OMEGA News - OMEGA - West Virginia Oil Marketers & Grocers Association

Details: Press; June 14, 2010

Gov. Joe Manchin early this morning declared a State of Emergency for Logan, McDowell, Mingo and Wyoming counties due to continuous rainfall, which has caused flooding and mudslides and may cause additional damage in those areas.

The governor and state emergency management officials are closely monitoring stream levels and the governor has mobilized the West Virginia National Guard.

The declaration enables the implementation of the state’s Emergency Operations Plan and the activation of the State’s Emergency Operations Center. The state of emergency allows the governor to direct special resources to the affected areas that otherwise would not be available. It remains in effect for 30 days unless extended or rescinded by the governor.

Details: Press; May 20, 2010

Gov. Joe Manchin has declared a state of emergency for Kanawha County and its surrounding counties due to excessive rain, flooding and mudslides that occurred over the past several days.

“Many of our citizens are dealing with the aftermath of the recent heavy rains. This state of emergency will help provide them with the necessary assistance where it is needed. I have requested that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) work with the state to conduct preliminary damage assessments to determine if this event will qualify for a federal disaster declaration,” said the governor.

State and local emergency management officials have been on site, assessing damages and offering additional assistance. Thus far, flood-related damage has involved water crossing roadways, water into homes and mudslides.

The state of emergency allows the governor to direct special resources to the affected areas that otherwise would not be available. The state of emergency declaration remains in effect until June 4, unless extended or rescinded by another proclamation by the governor.

For emergencies, residents should call 911. To report damage or for non-emergency assistance, residents should contact their county emergency operations centers.

Manchin said, “When flooding occurs, our main concern is for the safety of our citizens. I urge our citizens to use an abundance of caution in these flooded areas.”

Details: Press; May 03, 2010

Call to Action - Interchange Vote

Urge Senators to Support Interchange Relief Amendments. These Amendments Will Be Voted on in the Coming Days

Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) has offered amendments to address interchange fee reform on behalf of merchants and consumers to S. 3217, The Restoring American Financial Stability Act, which is currently being considered by the Senate. These amendments represent the best chance to enact interchange reform this year, therefore its imperative that your Senators are supportive.
What the amendments do:

S. Amendment # 3771: Amendment to limit payment card networks from imposing anti-competitive restrictions on businesses and other entities that accept payment cards. This amendment would prevent card networks like Visa and MasterCard from: prohibiting sellers from offering discounts to use one card network as opposed to another; prohibiting sellers from offering discounts to customers for use of a particular form of payment (cash, check, debit card, stored value card or credit card); and prohibiting sellers from setting maximum or minimum transaction amounts for a form of payment.

S. Amendment # 3769: Amendment to ensure that the fees that businesses and other entities are charged for accepting debit cards are reasonable and proportional to the costs incurred. This amendment would give authority to the Federal Reserve Board to issue regulations to ensure that any interchange fee imposed on a debit card transaction is “reasonable and proportional” to the cost incurred in processing the transaction. The amendment includes a carve-out for debit cards issued by small banks and credit unions with assets of $1 billion or less.

The Senate is expected to vote on the amendments in the coming days, therefore your IMMEDIATE ACTION is requested. If you receive feedback from Senator Byrd or Senator Rockefeller's office, we ask that you please forward that information to OMEGA. PMAA, NACS and N.G.A. are working very hard on this issue and we need to do what we can to support this effort.
Retailers can contact their Senators via the Capitol switchboard toll-free at (877) 224-0041. The message is: “As a small businessman, I am COUNTING on your support of the Durbin/Leahy/Landrieu Amendment #3771 and the Durbin Amendment # 3769.”

Details: Press; April 25, 2010

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Details: Press; January 21, 2010

The West Virginia Oil Marketers & Grocers Association (OMEGA) is calling upon Governor Manchin to lift the State of Emergency classification on fuel in West Virginia so that transportation and heating fuel providers can continue to have adequate supply.