| By Bob Weaver
In a state where coal is king, Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin has signed a bill blocking Tesla Motors from opening its electric car stores in West Virginia.
Tomblin spokesman Chris Stadelman says the bill helps locally owned auto dealerships, saying they are "important to the fabric of West Virginia communities and support civic and non-profit groups."
Previously, Tomblin expressed frustration about the Telsa blocking bill passed by the legislature, saying "One of my goals is to attract business and bring jobs into the state."
The Charleston Gazette said, "For a legislative session that was touted as being all about job creation and economic development, the true motto of the 2015 regular session could be, "Rollback, Repel, Regress."
Not only was Telsa nixed, but ride-sharing businesses such as Uber were denied access to operate in the Mountain State.
The Uber business was actually killed in committee when Delegate Tom Fast, R-Fayette, attempted to amend a passenger nondiscrimination policy for taxi and ride-share services in order to make it legal to refuse passengers based on their sexual orientation or gender identity.
The actions against Telsa and Uber combined likely sent a message that outsiders are not welcome, business competitors are not welcome, and innovation is not welcome in West Virginia.
See ANOTHER WIN AGAINST THE WAR ON COAL: BILL HOWLEY: AE Power Seeks To Stifle West Virginian's Energy Freedom
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