabula, OH. That is real economic impact being brought into West Virginia.

Our industry is already extremely challenging in this state. After four years in business, I can tell you that very few manufacturer representatives travel into West Virginia. Most do not go past Pittsburgh or Columbus because West Virginia is not considered a “target market.” In fact, our sales representative drives two and a half hours south just to visit our shop and give our customers the attention they deserve.

When I attended the Premium Cigar Association Trade Show in 2025, there were over 400 cigar vendors present. Many could not identify West Virginia on a map, did not know who their sales representative was for our state, or did not even sell directly into West Virginia — instead requiring us to purchase through third-party distributors.

That is the reality of doing business here. We are already fighting an uphill battle to bring premium products and outside dollars into our communities. HB 5631 would not strengthen small tobacco shops — it would weaken or eliminate them.

Premium cigars are not comparable to vape products or mass-market tobacco. They are handcrafted, premium products typically enjoyed occasionally by adult consumers. Treating them the same under tax policy does not reflect the reality of the market.

Over the past year alone, we have absorbed significant cost increases due to tariffs and rising import costs from countries where premium cigars are produced. Retail pricing is already 6–15% higher than last year.

For example:

• An Aganorsa Leaf Robusto Connecticut that previously sold for $8.99 now retails for $11.50.
• With tariffs, the federal excise tax of $0.40 per cigar, and a potential state tax increase under HB 5631, that same cigar could retail for approximately $15.60.

At some point, consumers simply will not pay the price — and small West Virginia businesses like mine will not survive.

I fully understand that tobacco use is a personal choice. However, legislation that disproportionately harms small, locally owned businesses while driving revenue out of state does not strengthen West Virginia’s economy.

I respectfully urge you to consider the real-world consequences of HB 5631 and respectfully urge you to stand with small West Virginia businesses and oppose HB 5631.

Thank you for your time and service to our state.

Sincerely,

Tyler Harto
Owner & Operator
Living My Best Cigar Life – Moundsville, LLC

• Advanced electronics and data infrastructure
• Semiconductor components
• Heavy mining and energy equipment
• Medical supplies and pharmaceuticals
• Large-scale construction materials

• Workforce training investment
• Infrastructure modernization
• Energy grid reliability
• Clear cost-benefit analysis
• Transparent fiscal reporting