Latest news with #SenateBill474
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Morrisey signs bill ending DEI, approves legislation prohibiting youth gender surgery
hinton – Ending Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and prohibiting gender transition surgeries and hormone blockers for minors were on Wednesday's agenda when West Virginia's governor spoke in Summers County and signed two bills into law. During a ceremony in Summers County, Gov. Patrick Morrisey signed Senate Bill 474, which ends Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion programs in West Virginia. The governor also signed Senate Bill 299, which prohibits hormone blockers and gender transition surgeries for children under the age of 18. 'I pledged to root out DEI and eliminate the woke virus in West Virginia, and today, we're following through on that promise,' Morrisey said. 'We will lead with common sense, treat every citizen the same under the law, and protect children from making life-altering decisions at a young age.' The governor was joined by legislators and supporters at the Summers County Memorial Building for the ceremonial signing. He highlighted his previous actions to end DEI and other woke policies in the state, which includes issuing an executive order and signing the Riley Gaines Act (HB 456) which defines the terms men, women and mother in the State Code and allows for single-sex spaces in locations such as locker rooms, changing rooms and domestic violence shelters. Morrisey first described the efforts to create Senate Bill 474 and how it addressed Diversity, Equity and Inclusion policies. 'When I gave my inauguration speech, I pledged to root out DEI and eliminate the woke virus from the schools,' Morrisey said before signing Senate Bill 474. 'Now, I can report to you that we are following through with that promise and that's a wonderful reason to be here today. DEI is dead in the Mountain State.' Senate Bill 474 eliminates diversity, equity, and inclusion programs, trainings, activities, offices and officers from the executive branch, primary and secondary schools, and institutions of higher education of the state and requires higher education institutions to reallocate any unexpended funds that would have been used on diversity, equity and inclusion projects. 'I want everyone to understand that every person should be treated with dignity and view people equally both under the eyes of God and the rule of law,' Morrisey said before signing the legislation. 'Treat everyone equally under the eyes of God and the rule of law.' Morrisey then spoke about the purpose of Senate Bill 299. The legislation prohibits physicians, physicians assistants and advanced practice registered nurses from providing gender reassignment surgery or gender altering medication to a person under 18 years of age, and prohibits telehealth service providers from prescribing or dispensing gender altering medication to a person who is under 18 years of age. 'This concept that young men can just change and morph into becoming young women, I think that puts women at a particular disadvantage and threatens their safety,' Morrisey said. 'That's why I was very happy to sign that Riley Gaines Act. It's a law to protect women and preserve women's spaces.' In 2023, the Legislature passed legislation banning gender reassignment surgery and providing gender altering medications, but it left a loophole 'that you could drive a truck through,' Morrisey said. 'Let's step back for a moment,' he said. 'We don't even let our kids go in to purchase alcohol, tobacco, sign up for the military, so we sure as hell should not let our kids mutilate their bodies as well. I think that's just common sense. While most of Europe and other countries have ended this barbaric practice on minors, unfortunately it's still taking place in many parts of America.' Critics called hormone blockers gender affirming care, Morrisey said. 'And that was being used by doctors to continue mutilating our kids. Senate Bill 299 closes that loophole and officially ends the practice of child mutilation in the state of West Virginia,' he said. The governor issued a statement earlier about members of female track and field teams having to compete against males. 'I am hearing that high school track coaches in West Virginia are threatening to force girl track and field athletes to compete against a boy or face suspension – which could remove their opportunity to participate in the state championships,' Morrisey said. 'This cannot stand.' 'I believe what is going on right now in West Virginia – with boys playing sports against girls – to be abhorrent and contrary to law,' he said. 'While we wait for the Supreme Court to issue their ruling in this case, I'm calling on all coaches involved to let these brave athletes take a stand for what is right without unfair punishment. As we all work toward removing the wrongly-decided injunction in upcoming months, I ask for all tournament officials to keep a full set of results so that true winners of each event may be recognized when the Supreme Court rules in our favor.' Contact Greg Jordan at gjordan@
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Governor Morrisey signs bills to end DEI and gender transition drugs and procedures for minors
HINTON, WV (WVNS) — Governor Patrick Morrisey signed bills that would end Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs, as well as gender transition procedures and drugs for minors in the Mountain State. According to a press release, on Wednesday, May 7, 2025 Governor Morrisey signed Senate Bill 474 and Senate Bill 299 while in Hinton. Voter ID bill signed into law by Governor Morrisey I pledged to root out DEI and eliminate the woke virus in West Virginia, and today, we're following through on that promise. We will lead with common sense, treat every citizen the same under the law, and protect children from making life-altering decisions at a young age. Governor Morrisey The press release stated that Senate Bill 474 ends Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs, trainings, activities, offices, and officers from the executive branch, primary and secondary schools, and higher education institutions in West Virginia, while making it necessary for higher education institutions to find another use for unused funds that were intended for DEI projects. We shouldn't tolerate discrimination and treating one group with this massive advantage over another, and that's what West Virginians believe. And so, I'm very proud to say that we're going to give everyone that opportunity to succeed, to flourish, and that's what West Virginia, our spirit of freedom is all about. Governor Morrisey Gov. Morrisey speaks on issues affecting southern West Virginia The bills are significant bills. They're somewhat controversial to some people, but I think they're needed and I'm, you know, happy to have them done and through legislation and signed. Jack David Woodrum | West Virginia District 10 Senator According to the press release, gender transition surgeries and gender altering medication for children under 18 years old are prevented from being offered by physicians, physicians assistants, and advanced practice registered nurses by Senate Bill 299. The bill also prevents telehealth service providers from giving gender altering medication to people under 18 years old. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WVNS.
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Morrisey ceremoniously signs gender affirming care bill, DEI ban
Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Generate Key Takeaways Gov. Patrick Morrisey ceremoniously signed Senate Bill 474 and Senate Bill 299 during an event in Hinton Wednesday. (Photo courtesy Morrisey's office) West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey on Wednesday celebrated signing legislation that ends a narrow exception to the state's ban on gender affirming care for transgender minors as well as another bill ending diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in the state. Morrisey held the ceremonial bill signings for Senate Bill 299 and SB 474 at the Summers County Memorial Building in Hinton on Wednesday morning. In 2023, state lawmakers passed a strict ban on gender-affirming care for minors, including a ban on gender-affirming surgeries for minors. That law allowed children diagnosed with severe gender dysphoria to receive medical therapy, including hormonal treatment, if they are considered at risk for self-harm or suicide. SB 299 ends that exception, banning hormone treatment for children diagnosed with severe gender dysphoria. 'In 2023 the state passed laws banning these practices for minors but it left open a loophole, something you could drive a truck through,' Morrisey said. 'And that was being used by doctors to continue mutilating our kids. So today I will also be ceremoniously signing Senate bill 299 to close that loophole, and officially end the practice of child mutilation in the state of West Virginia.' Gender-affirming surgeries are not being and have not been practiced on children in West Virginia, according to multiple medical experts and service providers who have testified at the Legislature over the last few years. Medical treatments for children with gender dysphoria can include prescribing certain hormones or hormone blockers, which delay the onset of puberty temporarily to stop the development of permanent physical characteristics that don't match the child's gender identity. Studies show these medical interventions are highly successful in preventing long term and serious psychological issues — including depression, anxiety and suicidal ideation, which are already more common in transgender youth and adults than their cisgender peers. According to a 2024 survey by the LGBTQ advocacy nonprofit The Trevor Project, 51% of trans and non-binary children in West Virginia considered suicide in the previous year while 16% of them attempted suicide. The bill passed with an 86-to-12 vote in the House of Delegates and a 32-to-2 vote in the Senate. Proponents of the bill argued minors shouldn't be allowed to make a potentially irreversible decision. As minors, a patient's parents or guardians would have had to consent to any medical treatments. The bill was opposed by the American Civil Liberties Union of West Virginia, who called gender affirming care 'life-saving.' Roughly 100 youth in the state are currently receiving gender-affirming care, and the measure will halt their medical care in August. The bill has exceptions to permit individuals with sex development issues or someone who has already undergone gender-affirming care surgery to continue receiving hormonal treatment. Nationwide, states that have implemented bans on gender-affirming care for children have seen a significant increase in suicide attempts by transgender and gender nonconforming teenagers in the years following those bans taking effect. Doctors warned West Virginia lawmakers during the session that if SB 299 were to become law, they will likely see an increase in anxiety, depression and suicide among the state's trans and non-binary children. Ending DEI in West Virginia SB 474, ending DEI initiatives, was a priority for Morrisey. The bill bans the offering of specific services or opportunities to people based on their race, color, ethnicity, country of origin and, in some instances, sex. It applies to DEI policies and initiatives in state and local governments and schools, including institutions of higher education. Morrisey on Wednesday called DEI programs a 'huge problem' and said they were 'flourishing' in the state. 'Weve had to clean up that mess, and I'm proud to do that, but this really matters and here's why it matters: I want everyone to understand that every person, every person should be treated with dignity and respect,' Morrisey said. 'We should view people equally both under the eyes of God and the rule of law. That's what this is about …. Don't let anyone try to convince you that this is something other than that.' Democrats in the Senate have raised legal concerns about the legislation and 'a series of procedural irregularities' when Republicans passed the legislation in the final minutes of the legislative session. The ACLU-WV has threatened to sue if the bill became law.
Yahoo
18-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
WV Senate Democrats raise legal concerns with DEI bill's passage
Sens. Joey Garcia, D-Marion (above), and Mike Woelfel, D-Cabell, wrote a letter to Gov. Patrick Morrisey, Senate President Randy Smith and Senate Clerk Lee Cassis to say Republicans made procedural errors in passing Senate Bill 474, and asked the governor to veto the bill. (Will Price | West Virginia Legislative Photography) Democrats in the West Virginia Senate are urging Gov. Patrick Morrisey not to sign a bill they say was not legally passed because of a 'series of procedural irregularities.' The letter concerns the Senate's passage of Senate Bill 474, a governor-requested bill that would end diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in the state. The House of Delegates passed the bill late on Saturday, the last day of the 60-day legislative session. The Democrats say the Senate erred in the procedures it took late Saturday night as it approved the House's amended version of the bill. In a letter to the governor, Senate President Randy Smith and Senate Clerk Lee Cassis Thursday, Sens. Mike Woelfel, D-Cabell, and Joey Garcia, D-Marion, the only two senators from the minority party, say that Senate Republicans improperly suspended a rule they apparently used to bypass considering several pending amendments from Garcia and pass the bill in the final minutes of session. They also argue the Republicans made two other procedural errors. 'Due to the Senate's patent disregard of established legislative procedure, the bill did not properly complete legislative action, and it should not be enrolled, authenticated, or presented to the Governor for approval,' the letter says. 'If the bill is sent to the Governor, it must be vetoed on technical grounds due to the Senate's failure to adhere to its own binding rules of procedure.' The Senate originally passed the bill March 26. The House passed the bill at 10:41 p.m. Saturday after nearly three hours of debate. When the bill went back to the Senate to approve the House's changes, more than a dozen amendments from Garcia appeared to be pending on the legislation. Sen. Amy Grady, R-Mason, at first made a motion to concur with the House's changes to the bill and pass it. The senate stood at ease for a few minutes before Grady withdrew the motion. A few minutes later, Sen. Eric Tar, R-Putnam, moved to suspend Joint Rule 3, which governs how amendments to amendments and disagreements are handled between the two legislative chambers, and concur and pass Senate Bill 474. The rule suspension required a two-thirds roll call vote by both chambers, but the approval was made by a voice vote and with objections heard. The Senate then passed the bill with a 31-2 vote. A short time later, Tarr moved to reconsider the vote by which they concurred and passed the bill. The Democrats argue that the Senate failed to properly reconsider the motion. Tarr instead moved to withdraw his motion and then moved to concur with the House's version of the bill. Next, Senate Majority Leader Patrick Martin, R-Lewis, moved the previous question. Smith turned down Garcia's request that pending amendments be considered, saying that another motion had been called. The Senate then voted again to concur with the House's version of the bill and then passed the bill. Even if the Senate's first passage of the bill was done properly, the Democrats argue, the Senate was required to consider the pending amendments before it could concur in the House's changes to the bill, and they failed to do so. 'If the senator and the governor don't do the right thing, I think this will be litigated and the bill will go down in flames,' Garcia said in an interview with West Virginia MetroNews Thursday. The West Virginia Democratic Party and the American Civil Liberties Union of West Virginia have also condemned the way the bill was passed. The ACLU-WV wrote in a blog post Monday that the Senate likely broke its own rules in rushing the bill through at the last minute. 'If Gov. Morrisey signs the bill (which we fully expect he will) then we will see the state in court,' the organization wrote. Representatives for Morrisey and Smith did not comment Thursday. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
18-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
WV Senate Democrats raise legal concerns with DEI bill's passage
Sens. Joey Garcia, D-Marion (above), and Mike Woelfel, D-Cabell, wrote a letter to Gov. Patrick Morrisey, Senate President Randy Smith and Senate Clerk Lee Cassis to say Republicans made procedural errors in passing Senate Bill 474, and asked the governor to veto the bill. (Will Price | West Virginia Legislative Photography) Democrats in the West Virginia Senate are urging Gov. Patrick Morrisey not to sign a bill they say was not legally passed because of a 'series of procedural irregularities.' The letter concerns the Senate's passage of Senate Bill 474, a governor-requested bill that would end diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in the state. The House of Delegates passed the bill late on Saturday, the last day of the 60-day legislative session. The Democrats say the Senate erred in the procedures it took late Saturday night as it approved the House's amended version of the bill. In a letter to the governor, Senate President Randy Smith and Senate Clerk Lee Cassis Thursday, Sens. Mike Woelfel, D-Cabell, and Joey Garcia, D-Marion, the only two senators from the minority party, say that Senate Republicans improperly suspended a rule they apparently used to bypass considering several pending amendments from Garcia and pass the bill in the final minutes of session. They also argue the Republicans made two other procedural errors. 'Due to the Senate's patent disregard of established legislative procedure, the bill did not properly complete legislative action, and it should not be enrolled, authenticated, or presented to the Governor for approval,' the letter says. 'If the bill is sent to the Governor, it must be vetoed on technical grounds due to the Senate's failure to adhere to its own binding rules of procedure.' The Senate originally passed the bill March 26. The House passed the bill at 10:41 p.m. Saturday after nearly three hours of debate. When the bill went back to the Senate to approve the House's changes, more than a dozen amendments from Garcia appeared to be pending on the legislation. Sen. Amy Grady, R-Mason, at first made a motion to concur with the House's changes to the bill and pass it. The senate stood at ease for a few minutes before Grady withdrew the motion. A few minutes later, Sen. Eric Tar, R-Putnam, moved to suspend Joint Rule 3, which governs how amendments to amendments and disagreements are handled between the two legislative chambers, and concur and pass Senate Bill 474. The rule suspension required a two-thirds roll call vote by both chambers, but the approval was made by a voice vote and with objections heard. The Senate then passed the bill with a 31-2 vote. A short time later, Tarr moved to reconsider the vote by which they concurred and passed the bill. The Democrats argue that the Senate failed to properly reconsider the motion. Tarr instead moved to withdraw his motion and then moved to concur with the House's version of the bill. Next, Senate Majority Leader Patrick Martin, R-Lewis, moved the previous question. Smith turned down Garcia's request that pending amendments be considered, saying that another motion had been called. The Senate then voted again to concur with the House's version of the bill and then passed the bill. Even if the Senate's first passage of the bill was done properly, the Democrats argue, the Senate was required to consider the pending amendments before it could concur in the House's changes to the bill, and they failed to do so. 'If the senator and the governor don't do the right thing, I think this will be litigated and the bill will go down in flames,' Garcia said in an interview with West Virginia MetroNews Thursday. The West Virginia Democratic Party and the American Civil Liberties Union of West Virginia have also condemned the way the bill was passed. The ACLU-WV wrote in a blog post Monday that the Senate likely broke its own rules in rushing the bill through at the last minute. 'If Gov. Morrisey signs the bill (which we fully expect he will) then we will see the state in court,' the organization wrote. Representatives for Morrisey and Smith did not comment Thursday. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
