2012 LEGISLATIVE ISSUES
Reporting State Tax Breaks for Job Creation on the Internet - Good Jobs Internet Reporting Act
The issue West Virginians are perhaps most anxious about is jobs. I am dedicated to making sure that our state government does everything possible to help West Virginians obtain and keep good jobs with decent benefits. At the same time, it is important that the Legislature carefully mo investments to create jobs when taxpayers' money is being spent.
That is why I am introducing the Good Jobs Internet Reporting Act, which will involve the public in helping enforce promises to create new jobs that are made with our tax money. It's time to end the secrecy!
For several years, the Legislature has tried to get more information from the Executive Branch about the success or failure of job promotion efforts. In 2010, I drafted House Concurrent Resolution 134 (HCR 134), authorizing the Legislature to conduct its own investigation of state subsidies to create jobs. The result of our investigation was a report by the Legislature's Performance Evaluation and Research Division (PERD) on the efforts of West Virginia and other states to evaluate job creation investments.
We know it is possible to provide this information – PERD's report revealed that our state was able to provide numbers and details about jobs created with stimulus money, as required by federal law. But when it came to disclosing information about state investments to create jobs, PERD concluded West Virginia was in last place, tied with 25 other states which provide little or no information about companies that receive tax breaks for job creation. The PERD report relied heavily on work done by the non-profit group, Good Jobs First. Good Jobs First is the nation’s leading resource for grass roots groups and public officials seeking to make economic development more accountable and effective.
My Good Jobs Internet Reporting Act will require reporting on the Internet of all tax money diverted from the state budget for job creation purposes. Using other state statutes as a model, this new bill will require detailed reporting of information about state subsidies to create jobs, including the name of the business, number of jobs actually created, and the salaries and benefits provided. Many states have already passed this type of legislation. Most recently, the Oregon Legislature unanimously passed legislation requiring accountability and transparency for tax breaks for job creation.
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