Latest news with #SenateBill460
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
It's the last week of the legislative session. Here are 4 things to watch.
Nevada Senate Majority Leader Nicole Cannizzaro watches as Governor Gov. Lombardo gave his state of the state address in January. (Photo: Richard Bednarski/Nevada Current) The Nevada State Constitution requires the Legislature pass the K-12 education budget bill before other budget bills. But that doesn't seem to stop lawmakers from bickering about education policy until the very end of each session. This year may prove no exception. Legislators must end the 120-day session — sine die, they call it — on Monday, June 2. In this final week, two major education bills backed by two major political players are still in play. Senate Majority Leader Nicole Cannizzaro, a Democrat from Las Vegas, is pushing Senate Bill 460. Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo is pushing Assembly Bill 584. Both bills span more than 100 pages and cover myriad components of the education system, including oversight of school districts, charter schools, and the quasi-voucher program known as Opportunity Scholarships. Both bills have received hearings — in Senate Education and Assembly Ways and Means, respectively — but no action has been taken. That status isn't surprising given the partisanship of education policy. Amendments can almost be assumed. Meanwhile, as of late Tuesday, the status of the state's K-12 education budget was also unknown. Senate Bill 500 was passed by legislators and has been delivered to the governor. Lombardo had previously threatened to veto the bill over concerns about charter school teacher pay. Assembly Speaker Steve Yeager's Assembly Bill 398, which attempts to address the concerns that prompted the veto threat, passed the full Assembly nearly unanimously last week. Democrat Natha Anderson cast the sole vote in opposition. One of the two bills proposing a massive expansion of the state's film tax credit program is administratively ready for a vote by the full Assembly, though whether the support is there is still unknown. Democratic Assemblymember Sandra Jauregui's Assembly Bill 238 was advanced out of the Assembly Ways and Means Committee over the weekend. Five of the 14 committee members opposed — Democrats Howard Watts, Natha Anderson and Selena Torres-Fossett, and Republicans Jill Dickman and Gregory Hafen. Several others disclosed that they would be voting to advance the bill but were reserving their right to oppose during the floor vote. Two days after that committee vote, The Nevada Independent reported that a study commissioned by the Nevada Governor's Office of Economic Development found that neither film tax credit expansion proposal is financially sustainable. AB 238 would provide $1.8 billion in tax breaks to the film industry over 15 years to support the build out and operation of a 31-acre film hub currently referred to as the Summerlin Production Studios Project. Sony Pictures, Warner Bros, and Howard Hughes Holdings are attached to the project. An economic analysis presented by a firm hired by the Sony Studios project developers acknowledged that the direct return on investment per tax credit is low — for every $1 in tax credits the state gives, the state would receive 20 cents in tax revenue. However, their analyses included much rosier projections about the indirect and induced impacts. Indirect financial impact includes things like the drycleaners and caterers used by productions, and induced impact includes things like the assumed household spending based on employee's labor income. Lombardo vetoed a record 75 bills during the 2023 session, including some bills that had received bipartisan support in the Legislature. How this year's session will compare remains to be seen. As of late Tuesday, the legislative website showed the governor as having vetoed only one bill: Assembly Bill 306. The bill would have expanded the number of ballot dropboxes in the state. In his veto message, Lombardo called the bill 'well intentioned' but said it fails 'to guarantee appropriate oversight of the proposed ballot boxes or the ballots cast.' He added that he believes election reforms should be considered 'as part of a larger effort to improve election security, integrity and allow Nevada to declare winners more quickly.' Nearly 200 bills are now listed as in the governor's office awaiting a signature or a veto. The governor has five days to sign or veto a bill, meaning some vetos may happen after the session ends. Assembly Speaker Steve Yeager over the weekend introduced Assembly Bill 597, which would allow nonpartisan voters to participate in either a Democratic or a Republican primary without having to register to that political party. To do so, the voter would have to request from their county clerk a mail ballot for one of the major political parties. Or they would have to vote in person. Nevada voters last year rejected a proposal to open the state's closed political primaries and create a ranked choice voting system instead. Question 3 was approved by voters in 2022 but defeated in 2024. It needed to pass on the ballot twice because it involved amending the state constitution. Both major political parties opposed that ballot measure. Several party leaders suggested their problem with that proposal was with the ranked choice component, not the open primary. A third of all registered voters in the state are nonpartisan — if they were a political party they would be the state's largest — and those wanting election reform have long argued those voters are being disenfranchised because they cannot participate in the partisan primaries. Yeager's emergency bill is a big policy discussion to have with only a week left, but the Legislature can move quickly when it wants.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
ACLU, Mountain State Justice file lawsuit over Morrisey's vaccine mandate order
The American Civil Liberties Union of West Virginia and Mountain State Justice filed a writ of mandamus Friday in Kanawha County Circuit Court over an executive order by Gov. Patrick Morrisey that requires the state health officials to recognize religious and philosophical exemptions to the state's schools vaccine mandates. (Getty Images) Two legal advocacy organizations filed legal action Friday over an executive order by Gov. Patrick Morrisey that requires the state health officials to recognize religious and philosophical exemptions to the state's schools vaccine mandates — exemptions that are not a part of state law. The American Civil Liberties Union of West Virginia and Mountain State Justice filed the writ of mandamus Friday in Kanawha County Circuit Court on behalf of Marisa Jackson, of Kanawha County, and Dr. Joshua Hess, of Cabell County. Jackson and Hess are both parents of immunocompromised students. Hess is also a pediatric hematologist and oncologist practicing at Marshall Health's Cabell Huntington Hospital. The petition asks the court to compel the state's Department of Health and Bureau for Public Health to stop complying with the executive order. 'The question before this Court is simple: Can the West Virginia Governor, through Executive Order, override a clear and mandatory directive created by state statute and, in so doing, relieve state actors of nondiscretionary duties assigned to them through state code?' the petition says. 'To that, West Virginia Courts have a clear and decisive answer: No, he may not. For that reason, Petitioner files this action respectfully requesting this Court compel Respondents to engage in their nondiscretionary duties as it relates to granting and denying exemptions to the state's compulsory immunization statute.' The petition also names as respondents Justin Davis, interim commissioner of the Bureau for Public Health, and Dr. Arvin Singh, cabinet secretary of the West Virginia Department of Health. All states require that school students be vaccinated for certain infectious diseases like measles, chicken pox and polio. Until this year, West Virginia has been one of five states that allow only medical exemptions to those requirements. In January, Morrisey issued an executive order directing state health officials to allow religious exemptions to the state's school vaccine mandates. The executive order is based on the Equal Protection for Religion Act of 2023, which states that the government shall not 'substantially burden' someone's right to religious freedom unless doing so is essential to further a compelling governmental interest. The order also directed the state health officer to come up with legislation and rules to facilitate religious exemptions. Senate Bill 460, legislation that would have established religious exemptions in state law, did not become law during the 2025 regular session. The bill passed in the Senate, but was rejected by the House of Delegates. Despite the bill not passing, Morrisey has not rescinded the executive order. Schools in the state have had a fractured response to the order. Some private schools have said, despite the order, they will not recognize religious exemptions to the school vaccine laws. State Schools Superintendent Michele Blatt issued a memo May 2 to county superintendents recommending that students not be allowed to attend schools next year without the required vaccinations. Before the day was up, though, the memo was rescinded at Morrisey's request. 'Governors do not rule by decree,' ACLU-WV Legal Director Aubrey Sparks said in an ACLU news release. 'At the center of this lawsuit is who gets to make these decisions for our students. On this question, the state Constitution is clear that the authority lies with the Legislature, not the governor.' 'Parents should be able to know their child will be safe when they send them off to school,' Sarah Brown, executive director of Mountain State Justice, said in the release. 'We are seeing the devastating effects of loosening vaccine requirements across the country, and that's why the Legislature wisely declined to loosen the restrictions here in West Virginia. It's vital that their decision not be undermined by the executive branch.' The petition has been assigned to Kanawha Circuit Judge Kenneth Ballard. Emails to Morrisey's office and to the state Department of Health seeking comment were not immediately returned Friday afternoon. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Morrisey says executive order giving vaccine exemptions will not be rescinded
CHARLESTON, (WBOY) — Governor Patrick Morrisey is reaffirming his stance on an executive order that grants religious exemptions from vaccine mandates in West Virginia. In a statement Monday, Gov. Morrisey called on the State Superintendent as well as county boards of education to work with the Bureau of Public Health to 'ensure that religious rights of students are protected.' The executive order in question was one of eight that the governor issued upon taking office in January, which directed health officials to stop enforcing 'compulsory school immunization requirements' and to draft up an official objection process to the rule based on religion. During this past legislative session, lawmakers submitted a bill—Senate Bill 460—that would codify religious exemptions for vaccines into West Virginia law. The bill passed the Senate, but failed in the House. 'Students will not be denied access to public education because of their religious objections to compulsory vaccination,' Morrisey said. Randolph County superintendent: 'forecast is pretty dark' A press release from the governor's office argued that the executive order is based on various freedom of religion guarantees on both the federal and state levels, such as the Protection for Religion Act of 2023, which 'prohibits government action that substantially burdens a person's exercise of religion.' The release also provided details on how parents can apply to obtain religious exemptions by sending a letter to the Bureau of Public Health, and how the exemptions are handled on a year-by-year basis. It added that multiple lawsuits are already pending in federal courts that challenge West Virginia's 'compulsory' vaccine requirements. The West Virginia Democratic Party called the guidance 'irresponsible' and 'misguided,' citing the legislature's rejection of the idea during this past legislative session. 'The legislature has already spoken clearly on this matter—Governor Morrisey has no authority to perform an end run around their decision,' stated Delegate Anitra Hamilton (D – Monongalia). 'It's disturbing that our Governor is prioritizing political pandering over the health and safety of West Virginia students and school personnel. Democrats also criticized the fact that Gov. Morrisey has yet to appoint a Chief Public Health Officer after Dr. Matthew Christiansen's departure in 2024, claiming that the reason the governor hasn't done so is because '[he] knows it's virtually impossible to find a qualified professional willing to endorse the Governor's unscientific and medically unsound policies.' You can read the full letter issued Friday by the governor here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Morrisey issues guidance for religious exemptions to school vaccine requirements
A nurse administers a measles, mumps and rubella vaccine to a patient in Utah. (George Frey | Getty Images) West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey on Friday issued guidance for how families who object to vaccines on religious and philosophical grounds can receive exemptions to the state's school immunization requirements. While the state's compulsory school vaccination law has not changed, the governor does not intend to rescind his executive order granting religious and philosophical exemptions, according to a news release Friday. 'I am calling on the State Superintendent of Schools and the county boards of education in this state to work with the Bureau for Public Health to ensure that religious rights of students are protected,' Morrisey said. 'Students will not be denied access to public education because of their religious objections to compulsory vaccination.' In his letter Friday, Morrisey acknowledged that the state cannot compel private schools to exempt children without a statutory change, but he urged the schools to 'honor the religious beliefs of their students and not turn them away because of their strongly held objections to vaccines.' West Virginia state law includes one of the strongest school vaccination policies in the nation. All states require children attending school to be vaccinated for a number of infectious diseases, like polio and measles. West Virginia was one of only five states that allowed only medical exemptions to those vaccination requirements. In a Jan. 14 executive order, Morrisey directed the State Health Officer and the Bureau for Public Health to establish a process for religious exemptions and come up with necessary rules and legislation to facilitate them. West Virginia's last health officer, Dr. Matthew Christiansen, resigned in December. Morrisey has not appointed someone to fill the role. State lawmakers rejected a bill that would have established religious exemptions in state code. The measure, Senate Bill 460, passed in the Senate but was rejected by the House of Delegates with a vote of 42 yeas and 56 nays. The disagreement between the state's executive and legislative branch has led to confusion among the state's schools and daycare facilities. Some private schools in particular have said they're not following the executive order. The Catholic Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston — which operates 24 schools throughout the state — will not accept religious exemptions for required school vaccinations despite the executive order, Tim Bishop, communications director for the church, told West Virginia Watch this week. West Virginia state School Superintendent Michele Blatt put out a memo to county boards of education on May 2 saying that since the state Legislature didn't adopt the bill allowing religious exemptions, students who enroll with an exemption prior to May 1 would be allowed to finish the school year. But, the memo continued, students would not be allowed to enroll in the upcoming school year without the required immunizations. Before the day was over, Blatt rescinded the memo at Morrisey's request and said the school system would work collaboratively with the governor's office to issue guidance to counties about how to comply with the order. According to the governor's guidance, parents seeking a religious or philosophical exemption to a vaccine should send an email to vaccineexemption@ with the following information: Name and date of birth of the student seeking an exemption Name of the student's parent or guardian The school the student intends to enroll in A mailing address for the parent or guardian. The Bureau for Public Health will mail a letter to the parent telling them whether the exemption has been granted, and a copy of the letter will be sent to the school, Morrisey's letter says. Exemptions will be granted on a per-year basis. Morrisey told public school officials that when a student receives an exemption, the exemption should be honored by the school the student is enrolled in and the student should be allowed to attend virtual and in-person classes without the vaccination they're exempted from getting. Morrisey's executive order is based on the Equal Protection for Religion Act, a 2023 law signed by former Gov. Jim Justice. The law prohibits government action that substantially burdens a person's exercise of religion unless it serves a compelling governmental interest and is the least restrictive way of achieving that interest. In his letter Friday, Morrisey argued that the order takes precedence over state law because the legislature wrote that the EPRA applies 'notwithstanding any other provision of law.' Sen. Joey Garcia, D-Marion, told West Virginia Watch earlier this week the Legislature has the authority to set the school vaccination policy and the governor does not. Garcia, an attorney by trade, said the matter would likely have to be settled by a lawsuit.
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Morrisey issues guidance for religious exemptions to school vaccine requirements
A nurse administers a measles, mumps and rubella vaccine to a patient in Utah. (George Frey | Getty Images) West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey on Friday issued guidance for how families who object to vaccines on religious and philosophical grounds can receive exemptions to the state's school immunization requirements. While the state's compulsory school vaccination law has not changed, the governor does not intend to rescind his executive order granting religious and philosophical exemptions, according to a news release Friday. 'I am calling on the State Superintendent of Schools and the county boards of education in this state to work with the Bureau for Public Health to ensure that religious rights of students are protected,' Morrisey said. 'Students will not be denied access to public education because of their religious objections to compulsory vaccination.' In his letter Friday, Morrisey acknowledged that the state cannot compel private schools to exempt children without a statutory change, but he urged the schools to 'honor the religious beliefs of their students and not turn them away because of their strongly held objections to vaccines.' West Virginia state law includes one of the strongest school vaccination policies in the nation. All states require children attending school to be vaccinated for a number of infectious diseases, like polio and measles. West Virginia was one of only five states that allowed only medical exemptions to those vaccination requirements. In a Jan. 14 executive order, Morrisey directed the State Health Officer and the Bureau for Public Health to establish a process for religious exemptions and come up with necessary rules and legislation to facilitate them. West Virginia's last health officer, Dr. Matthew Christiansen, resigned in December. Morrisey has not appointed someone to fill the role. State lawmakers rejected a bill that would have established religious exemptions in state code. The measure, Senate Bill 460, passed in the Senate but was rejected by the House of Delegates with a vote of 42 yeas and 56 nays. The disagreement between the state's executive and legislative branch has led to confusion among the state's schools and daycare facilities. Some private schools in particular have said they're not following the executive order. The Catholic Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston — which operates 24 schools throughout the state — will not accept religious exemptions for required school vaccinations despite the executive order, Tim Bishop, communications director for the church, told West Virginia Watch this week. West Virginia state School Superintendent Michele Blatt put out a memo to county boards of education on May 2 saying that since the state Legislature didn't adopt the bill allowing religious exemptions, students who enroll with an exemption prior to May 1 would be allowed to finish the school year. But, the memo continued, students would not be allowed to enroll in the upcoming school year without the required immunizations. Before the day was over, Blatt rescinded the memo at Morrisey's request and said the school system would work collaboratively with the governor's office to issue guidance to counties about how to comply with the order. According to the governor's guidance, parents seeking a religious or philosophical exemption to a vaccine should send an email to vaccineexemption@ with the following information: Name and date of birth of the student seeking an exemption Name of the student's parent or guardian The school the student intends to enroll in A mailing address for the parent or guardian. The Bureau for Public Health will mail a letter to the parent telling them whether the exemption has been granted, and a copy of the letter will be sent to the school, Morrisey's letter says. Exemptions will be granted on a per-year basis. Morrisey told public school officials that when a student receives an exemption, the exemption should be honored by the school the student is enrolled in and the student should be allowed to attend virtual and in-person classes without the vaccination they're exempted from getting. Morrisey's executive order is based on the Equal Protection for Religion Act, a 2023 law signed by former Gov. Jim Justice. The law prohibits government action that substantially burdens a person's exercise of religion unless it serves a compelling governmental interest and is the least restrictive way of achieving that interest. In his letter Friday, Morrisey argued that the order takes precedence over state law because the legislature wrote that the EPRA applies 'notwithstanding any other provision of law.' Sen. Joey Garcia, D-Marion, told West Virginia Watch earlier this week the Legislature has the authority to set the school vaccination policy and the governor does not. Garcia, an attorney by trade, said the matter would likely have to be settled by a lawsuit.
