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Yahoo
13-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
West Virginia's legislative session ends with few of Morrisey's priorities headed to his desk
House Speaker Roger Hanshaw adjourns the House of Delegates sine die on Saturday, April 12, 2025, at the end of the regular session of the West Virginia Legislature. (Perry Bennett | West Virginia Legislative Photography) West Virginia lawmakers wrapped up the legislative session Saturday, completing action on 247 of the 2,460 bills that were introduced over 60 days. Overall, the 2025 legislative session was marked by party disagreements within the GOP supermajority as well as tension between lawmakers and Gov. Patrick Morrisey. Lawmakers and Morrisey first disagreed on whether the state was facing a $400 million budget deficit, then many of his priority bills were shot down. Despite that, in a news release hours before sine die, Morrisey said his agenda was approved by the West Virginia Legislature. 'When I took office just three months ago, I promised to address West Virginia's challenges head on, bringing the type of change that moves the needle and invigorates our state,' the Republican governor said. Morrisey's State of the State address — as well as multiple executive orders levied in his first few days in office — gave lawmakers pretty clear insight into what policy priorities — like religious exemptions to the state's strict childhood vaccine laws and a ban on diversity programs in state government — the new governor wanted to see passed in his first legislative session. But getting those policies across the finish line proved challenging and, in some cases, unsuccessful. The GOP-led Legislature swiftly passed Morrisey's bill that will for the first time define the terms 'man' and 'woman' in state code by a person's biological sex. It was the first priority to make it the governor's desk, and he held a ceremonial bill signing with former collegiate swimmer Riley Gaines, who has spoken out against trans women in sports. The measure, Senate Bill 456, will also restrict transgender individuals' access to spaces like bathrooms or locker rooms that align with their gender identity. There is no empirical evidence to support claims that trans people commit harassment or assault against others when using bathrooms or facilities that align with their gender identity. Instead, people who are trans are more likely to be victims of such attacks when forced to use facilities that don't match their gender identity. Morrisey's push for repealing the Certificate of Need process in the state died early in the session when the House Committee on Health and Human Resources — on Feb. 24 — voted against House Bill 2007, meaning it never went to the floor for a full vote. HB 2007 was one of the first tests for Morrisey's influence in the Legislature, and specifically among members of the House. Several lawmakers who held concerns about repealing the certificate of need process told members of the media, in interviews and elsewhere, that they did not appreciate the strategies employed by the governor and his staff while they attempted to whip votes in support of the legislation. '[Completely repealing CON] is one of the governor's priority bills, but the governor is trying to, for lack of better words, force people to vote his way just because it's his way and sending people around, pulling people out of committees to talk to them, to try to get them to switch their vote — we've gotten off to a bad start,' said Del. Scot Heckert, R-Wood, said on HD Media's Outside the Echo Chamber in February. '… When you start telling people what to do 'or else' — especially West Virginia people — that doesn't go very well.' A month later, Del. Chris Anders, R-Berkeley, attempted to discharge the bill from the Health Committee and to the House floor. After a brief fight over rules and constitutionality of that motion, the full House voted in support of discharging the bill. Ultimately, however, members voted 74-16, effectively killing repeal of CON a second and final time this session. Meanwhile, the Senate never moved on their version of a bill to do the same. Like CON, Morrisey's attempt to water down the state's vaccine requirements petered out, dealing another blow to the governor's list of priorities. SBl 460 would have allowed religious exemptions for the state's school vaccine requirements and revised the process by which families get medical exemptions for the requirements. The Senate passed the bill with a vote of 20-2, but the House of Delegates voted it down 42 to 56. The Senate Health Committee earlier this week amended the language of the bill into HB 2776, which requires the state to report positive tests for Alpha-gal, a tickborne allergic condition, to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The amendment was withdrawn Thursday. The state has been one of only five that allow only medical exemptions to school immunization requirements. Morrisey issued an executive order requiring the state to allow religious exemptions on his second day in office. The state health department has said it will comply with Morrisey's executive order even though the Legislature didn't pass the bill. The bill to ban nearly all diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in West Virginia state government passed the House and Senate in the final hours of the session, with the Senate making its final decision on the bill with less than minutes to go Saturday night. SB 474, which is the legislative side of an executive order posed by Morrisey that bans offering specific services or opportunities to people based on their race, color, ethnicity, country of origin and, in some instances, sex. It's reflective of a trend spearheaded by Republicans nationwide meant to undermine and end DEI in all its forms. The bill only applies to DEI policies and initiatives in state and local governments and schools, including institutions of higher education. It passed the state Senate 32-2 on March 26, when Republican proponents for it alleged that such services shouldn't exist because 'we don't need [them] anymore.' They said that while issues like racism may be real, they are no longer a problem in West Virginia. Systemic racism and sexism, however, are unequivocally still present in West Virginia and the United States as a whole. When the bill came up for consideration in the House on Saturday evening, there were 27 amendments — 24 filed by Democrats and three from Del. Bill Flanigan, R-Ohio, were pending on the legislation — awaiting consideration. After hours of going through the amendments the House eventually signed off on the legislation. When the Senate went to concur on the House's amendments, Sen. Joey Garcia, D-Marion, filed multiple amendments on the bill, but the Senate enacted unclear parliamentary procedures to side-step the typical process of taking up amendments. Garcia and Senate Minority Leader Mike Woelfel, D-Cabell, attempted to speak on the bill but their efforts were blocked. The Senate passed the bill in the last 10 minutes of the session. Garcia and Woelfel voted no on the measure. HB 2014, which would create a certified microgrid program in the state for data centers that lawmakers hope will locate here, was a late addition to Morrisey's legislative agenda. The bill was introduced by request of Morrisey on March 18 — more than halfway through the 2025 regular session. The bill was subject to dozens of amendments as it made its way through both the House and the Senate, including changes to how taxes collected on data centers would be distributed, policies regarding how microgrids would operate and requirements for those microgrids as well as other utilities. The bill initially passed the House on April 1. After more changes in the Senate, lawmakers there approved their version on April 11. Those who voted against HB 2014 in both chambers shared concerns over the potential for electric rate increases if the bill were to pass. They also voiced discontent with measures that removed local control and enforcement of certain regulations for counties and municipalities where data centers could be built. On the last night of session, even more adjustments came in the legislation, which changed the tax structure for any data centers that are located in West Virginia, among other things. The two chambers did find compromise on that version of the bill, with the House passing the amended version 82-16 with two members absent and not voting. The Senate concurred with the House's changes to the legislation Saturday evening and voted yet again to pass the legislation, sending it to Morrisey's desk for signage. The Legislature also completed legislation on SB 458, which allows licensed and certified professionals to practice in West Virginia without taking additional examinations to attain local licensure or certification. Morrisey signed the bill, calling it a 'huge step forward to make West Virginia more competitive, attract jobs and workers, and grow opportunities for both current and future residents.' In his State of State, Morrisey called for teacher pay raises as West Virginia's public school teachers are the least paid in the nation. He never requested a bill that could have implemented a raise. He did, however, push a measure passed by both chambers, HB 2003, that would limit the use of personal electronic devices like cell phones in school classrooms during instructional time. If counties permit students to bring a cell phone on school property, counties are tasked with developing their own policies. Students may be required to store the devices in containers or pouches provided by the county. Lawmakers also passed HB2755 that would give lawmakers the ability to review or challenge West Virginia Board of Education polices — even though citizens soundly rejected that in a statewide vote in 2022. Opponents of the legislation have said it is unconstitutional and likely to be challenged before the state Supreme Court. Another high-profile education measure, SB 199, would bolster elementary school teachers' ability to remove disruptive and violent students passed the Senate and House. The measure, two years in the making, was a top request from West Virginia teachers who said worsening student behavior — particularly among the state's youngest learners — impeded their ability to teach. Numerous bills relating to campaigns and elections, as well as governmental functions generally, were considered by lawmakers this session. Some related to financing in elections while others implemented changes on how residents can vote and who, under certain terms, is allowed to run for office. The state is poised to tighten its laws on acceptable forms of photo identification that can be used at West Virginia polling places. HB 3016, meant to address voter fraud and bolster secure elections, would require a photo ID — typically a driver's license, passport or a resident identification card — to vote in-person. Lawmakers completed legislation on SB 50, requiring municipalities to hold their elections on the same date as statewide elections, on Saturday night. In the final version, cities would have until 2032 to align their elections with those by the state. They also enacted SB 490, which prohibits rank-choice voting in the state. The bill was marked by Republican Secretary of State Kris Warner as a priority for his office before session began in February, even though rank-choice voting does not occur in the state.. A bill regarding absentee ballots — HB 2117 — died after passing in the House when the Senate did not take it up. The bill would have set a deadline of 7:30 p.m. on Election Day for absentee ballots to be received and prohibited people or entities from sending absentee ballot applications to people who did not ask for them. And — in a rare move this session — Republican lawmakers in the House joined with Democrats in rejecting HB 2719, which would have allowed businesses and corporations in the state to directly donate up to $2,800 to political candidates. The body voted 54-41 against the bill. HB 3412, a bill that would have revised the state's Freedom of Information Act, passed in both chambers, but died after the House of Delegates did not take up a message to concur on the Senate's changes to the legislation. There were a number of foster care bills, many a year in the making, that were meant to address widespread problems in the state's overburdened child welfare system currently serving more than 6,000 kids. The majority of those measures never made it up for a vote or failed to complete legislative action, but HB 2880 – an omnibus bill that brought together several foster care measures — passed the House and Senate through negotiations Saturday night. A part of the bill would create a 'Parent Resource Navigator' to assist a parent to be unified or reunified with their child. A slew of bills were introduced this year that would have drastically changed what services are available to people who use drugs or who are in recovery from substance use disorder. Despite early movement, most of those ended up stalling out in committees without being taken up for serious consideration — including two bills to ban and limit syringe service programs, a bill to ban opioid treatment programs and add a tax to lifesaving Narcan in order to fund a 'tip line' for people who provide tips that allow law enforcement to prosecute trafficking crimes. Perhaps the most impactful piece of drug legislation that was adopted this year was SB 196, which introduces mandatory minimum sentences into state code for transporting cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine and fentanyl into West Virginia. The bill also removes alternative sentencing options — like probation or home confinement — for those who are jailed on those charges. The legislation was adopted by the Senate on March 11. Lawmakers in the House amended the bill, changing how drugs would be weighed to determine penalties and also removing a provision saying someone would have to be aware of fentanyl being present in their drugs to be charged under certain parts of the code. The amended version passed the House on April 11 and the Senate accepted the House's changes to the law the next day. While abortion in the state is already illegal except in rare circumstances, the Senate passed SB 85, which would have targeted out-of-state health care providers and others who send abortion-causing medication to people in West Virginia, except when it's legal. The bill died after the House of Delegates did not take it up. The House Health and Human Resources Committee considered but never passed HB 2350, which would have prohibited food stamp recipients from using their benefits to purchase soft drinks and candy. Morrisey signed a bill that will ban a list of artificial food dyes from being included in food items sold in grocery stores or in school lunches. The measure, HB 2354 received heavy pushback from the food and beverage industry, who say it will raise prices for many drinks and shelf-stable foods. The ban on dyes in school food is set to take effect in August, and the rest of the ban will take effect in 2028. An attempt to pass a statewide camping ban aimed at homeless people failed after the Senate moved HB 2382 to the rules committee and never put it back on the calendar for a vote. The legislation passed in the House with a 89 to 9 vote. The bill, which wasn't a priority for Morrisey, would have imposed fines of up to $500 and up to 30 days in jail for people who use camping paraphernalia — including tarps, cots, beds, sleeping bags, blankets, mattresses, hammocks or portable cooking facilities and similar equipment — on governmental or public property, grounds or lawns. The Senate Health Committee considered but never passed SB 614, which would have allowed pharmacists in the state to sell ivermectin for human use over the counter and without a prescription. The bill hinged upon the federal Food and Drug Administration approving the drug — which is commonly prescribed for animals to treat some parasites — for human use in wider circumstances than currently allowed. The Legislature completed legislation on SB 427, which would repeal the requirement that 14- and 15-year-olds seeking employment have a work permit. The minimum legal age to work in West Virginia is 14. Current state law requires 14- and 15-year-olds who want to work to get a permit from their school superintendent. Under the bill, employers seeking to hire the teenagers would be required to obtain an age certificate verifying the child's age from the state Division of Labor and the written consent of the child's parent or guardian. Proponents of the legislation say it simplifies the process for teens seeking employment. Opponents say that work permits are important to help ensure compliance with child labor laws. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
The Republican Party is keeping discrimination alive and strong in West Virginia
Gov. Patrick Morrisey addresses the public during his first State of the State speech on Feb. 12, 2025, where he called to eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion programs in the state. (Perry Bennett | West Virginia Legislative Photography) We have just 11 days left of the legislative session, and 26 bills have made it to the governor's desk. The success of the Legislature isn't based on how many bills it passes — it's if those bills are helping West Virginians. Let's start with the good bills. Senate Bill 283 would require students to take a personal finance class in order to graduate high school. I'm not a fan of the Legislature dictating what schools should be teaching — they don't even know their own governing body's rules — but this is an important life skill. Not everyone's family will teach them how to budget or how to file taxes, or even how to write a check. Some of us are 'blessed' with anxiety (I'm talking about me), and are cautious with our spending. Some people are more laissez faire and might spend, spend, spend and not worry about savings or paying bills when they first start out on their own. Honestly, it's surprising that schools haven't already been teaching some sort of personal finance — it's not all just common sense. Senate Bill 8 also does some good. It provides additional sites and devices for newborn safe surrender. These are sites where someone can drop off a baby without any legal repercussions for abandonment. It would also be good if the Legislature passed a few bills that offered more support to people with kids. They could help make child care more affordable and widely available, and ensure parents have paid parental leave. There are already almost 5,900 children in foster care, and I don't see the Legislature doing anything to try to get those numbers down. Which brings us to the bills that harm, not help West Virginians. Those include bills that make voting more difficult and eliminate ranked-choice voting (which already wasn't a thing in West Virginia). And we can't forget the transphobic legislation — Senate Bill 456, which is described as a bill to define 'men' and 'women,' but really is just putting a target on transgender people's backs. The House is also considering another anti-LGTBQ+ bill that could soon be on its way to the governor. The Senate has already passed Senate Bill 579, which would cancel out local municipalities Fairness Acts. That's right, the party of 'small government' is pushing for a bill that would prohibit city councils and county commissions from establishing their own nondiscrimination ordinances because the state won't pass its own. One West Virginia Republican thinks that racism isn't a problem anymore. 'I don't know where this came from, this idea that we are a racist country, that we don't give equality to women or to different religions or whatever the case may be,' said Sen. Scott Fuller, R-Wayne, in support of banning diversity, equity and inclusion in state government. 'Does [racism] exist? I'm sure it does. This is not a perfect world, we don't live in a perfect society, but to the point that it's a problem? I really don't believe it.' The Republican Party is keeping discrimination alive and strong in West Virginia by passing these bills that target LGBTQ+ people, refusing to pass the Crown Act and eliminating DEI initiatives. Democrats in both the House and Senate have introduced bills for the Crown Act. Why are Republicans so scared to make discrimination based on hairstyle and texture illegal? How can anyone say that diversity, equity and inclusion are bad things? What's so terrible about inclusion? Senate President Randy Smith is the sole sponsor on the bill for Gov. Patrick Morrisey's executive order. Governor, please tell West Virginians what it is specifically you don't like about diversity. DEI programs have benefitted white women as well as LGTBQ+ people, veterans and people with disabilities. I often hear people say they think that DEI leads to less qualified people getting a job over the most qualified white male candidate, and that's just not the case. In other words, those programs have helped West Virginians. That's the West Virginia I want to live in — where we help each other and not hate each other. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
22-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Fayetteville Mayor Rawn talks housing bill
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) — Arkansas state lawmakers say their new Senate bill is supposed to help alleviate a housing crisis, but Fayetteville Mayor Molly Rawn doesn't think so. Senate Bill 456, or the Home Opportunities Made Easier Act, is a state-wide mandate that would make zoning laws and regulations a moot point. The bill is an attempt to create more affordable housing throughout the state and allow for property owners to manage their land without local government interference no matter how it was previously zoned. Fayetteville Mayor Molly Rawn talks future developments at Washington County Veterans Town Hall Rawn says limiting local authority can have both positive and negative effects. 'It can be concerning when we start talking about the state limiting local authority to zone,' Rawn said. 'While there are some really well meaning outcomes that people may want to see, that can also lead to some really negative unintended consequences of really hindering local communities to being able to best serve the needs unique to them.' The bill has seen pushback from local communities despite being returned by the committee with the recommendation that it should pass. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
07-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Bill defining ‘men' and ‘women' passes WV House, sent back to Senate for final approval
Del. Shawn Fluharty, D-Ohio, questions Del. J.B. Akers, R-Kanawha, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, about a bill that would define "men" and "women" by biological sex in state code on Friday, March 7, 2025. (Perry Bennett | West Virginia Legislative Photography) A bill that would define 'men' and 'women' in state code — thus barring transgender people from using facilities in certain places that match their gender identity — passed the West Virginia House of Delegates on Friday. Senate Bill 456 already passed the state Senate earlier this week. Now, the bill will return to its originating body where lawmakers there will need to concur or deny amendments made to the bill in the House. With four members absent and not voting, the House approved the bill 87-9 on Friday; every Democrat in the body voted against the bill. SB 456 will, for the first time, define 'men' and 'women' in state code by tying the terms to a person's sex; it does not recognize the existence of nonbinary people or those who do not identify as 'male' or 'female,' though it does require that accommodations be made for people who are intersex or who are born with similar conditions. Through the definitions added to code, the bill bans transgender people from accessing bathrooms, locker rooms and other facilities that align with their gender identity. Those bans apply to all state-owned buildings, including public schools, higher education institutions, state corrections facilities and domestic violence shelters that receive state funding. There are no provisions, however, that levy criminal penalties against schools, higher education institutions or others who fail to uphold the bill's requirements. On Thursday, lawmakers in the House voted down an amendment from Del. Kayla Young, D-Kanawha, that would have stopped the proposed bill from allowing individuals to 'inspect' someone's genitals — adults or children — to prove their sex. The body did, via voice vote, approve an alternate amendment from Del. J.B. Akers, R-Kanawha, that will only allow a 'treating health care provider' to 'visually or physically examine a minor child' for the purpose of verifying their 'biological sex' without the 'consent of the child's parent, guardian, or custodian.' There are no protections against such exams for adults. In debate on the House floor Friday, Del. Mike Pushkin, D-Kanawha, said it's obvious that the point of passing laws like SB 456 is to gain political favor from those who have made denying trans people rights a staple of their beliefs. While the legislation may be legally toothless, he continued, it will still hurt people who are already marginalized — especially trans people. 'A bill like this does have real consequences, and real people do get hurt, and unfortunately, it's a very, very small subsection of our society that simply wants to exist and be left alone,' Pushkin said. 'Their elected officials instead run bills aimed directly at them, putting the target directly on their back because of the political expediency involved … I would gladly rather have a negative mailer sent out against me, really, than to be firmly planted on the wrong side of history today.' Akers, who chairs the House Committee on Judiciary which approved this bill before it came to the whole floor for a vote, said that he understands transgender people exist and 'should be treated with dignity and respect.' He continued, however, saying that dignity and respect should not include access to 'single-sex' spaces. 'There's a reason why we have federal laws such as the Violence Against Women Act,' Akers said. 'It's because we recognize the disparity in power between men and women, which, again, men and women are legally equal in all respects, but physically as a matter of common sense, they are not, which is why they deserve protections in places such as shelters and correctional institutions.' There is no empirical evidence to support claims that trans people commit harassment or assault against others when using bathrooms or facilities that align with their gender identity. Instead, people who are trans are more likely to be victims of such attacks when forced to use facilities that don't match their gender identity, according to a study from the Williams Institute at the UCLA School of Law. In that study, nearly 70% of transgender people surveyed said they experienced verbal harassment in gender-segregated bathrooms and changing rooms. Ten percent of respondents reported physical assault. Transgender children already face higher rates of harassment, assault and sexual violence than their cisgender peers. A 2019 study from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health found that the rate of sexual assaults against trans middle and high school students at schools that restrict their bathroom and locker room access based on sex jumped from 26% to 35% in the preceding 12 months. And in West Virginia, the state Coalition of Domestic Violence opposes the measure. A leader for the shelter told lawmakers that SB 456, if passed, could impact their ability to serve transgender individuals. Additionally, tight budgets could make it impossible to build separate spaces based on sex as required under the bill. 'It denies individual freedoms under the guise of protecting women and is counter to our survivor-centered and empowerment values,' the coalition said in a prior statement. SB 456 is one of several pieces of legislation lawmakers are considering that would explicitly target transgender people. On Thursday, the Senate passed a bill that would ban hormone treatment for children diagnosed with gender dysphoria, nearly eliminating any options in West Virginia for gender-affirming care for youth. Another measure would mandate that teachers tell parents when a child requests to be referred to by a name or pronouns that are different from the student's 'biological sex.' Democrats in the Legislature have criticized Republicans' focus on such bills, which they say don't do anything to improve issues in the state and instead attack a small percentage of people who are already marginalized. In a statement Friday, Andrew Schneider, director of the statewide LGBTQ advocacy organization Fairness West Virginia, said the bill is a continuation of the Legislature's 'all-out attack on transgender people.' 'Make no mistake: Gov. Patrick Morrisey's bathroom ban will hurt countless transgender people, but it will also hurt women who are not transgender,' he said. 'This bill empowers a hateful but vocal minority to question the gender of anyone using the bathroom in our state … When lawmakers police who is and isn't a woman, when they dictate what bodies are acceptable, when they decide who gets to be safe, we all lose.' In a line of questioning with Akers during discussion of SB 456 on Friday, Del. Shawn Fluharty, D-Ohio, asked whether any measure in the proposed legislation would bring revenue or jobs to the state's struggling economy. Akers, in response, said he is 'not aware of any.' 'It blows my mind how many times we could recycle the same damn bill over and over again — because that's what we're doing. Just recycle, wash, rinse, repeat, do nothing,' Fluharty said. '[These are ] bills that do nothing for people of West Virginia. [They] only do something for the politicians in West Virginia. [They are] election bills. That's what these are really about. Doesn't add one single job we just heard, doesn't add one single job. Doesn't raise one single dollar in the state.' The legislation is a key priority for Gov. Patrick Morrisey, who promised it in his State of the State speech last month. The bill is similar to last year's Women's Bill of Rights, which would have codified the definitions of 'man' and 'woman' and banned transgender people from using restrooms and locker rooms that align with their gender identity. The Legislature last year ran out of time to pass that bill, which was a priority for former Gov. Jim Justice. If the House's changes to the bill are approved by the Senate, SB 456 will be the third piece of Legislation requested by Morrisey that is sent to him for a signature. The first two — House Bill 2024 and HB 2025, which update terms for the state's personal income tax and corporate net income tax respectively — have already been signed by the governor. 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Yahoo
03-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Morrisey's priority bill defining ‘woman' and ‘man' clears WV Senate
The West Virginia Senate approved a bill that aims to keep transgender individuals from accessing women's bathrooms, locker rooms and other spaces. The measure would also define sex-based terms of female and male using biological sex. (Will Price | West Virginia Legislative Photography) The terms of 'woman' and 'man' would be defined using biological sex in state law, according to a bill approved Monday in the Senate. The measure, a priority piece of legislation for Gov. Patrick Morrisey, would also limit transgender individuals' access to women's bathrooms, locker rooms and domestic violence shelters. 'Currently, West Virginia has no law specifically defining men and women. The legislation seeks to remedy that,' said Sen. Mike Stuart, R-Kanawha. Senate Bill 456, contains no criminal penalties for schools, higher education institutions and others that would fail to uphold the bill's requirements. Sen. Joey Garcia, D-Marion, was the only Senator to vote against the measure, saying it was based on the 'idea of this boogeyman story of what might happen,' rather than on data or incidents that occurred in West Virginia. Garcia, who cited a Biblical story on the floor, said that his Christian faith had propelled him to vote against the measure. 'I believe that God made people how they are, and that he does not make mistakes, and that every child is a child,' he said. 'So this legislation, I believe, it hurts my neighbors. It does not love them. And for that reason, I will be a no.' In response, Sen. Rollan Roberts, R-Raleigh, said the Bible said that Genesis outlined male and female sexes. 'Stating the facts, as we see in the foundational book of the Bible, does not mean that there is a lack of love or compassion for anyone else on this earth, and I support the bill wholeheartedly,' Roberts said. The West Virginia Coalition of Domestic Violence opposes the measure, and a leader of a shelter told lawmakers that could impact their ability to serve transgender individuals. Additionally, tight budgets could make it impossible to build separate spaces as needed under the bill. 'It denies individual freedoms under the guise of protecting women and is counter to our survivor centered and empowerment values,' the coalition said in a statement. The measure passed the state Senate as U.S. Sen. Jim Justice, who failed to get a similar bill through the Legislature last year while governor, joined his Senate GOP colleagues in seeking clarification from the NCAA on its policy allowing biological males in women's locker rooms. The bill, which goes to the House of Delegates for consideration, is the second of high-profile Morrisey-backed legislation to make it through the Senate. The Senate approved the governor's requested vaccination exemption bill Feb. 21. The measure would permit broad religious and philosophical exemptions to the state's strict childhood immunization laws. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
