VOLUME 3.0 | SPECIAL EDITION | Jan 2010
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2010 General Assembly Preview | | |
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Excerpt from President & CEO Brett Vassey's end-of-year letter:
The Virginia General Assembly has been increasingly responsive to the needs of the manufacturing sector over the last decade. In fact, the VMA had a 100% success rate with 2009 priority legislation, whereas only around 30% of all legislative proposals passed last session. Specifically, Virginia manufacturers will be able to elect corporate income tax apportionment based upon sales only by 2014. Certified pollution control equipment will no longer be taxed as machinery and tools. Stormwater management districts will have to provide some level of credit or exemption for businesses with stormwater permits. In total, the VMA estimates the aggregate value of the 2009 priority bills alone may exceed $75 million per year.
In 2010, we anticipate continued legislative success, but will have to change our advocacy program to address the growth in energy and environmental bills as last session they represented nearly 39% of all the bills managed by the association. In particular, we are working to insure that legislators must obtain an economic impact assessment for proposed energy-related mandates on the consumers before they are considered for a vote. We are asking the General Assembly to eliminate the machinery and tools tax on all new technology investments. We will also be moving legislation to enhance career and technical education and economic development this year, among other priorities.
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VMA 2010 Priority Legislation |
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The VMA is focusing its attention on bills that will continue to improve the business environment in Virginia for manufacturers and their suppliers. The following are descriptions of VMA priority legislation.
1. Virginia Technology Investment Act - HB613
-will eliminate Machinery & Tools taxation on certain new technology investments 2. Energy Mandates Impact Assessment
-will require an economic impact statement to be developed before voting on legislation involving energy mandates
3. Single Sales Factor Amendment - HB1122
-will remove employment compliance requirements and tax penalties from the original bill
4. Workers Compensation Billing Reform
-will develop a WCC task force to develop recommendations for reform of workers compensation billing practices
5. Offshore Wind Commission - SB393
-will facilitate the development of offshore wind energy
6. Virginia Workplace Readiness Skills Attainment Reporting Resolution - HJ101 & SJ50
-will ensure the Board of Education implements and measures VA Workplace Readiness Skills curriculum and testing in the K-12 system
7. Workforce Development System Reform - HB1041 & HB1043
-will reform both the Virginia Workforce Council and the office of the Chief Workforce Development Officer
To follow all of the legislation of the 2010 General Assembly session being monitored by the VMA, please regularly visit our Legislative Action Center at http://capwiz.com/vmaonline/home/
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Join us for the NEW members conference call! |
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As a way to keep members up-to-date on the activities of the VMA, we will begin hosting quarterly, half-hour conference calls this year. We look forward to your participation in the first of these calls on January 20, 2010 at 1pm. To join the call, please use the following access information:
Access number: 1-866-251-7725
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