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We are less than one week into the WV legislative session and it’s time to
MAKE SOME NOISE!
HB 4433 will be on House Judiciary Committee agenda, Monday morning at
9:00AM.
This bill would make it a criminal offense to help undocumented people in
West Virginia, under the guise of stopping human trafficking.
We believe it is our duty to help neighbors in need regardless of their
immigration status. This bill would further stigmatize and harm our
immigrant communities and those who care about them.
ACTION: Before the committee meets, submit your comments using the "Add a
Public Comment" button at:
https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Status/bills_history.cfm?INPUT=4433&year…
League State Board, local Presidents and Friends:
Attached is the January Newsletter from the Huntington League of Women Voters. We hope you enjoy!
Beverly Murrell Patricia Keller
Updated Agenda, JAN 17, 2026
Agenda (Google drive)
<https://drive.google.com/file/d/1csJdm2OvuXLxaZxB-0scfJ1tRUqVcvh5/view?usp=…>
LWVWV BOARD AGENDA - JAN 17, 2026
REVISED – 1/14/2026
ZOOM Link:
Time: Jan 17, 2026 10:00 AM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/84290149471?pwd=j3Cj91QJAkW2ICBaaXz41IUdMiDwxo.1
Meeting ID: 842 9014 9471
Passcode: 846876
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One tap mobile
+16469313860,,84290149471#,,,,*846876# US
+13017158592,,84290149471#,,,,*846876# US (Washington DC)
10:00 AM
Welcome & Call to Order, Changes/Additions to Agenda
Lyn Widmyer
Approval of minutes
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Co-Presidents’ Reports
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Postcards to all LWV members urging legislators not to suppress the vote
sent Jan 12. Additional postcards mailed to League Presidents for local
distribution.
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Webinar co-hosted with Delta sorors on effects of HR-1 (Big Beautiful
Bill) on West Virginia and update on Project 2025: Wed, Jan 7.
Lyn Widmyer
Judy Ball
Treasurer’s Report
-
Treasurer’s Report
<https://drive.google.com/file/d/1fKoy7ses4ONrRKiu0keBc7WrU3ngUu-u/view?usp=…>
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Still need League members to serve on the board of LWV Trust.
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Review of budget allocation to send delegates to national convention:
early-bird rates ($575) available thru Mar 31.
Teresa
10:20 a.m.
New Business
Preparing for 2026 election season
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VOTE411
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Voter education on new photo ID law -- high priority
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Any local Leagues planning candidate forums?
Autumn
Lyn
Judy
Legislative Day
-
Need committee to organize
Lyn
Digital maintenance — Jonathan is overwhelmed
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Need support for webpage management
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Cleaned up access for FB page; Julie & Bekah now have upgraded access.
Judy
Julie
LLAW — Prepared for Jan 2026 Legislature
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Activated FastDemocracy Pro subscription.
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Multiple LLAWers participated in FD training Dec 19.
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Tech support has been speedy.
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Before session, completed testing (full test across 2460 bills from
2025) with Claude AI for help with heavy lifting of manual bill review.
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On Day 1 of Legislature (Jan 14), opened paid Claude account.
$107/month, including tax. Will close at session’s end.
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Judy briefed Morgantown NOW on LLAW, Jan 13.
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Del. Evan Hansen will introduce nonpartisan bills supported by LLAW. We
set the following priorities:
-
Current WV law permits voters who request assistance due a disability
to have that disability challenged. These provisions should be
repealed. (Talking
points
<https://drive.google.com/file/d/1E4iOf3d7VxBHMu_2svMiOQluAbIp78Tw/view?usp=…>
on this policy issue.) Judy reviewed bill prepared by bill
drafters & sent
back edits.
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Bill to codify procedures for redistricting in WV, HB 2415
<https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Status/bills_history.cfm?INPUT=2415&year…>
in 2025, will be re-introduced.
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Our bill to modernize election procedures, HB 2447
<https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Status/bills_history.cfm?INPUT=2447&year…>
in 2025, will not be re-introduced this session. It may come back in a
future session.
Judy
Highlights of LWVUS Leader meetings
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LWVUS has a new regional organizing model.
https://www.lwv.org/league-management/advocacy-litigation/lwvs-organizing-m…
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Each state assigned to a region with a coordinator.
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Region 2: West Virginia & District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia,
Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee,
Virginia.
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2025-12-10 - LWVUS State Leaders Call.pdf
<https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ARCr7T395QMAu8XCvCbLxMrdzphNlyIy/view?usp=…>
-
2025-12-17 - LWVUS State Leaders -Region 2.pdf
<https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ME9938-akrBOJtL3CfFi5Xe_bS-Bye_W/view?usp=…>
Lyn
Judy
Prep for LWVUS Convention
-
LWV-Colorado requests concurrence on Religious Freedom
<https://drive.google.com/file/d/192GLxMWZihfBOwG3JWL116rXkte8R-KZ/view?usp=…>
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LWV-Washington requests concurrence on Protecting Immigrants
<https://drive.google.com/file/d/1oRuTMEo3xFTd10VriyUPmgX15YIbfBkd/view?usp=…>
11:20 a.m.
Unfinished Business
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No update on amicus brief case
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Vacancies on state Board still unfilled
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Designate president of Huntington not represented
Lyn
Local League Reports
✦ Huntington Area
✦ Jefferson County
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Scheduling postcard party re voter suppression
Lyn
✦ Morgantown-Monongalia County
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Substack update. 159 subscribers as of Jan 14. That’s +40 since Dec
2025!
LWVMorgantown.substack.com <http://lwvmorgantown.substack.com>
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Lively Jan 10 in-person meeting for members & others. At least 1 new
member from the event. She is retired from elections office of Mon County
Clerk; very experienced.
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URL for new website unresolved after months of effort. We have gone
forward with LWVUS-issued URL:
https://morgantown-monongaliacountywv.lwv.org/
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Judy is teaching a class at OLLI on LWVUS Judiciary Position, Feb 17.
Class will be hybrid, so OLLI members outside of Morgantown may attend by
Zoom.
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Next Board meeting, Jan 15.
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Updated flyers for voter events — for any local League to use:
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Voter Registration Event
<https://drive.google.com/file/d/1OwTjMSwqMzfpCjrfd6QDMtJVaDYBubT3/view?usp=…>
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Student Voters
<https://drive.google.com/file/d/1YNm5AIb7YO0v6j2UFVgYoCw79BBvv1el/view?usp=…>
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Photo ID
<https://drive.google.com/file/d/1cKmq_9tlPiKhXZzbY8925AHHcnJIu1Ge/view?usp=…>
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Absentee Ballots
<https://drive.google.com/file/d/1WufQuWrOveVSKQt_YvO5fr2Oi-uBlZ1G/view?usp=…>
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T-shirts! Anyone who ordered a T-shirt … they are done & beautiful.
Judy
For the good of the order
Noon
ADJOURN
Next Meetings/Events:
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Mar 15
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May 17
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Jul 19
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Sep 20
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Nov 15
We have sent you an envelope containing a stamped postcard urging our
state legislators to oppose voter suppression.
It's only the second day of the 2026 legislative session and bills
suppressing the vote are being introduced. We will keep you informed.
PLEASE send a postcard to your legislator of choice!
--
Lyn Widmyer, Co-President LWVWV
1434 Cattail Run Road
Charles Town, WV 25414
304 279 3201
web page: lynwidmyer.net
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Forwarding the following message from Stand for Kids.
The League of Women Voters of WV supports vaccinations for WV children.
*FOLKS,*
It's "VACCINE WEEK"! The 2026 session of the WV Legislature starts Wed.,
Jan. 14.
PLEASE CALL OR E-MAIL YOUR LEGISLATORS (2 senators, 1 delegate)...and also
the following:
Senate President Randy Smith 304-357-7995 randy.smith(a)wvsenate.gov
Speaker Roger Hanshaw 304-340-3210 roger.hanshaw(a)wvhouse.gov
Chair of their respective Health & Human Resources Committee:
Sen. Laura Wakim Chapman 304-357-7918 laura.chapman(a)wvsenate.gov
Del. Evan Worrell 304-340-3269
evan.worrell(a)wvhouse.gov
1.
thank them for their service, and if they voted to preserve our school
vaccine law (see attached vote record), for protecting our kids from
dangerous and preventable diseases & deaths;
2.
ask them to please KEEP OUR LAW---NO EXEMPTIONS/NO EXCEPTIONS except
medical;
3.
thank them for their “Jobs First” focus this session.
Other talking points (you can include some, all, or none):
1.
WV is #1 in the country in school vaccine rates
2.
43 states reported measles last year, including all 5 states that border
WV—but not in WV, BECAUSE we have a strong vaccine law!
3.
Recent polls show West Virginians overwhelmingly support our school
vaccine law
4.
Vaccines completely eliminated smallpox & greatly reduced other diseases
5.
When kids are in close contact for hours each day, high vaccine rates
stop the spread of disease. This keeps schools & childcare centers safe
6.
Last year in Kentucky, 3 infants died of whooping cough (pertussis). Our
state epidemiologist issued a health alert Nov 6: WV now has an
increase in whooping cough cases not seen in 15 years!
7.
When states have religious or philosophical exemptions, 2 things happen:
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vaccine rates go down;
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diseases go up--AND the costs to the community go UP!
Not sure who your delegate or senator is?
Use
a) WV Voter Map, or
b) ballotpedia.org/who_represents_me
Thanks, all!
Robin
Robin L. Godfrey
Chair, Stand for Kids
304-552-2567
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"Stand for Kids is a nonpartisan grassroots organization working to
preserve West Virginia's medical-exemptions-only school immunization law,
protecting our children and families from dangerous and preventable
diseases and deaths."