Tag Archive for: Legislation

This is the way arrows

A Chaotic Conclusion to the 2026 Legislative Session

The WV Legislator meets for two winter months to decide on new legislation which (with the governor's signing) will make its way into law. John Doyle gives a wrap of the 2026 session and tells the sad tale that Jefferson County came away with just about nothing of consequence. And worse, the chaotic close of the session meant that even the good bills which made it to the final votes, failed to even get those votes. The clock ran out.

Who and What Are Our Delegates Fighting For?

Two Jefferson County delegates have proposed in House Bill 5477 in the 2026 legislative session that all law enforcement agencies in the state must cooperate with ICE. Jim Bauman argues that this position, given ICE's brutal history to date of ignoring the basic human rights of people, is not healthy for our communities. The question is why haven't these elected representatives listened to their constituents?

Making Sense of the Religious Exemption Dispute in West Virginia

West Virginia has traditionally been careful to protect school age children from transmissible childhood illnesses. It was one of only a handful of states that required childhood vaccinations as a requirement for attending public schools. Now some anti-vaccination people are arguing that this policy is in conflict with the Equal Protection for Religion act and are suing to allow for exemptions. Neal Barkus lays out the arguments and anticipates the harm that these exemptions will cause community health.