CHARLESTON - In an effort to assist the municipalities and citizens of the southern coalfields the representatives of Mingo County urge members of the Senate to take up coal severance tax legislation.

“We have been fighting 15 years for this legislation,” said Harry Keith White, D-Mingo. “It would be a huge benefit to the people of the southern coalfields and I truly hope they [The Senate] will take this up for consideration this Session.”

House Bill 4177 would dedicate an additional five percent of the coal severance tax to the county of origin. Specifically, the bill would provide that the State Treasurer would distribute 5 percent of the coal severance tax at the discretion of the Legislature. The money would be distributed to the various counties of this state in which the coal upon which this additional tax is imposed was located at the time it was removed from the ground.

The money will be put in a special fund known as the “County Severance Revenue Fund.” The money will then be distributed by the Secretary of Treasury to the respective county entitled to the money at the discretion of the legislature.

“I am hopeful that the Senate will recognize the importance of this legislation, and act on it with the same importance, because it is long overdue,” said Steven Kominar, D-Mingo. “The people of West Virginia, and the southern coalfields in particular, have built this state and nation with coal only to see a small portion of the profits go back into the counties and communities where it came from.”

Delegate White and Kominar added that they appreciated the support this legislation had in the House and they hope it gets the same support in the Senate.