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Issues
The Decade of the Democrats More than 10 Years of Progress led by the Democrats in the Compiled by the WV Democratic Legislative Council 800 319-5716 - www.wvdlc.com - wvdlc@aol.com Economy and Taxes - No general tax increases in more than 15 years. - Have continued to reduce state debt, more than $900 million in the past two years. - Exemption of poorest - Lowered corporate net income taxes to make state more competitive with neighbors. - More than $300 million to bring water and sewer service to rural areas. - Billions in highway construction. Matched all available federal dollars. - Required that state employees must receive equal pay for equal work. - Passed the WV Steel Act of 2001 - Created the Clean Coal Technology Council Act - Created the Rainy Day Fund - Guaranteed payment of tax returns in a timely manner. - Shored up state pension programs - Restructured the Workers Compensation Program - Provided $43 million in flood aid. - Established an insurance fraud unit. - Claimed the states waters for state residents. - Exempted state and federal contract high technology companies from the sales and use tax. - Reduced the tax on food by 1 cent - a 16.6% reduction. - Reduced the physician provider tax. - Passed tort reform to cut down on lawsuit abuse. - Passed legislation to allow local government to consolidate services if approved by voters. - Passed legislation to prevent the Parkways Authority from issuing bonds or raising the tolls without the approval of the Legislature. - Raised the minimum wage for workers covered by state law. Encouraged the US Congress to pass hike for all workers. - Passed the Safe Schools Act. Automated student suspension and expulsion data. Provides juvenile justice records to public school officials. - Increased teacher and school service personnel salaries. - First in the nation in technology access and use in schools. More than $150 million invested. - Invested more than $1.7 billion in the school building authority. Constructed 97 new schools, 64 major renovations, 1200 smaller projects - Established the Promise Scholarship Program and have fully funded it - Established the Pre-Paid College Tuition Program - Created the Jobs Through Education Program - Established the Higher Education Grant and HEAPS part time Grant Funding - More than $170,000,000 in new money for higher education since 1995. - 4th and 8th graders have shown steady progress on NAEP since 1996. 68% of 4th graders and 62% of 8th graders scored at or above basic, compared to 52% and 47% in 1992. Scored above the national and south east average in Science. - Created a Character Education Program for schools. - Established Education Performance Audits. - Established the National Institute for Teaching Excellence. Health Care - Passed law that insurance companies cannot deny coverage for emergency room visits that prove non-life threatening. - Provide assistance to victims of domestic violence by requiring perpetrator to cover care costs. - Requires each newborn to be tested for hearing. - Established and expanded the Childrens Health Care Program. - Created a rural health care clinic system. - Required insurance companies to cover mammograms and pap smears. - Extended Medicaid benefits to uninsured women with breast or cervical cancer - Saved PEIA from collapse and paid backlog of claims. - Guaranteed state physicians insurance coverage. - Passed the smokeless tobacco tax - Passed legislation to lower prescription drug prices by developing a pricing schedule. Also establishes a low-income clearing house for free drugs and creates a discount card. - Small businesses with fewer than 50 workers can purchase insurance through a pool from private insurers. - Passed medical malpractice tort reform to keep doctors in - Created Healthy Start to put Physical Education and healthy snacks in schools. - Developed a low cost pre-paid health care program and discounted basic health insurance plans. - Passed legislation that parents must be informed before their under-age daughter receives an abortion. - Provided a stable source of funding for senior citizen centers, transportation and meals programs. - Passed legislation to allow grandparents the right to see their grandchildren in cases of divorce or separation. - Passed Homestead Exemption tax cut. - Passed legislation to allow individuals to make decision about health care. - COLAs for retired teachers and public employees. - Established the Affordable Housing Trust Fund - Established Childrens Visitation and Monitoring and - Passed all-terrain vehicle safety regulations. - Passed eminent domain law that limits government authority to take property for private development. - Passed law to define marriage as between a man and a woman only. - Passed sweeping mine safety laws. - Passed comprehensive domestic violence legislation. - Toughened juvenile crime laws. - Established uniform sentencing guidelines - Increased funding for state police salaries, personnel and equipment. - Provided funding to build six new prisons. - Increased correctional officer salaries. - Established a sex offender registry and increased penalties for stalking and harassment. - Created a criminal offense of soliciting a minor via computer. - Passed comprehensive ethics reform for public employees. - Reduced methamphetamine labs by restricting access to chemicals used in production. - Passed the Child Protection Act of 2006 which greatly increased penalties for sexual predators. - Reduced the legal limit for blood alcohol from .10 to .08 to keep drunk drivers off the road.
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