Letter to the Editor urges Governor to support veterans’ House Bill 4267 on Special Session agenda

Our state stepped up and approved legislation to build a new Veterans Nursing Home in Beckley. It was because of the leadership of Sen. Mike Green for introducing SB 523 to build this much needed facility and because of the commitment to our Veterans by Sen. Erik Wells, chairman of the Senate Military Committee, and Delegate Richard Iaquinta, chairman of the House Veterans Committee.

We also thank Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin for demonstrating his support of our veterans by signing this bill. Rick Thompson, secretary of the Department of Veterans Assistance, introduced HB 4267 to gain financing for our new nursing home and to provide financing needed by his department to help the veterans of our state.

The intention of the bill was to legalize the sale of fireworks in our state. Currently fireworks are purchased in surrounding states and brought back to West Virginia for celebrating holidays. The taxes are paid to other states and we do not benefit from their sale. This bill passed the House without one single nay vote and was sent to the Senate where we ran into a problem in the Judiciary Committee where Chairman Palumbo allowed the bill to be amended into something that would not pass the Senate or House. The bill died in the Judiciary Committee.

We have one last opportunity to get HB 4267 passed this year and that is to ask Gov. Tomblin to place the bill on his list of items to be considered when he calls the Legislature back to session on May 19.  We ask you to contact Gov. Tomblin and ask him to once again support our veterans by putting the House passed version of HB4267 on his agenda.

The contact information for Gov. Tomblin is:  http://www.governor.wv.gov/Pages/SubmitaCommenttotheGovernor.aspx
Office Telephone: (304) 558-2000 FREE  or 1-888-438-2731

Please take a minute and contact Gov. Tomblin and ask him to move this bill.Jack Tincher
Legislative Chairman
West Virginia Veterans Coalition