CHIEF LOGAN STATE PARK — State legislators and business officials met last night at the West Virginia Business and Industry Council (BIC) town meeting at the Earl Ray Tomblin Convention Center in Chief Logan State Park to discuss several policy changes needed to improve the state's business climate.

Jan Vineyard, chair of BIC, presented recommendations and local businesses and legislators attended the event.

Vineyard said there are several policy changes that need to be made, but, first and foremost on everyone's mind is the coal industry. The meeting's title was "Getting Tough in Tough Times."

"Our number one issue is coal," Vineyard said. "The West Virginia Chamber of Commerce is part of our group and they surveyed business leaders throughout the state right and, for the first time that I can remember, people in West Virginia are more concerned over federal issues than they are state issues. Number one is cap and trade and energy. That's West Virginia's livelihood."

Senate President Earl Ray Tomblin said coal is vital to the future of West Virginia and the loss of coal jobs could be devastating to the state.

"The Business and Industry Council is made up of all the business groups from contractors to the coal association, gasoline distributors, petroleum distributors and manufacturers. It's the whole business community and they have an organization that focuses specifically on business issues they'd like to see passed," Senate President Tomblin said. "Obviously, I think the main issues are the economy, coal and the budget. At the Beckley meeting, Bill Raney (with the West Virginia Coal Association) focused on coal and how it will affect the state and taxes and the budget."

The Environmental Protection Agency has pulled several surface mine permits that had already been approved and is re-evaluating those permits. Several meetings have been held locally and in Charleston with the governor, local officials and legislators about what impact the loss of coal could have on West Virginia.

Senator Ron Stollings (D-Boone) said healthcare is another key issue that needs to be addressed.

"We still have a bunch of uninsured people and I think the federal government is trying to get those folks covered, but what I ask is at what cost," Stollings said. "And, will there be a cost shift? It's hard for me to imagine with all the baby boomers getting ready to go into Medicare, how are they going to cut Medicare by a huge amount of money. Some of the reforms we are trying to get on a statewide level is to get everyone covered and get everyone a medical home and try to do more preventive things. We are spending 80 percent of the healthcare dollar on 20 percent of the patients and those are people with chronic illnesses and chronic diseases. We need to do a better job with that. And we are also spending so much money without much value at the end of life.

"There is money to be saved in the system. It's not to cut people off or ration. It's just to do good, value, good cost-effective medicine."

Vineyard agreed that healthcare is a big worry for people and businesses.

"The number two (worry for West Virginians) is healthcare," Vineyard said. "Businesses are worried about the cost shift, will they be able to afford it and what's it going to do to employment."

The West Virginia Business and Industry Council represents more than 50 businesses and organizations in the state. BIC has identified several critical business issues that need to be addressed in West Virginia. Some of the issues to be discussed are the current environmental and political obstacles facing the state’s energy industries, the need for civil justice reform, health care cost-shifting concerns of employers and other important business topics.

About 10 business officials and legislators turned out for the meeting, which was the ninth and final forum in the series held around the state.

"We saved the best for last," Vineyard said. She attributed the low turnout to the holidays.