2020 LEGISLATIVE AGENDA
Economic Development & Regional Cooperation
VA WEST SUPPORTS:
- VATI funding for public-private partnerships to expand affordable and accessible broadband and telecommunication services across the commonwealth to support economic development, telework, telemedicine, and tele-education access to underserved populations.
- Funding for economic development programs available through the Virginia Economic Development Partnership and GO Virginia.
- Tax reform measures to strengthen and defend Virginia’s business climate.
- Expanded incentives for angel and venture capital investments in Virginia businesses and increased funding to commercialize regional research spinoff and startup businesses.
- Protection of Virginia’s existing Right-to-Work laws.
- Investment in job training, education, and in-demand skills as means to higher earning potential, with regard for the implications of higher minimum wage mandates on jobs and small business operations.
- The continued safe development of cost effective, traditional and renewable energy sources to meet business needs.
Workforce Development & Education
- Increased FastForward funding and support for the G3 program.
- Initiatives that strengthen connections among students, parents, educators, and guidance counselors of career and technical education (CTE) opportunities and regionally in-demand careers.
- Efforts to improve coordination between Virginia’s employers, job training programs, and education communities to meet industry, workforce, and student needs.
- Funding for regional career and technical education communities.
- Emphasis on STEM-H courses in K-12 and Virginia’s colleges and universities.
Transportation
- Expansion of passenger rail from Lynchburg to Bedford and Roanoke to New River Valley, and continued exploration of expansion to Bristol.
- Timely allocation of funding to accelerate improvements identified through the I-81 Corridor Improvement Plan.
- Continued exploration of innovative and sustainable funding mechanisms and additional SMART SCALE weighting to meet transportation needs in our VA West communities.
- Initiatives to expand air service at regional airports in our VA West communities.
- Construction of Interstate 73.
Healthcare
VA WEST SUPPORTS:
- Legislation that allows the creation of Multiple Employer Welfare Arrangements (MEWAs) which offer health plans to support health care affordability and accessibility for employers and employees.
- Initiatives and additional resources to address the future of mental and behavioral health treatment in the Commonwealth.