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Huntington LWV February Newsletter
by League of Women Voters of West Virginia 02 Mar '26

02 Mar '26

State Board, Local League Presidents and League Friends, Attached is the February Newsletter from the Huntington League of Women Voters, Enjoy! Beverly Murrell Patricia Keller

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📣Make Some Noise About the Budget📣- Support Funding for Essential Services
by League of Women Voters of West Virginia 01 Mar '26

01 Mar '26

[image: lwv msn logo.png] 📣Make Some Noise About the Budget📣 - Support Funding for Essential Services The League of Women Voters believes that government budgets reflect government values. We advocate for state and local budgets that cover essential services and protect our most vulnerable. We strongly disagree with the values expressed by the West Virginia Legislature in their various versions of the budget, which fail to adequately fund programs essential for the livelihood of the majority of West Virginians, while giving tax breaks to benefit the richest among us. The League’s legislative priorities <https://lwvwv.org/2026/01/18/2026-program-and-policy-priorities/> include Protecting Children and Families and Creating a Sustainable Future. Both have budget implications, including funding for Medicaid, child care, public education, SNAP, and infrastructure to provide clean water to the southern coalfields. “Flat” budgets and more tax cuts serve none of these. Without adequate funding, many of the critical challenges facing West Virginia families — issues like the ongoing childcare crisis, access to affordable health care, and protecting public health and our environment — all remain unresolved. Join LWVWV and partners in calling for Care Over Cuts <https://wvpolicy.org/education-health-care-organizations-call-for-care-over…>. Tell them West Virginians deserve investment in people, care, and public infrastructure, not reckless tax cuts that favor the wealthiest few. Find contact information for your legislators here: https://fastdemocracy.com/find-your-legislators/

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📣 Make Some Noise for Clean Drinking Water! 📣
by League of Women Voters of West Virginia 26 Feb '26

26 Feb '26

[image: lwv msn logo.png] 📣 Make Some Noise for Clean Drinking Water! 📣 Please MAKE SOME NOISE to SUPPORT CLEAN DRINKING WATER FOR THE SOUTHERN COALFIELDS (HB 5525, HB 5585 & HB 5642) . Background: ✳️ LWVWV supports updated water quality standards to protect human health and wildlife habitats, and support measures to expand access to water service that meets these standards. ✳️ A number of Public Service Districts in West Virginia’s southern coalfields have failing infrastructure and many communities there lack access to clean drinking water. ✳️ Three bills proposed in the House of Delegates would begin to address long-standing issues with water infrastructure in the southern coalfields and provide residents with access to clean drinking water. SUMMARY of PROPOSED CLEAN WATER BILLS: ✳️ HB 5525 <https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Status/bills_history.cfm?INPUT=5525&year…> would establish the Southern West Virginia Clean Water Fund Act of 2026 with an initial $10 million investment to enhance water quality standards, test for and remove various contaminants, and replace lead service lines within all public water systems in Boone, Fayette, Greenbrier, Lincoln, Logan, McDowell, Mercer, Mingo, Monroe, Raleigh, Summers, Wayne, and Wyoming Counties. ✳️ HB 5642 <https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Status/bills_history.cfm?INPUT=4642&year…> would provide an additional $10 million to help with drinking water emergencies in the southern coalfields (on top of the $10 million included in HB 5525), bringing the grand total of potential relief up to $20 million. ✳️ HB 5585 <https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Status/bills_history.cfm?INPUT=5585&year…>, which would make public health emergencies eligible for funding from the Rainy Day Fund. This bill designates struggling Public Service Districts and water boards as public health emergencies and therefore eligible for appropriations from the Fund. HB 5585 has been identified by clean water advocates as a funding mechanism for HB 5525 and HB 4642, as well as for additional funding to address chronic drinking water issues in southern West Virginia. These bills provide crucial emergency funding to bring immediate help to coalfield communities in need of clean drinking water. 🚨Status: *All three bills are pending in the House Energy & Public Works Committee and time is running out.* March 1 is the deadline for bills to be out of committees in the house of origin to ensure three full days for readings on the floor. These bills must pass the House no later than March 4 to have a chance of making it to the Governor’s desk. WHAT CAN YOU DO? 🚨*Contact your Delegate and tell them to SUPPORT HB 5525, HB 5585, and HB 4642. No West Virginian should have to live without clean water.* Find your Delegate here: https://fastdemocracy.com/find-your-legislators/ 🚨*Contact the House Energy & Public Works Committee to get these bills on an agenda. * Email list: bill.anderson(a)wvhouse.gov, jordan.bridges(a)wvhouse.gov, jeff.campbell(a)wvhouse.gov, david.cannon(a)wvhouse.gov, kathie.crouse(a)wvhouse.gov, henry.dillon(a)wvhouse.gov, jeff.eldridge(a)wvhouse.gov, bob.fehrenbacher(a)wvhouse.gov, david.green(a)wvhouse.gov, evan.hansen(a)wvhouse.gov, rick.hillenbrand(a)wvhouse.gov, josh.holstein(a)wvhouse.gov, gary.howell(a)wvhouse.gov, daniel.linville(a)wvhouse.gov, patrick.lucas(a)wvhouse.gov, erica.moore(a)wvhouse.gov, happyjoe.parsons(a)wvhouse.gov, clay.riley(a)wvhouse.gov, charles.sheedy(a)wvhouse.gov, george.street(a)wvhouse.gov, kayla.young(a)wvhouse.gov, mark.zatezalo(a)wvhouse.gov

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LET’S MAKE SOME (MORE) NOISE FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION!
by League of Women Voters of West Virginia 23 Feb '26

23 Feb '26

[image: lwv msn logo.png] LET’S MAKE SOME (MORE) NOISE FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION! The House Finance Committee has originated a bill, HB Org: Hope Scholarship, that calls for a cap and sensible guardrails on the Hope Scholarship voucher program. Status: The House Finance Committee was expected to take up the bill on Friday, but a vote was delayed while lawmakers continue tweaking the bill. The bill is on the House Finance Committee agenda Monday, Feb. 23, at 9 am. Please take a minute to contact your Delegate and members of the House Finance Committee and urge them to support this legislation. The Hope Scholarship is diverting public taxpayer dollars from public schools, leading to school closures and staffing/program cuts, and preventing the state from fulfilling its responsibilities to provide an equitable, quality public education for all students. LWVWV believes that all schools should be accountable for ensuring our kids receive an adequate education. A quality public education is essential for a strong, viable, and sustainable democratic society and is a civil right. The West Virginia legislature should be prioritizing funding for public schools and not diverting limited funds to charter schools! ACTION: Contact your Delegate and House Finance Committee members you support the proposed cap and guardrails on the Hope Scholarship program. Find your Delegate here: https://fastdemocracy.com/find-your-legislators/ Email list for members of the House Finance Committee: bill.anderson(a)wvhouse.gov, trenton.barnhart(a)wvhouse.gov, jarred.cannon(a)wvhouse.gov, ray.canterbury(a)wvhouse.gov, roy.cooper(a)wvhouse.gov, vernon.criss(a)wvhouse.gov, lori.dittman(a)wvhouse.gov, joe.ellington(a)wvhouse.gov, bob.fehrenbacher(a)wvhouse.gov, marty.gearheart(a)wvhouse.gov, walter.hall(a)wvhouse.gov, michael.hite(a)wvhouse.gov, sean.hornbuckle(a)wvhouse.gov, charles.horst(a)wvhouse.gov, johnpaul.hott(a)wvhouse.gov, gary.howell(a)wvhouse.gov, dean.jeffries(a)wvhouse.gov, daniel.linville(a)wvhouse.gov, margitta.mazzocchi(a)wvhouse.gov, clay.riley(a)wvhouse.gov, matthew.rohrbach(a)wvhouse.gov, joe.statler(a)wvhouse.gov, chris.toney(a)wvhouse.gov, john.williams(a)wvhouse.gov, evan.worrell(a)wvhouse.gov Please craft your own message, but here are some suggested talking points from Together for Public Schools: - Hope Scholarship is diverting public taxpayer dollars from public schools - Support guardrails and fiscal restraint -- like a cap on the Hope Scholarship program costs - Lack of guardrails on this program has allowed public dollars to benefit the few, while public schools that serve the majority of students and families are suffering. - The rising cost of the program is straining our budget — next year to more than $300 million. - Alternate use of Hope monies could support more special education funding for schools, raises for staff, or prevent rural school closures. - Nearly 32 million dollars went to private schools via the Hope Scholarship last year.

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New LWV-MM Substack -- Read & Subscribe
by League of Women Voters of West Virginia 22 Feb '26

22 Feb '26

Check out our new post! Third in our continuing series on the Constitution, let's review the Bill of Rights. We don't write the headlines, so let us bring your attention to the note: ✳️ Many protections of the Bill of Rights apply to persons who are not citizens too. ✳️ https://lwvmorgantown.substack.com/p/bill-of-rights-protects-us-citizens [image: composed -edit.PNG]

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Make some noise in support of Public Education!
by League of Women Voters of West Virginia 17 Feb '26

17 Feb '26

📣Make Some Noise!📣on HB 4817 The House Education Committee recently passed HB 4817 <https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Status/bills_history.cfm?INPUT=4817&year…> , which gives additional funding and flexibility to charter schools despite the unmet needs many of our local public schools are experiencing. This bill will now go on to the House Finance Committee, where we would like it to stay. ------------------------------ Background from Together For Public Schools WV: Public schools in West Virginia need additional funding to better serve students and support the education workforce. The lack of sufficient funding resulting from our outdated funding formula forces many school districts to close schools or lay off staff. This has resulted in more than 30 school closures in the past two years. HB 4817 would contribute even more to these challenges for public schools, by diverting essential public funds to charter schools instead of public schools where the vast majority of kids in our state still are educated. HB 4817 also poses harm to rural communities in particular. By prioritizing schools located in rural counties, it further incentivizes the closure of a public school so that it can be converted into a charter school. Public schools are the only education option that is funded by the public, accountable to the public, and accessible to the public. While charter schools receive public funding, they have more autonomy in how they operate. For example, teachers at charter schools in our state do not have to be certified. Charter schools are also not required to accept and serve all students in their community. LWVWV believes that the West Virginia legislature should be prioritizing funding for public schools and not diverting limited funds to charter schools! ACTION: *✳️ Lend your voice to the cause! Submit a public comment opposing HB 4817 by clicking here <https://bills.wvlegislature.gov/public-comment/?bill=4817&billtype=HB&abbre…>. It only takes a minute or two!*

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MSN about Data Centers in WV
by League of Women Voters of West Virginia 17 Feb '26

17 Feb '26

[image: lwv msn logo.png] 📣 Make Some (More) Noise! 📣 About Data Centers We have passed the halfway point in the 2026 WV Legislative Session. Here are two new bills introduced Feb 16. Please MAKE SOME NOISE to SUPPORT HB 5590 & HB 5620. ------------------------------ Background: ✳️ In 2025, we opposed a bill (HB 2014 <https://www.wvlegislature.gov/bill_status/Bills_history.cfm?input=2014&year…>) to encourage the development of data centers and take away any local control. That silencing of local voices has become a flashpoint in WV this past year. ✳️ This year, we have opposed HB 4983 <https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Status/bills_history.cfm?INPUT=4983&year…> , which advances rules proposed by the WV Department of Commerce to implement last year’s HB 2014. Those rules lack transparency related to environmental and community impacts. SUMMARY of TODAY’S BILLS: ✳️ HB 5590 <https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Status/bills_history.cfm?INPUT=5590&year…> and HB 5620 <https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Status/bills_history.cfm?INPUT=5620&year…>, introduced Feb 16, are two bills we can SUPPORT. HB 5590 would require high impact data centers to provide public notice of anticipated water usage prior to commencement of construction. Water withdrawals could not exceed the amounts necessary to maintain public water systems and serve other users, even in periods of drought. HB 5590 constitutes an incremental, but essential, step, in regulating data centers in WV. HB 5620 would restore local control in the decision-making process on data centers. It would literally repeal the portion of last year’s bill that was intended to silence local voices. WHAT CAN YOU DO? ✳️ Contact your Delegate and tell them to SUPPORT HB 5590 <https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Status/bills_history.cfm?INPUT=5590&year…> and HB 5620 <https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Status/bills_history.cfm?INPUT=5620&year…>. Find your Delegate here: https://fastdemocracy.com/find-your-legislators/ ✳️ Contact the House Energy & Pubic Works Committee to get HB 5590 on an agenda. Email list: bill.anderson(a)wvhouse.gov, jordan.bridges(a)wvhouse.gov, jeff.campbell(a)wvhouse.gov, david.cannon(a)wvhouse.gov, kathie.crouse(a)wvhouse.gov, henry.dillon(a)wvhouse.gov, jeff.eldridge(a)wvhouse.gov, bob.fehrenbacher(a)wvhouse.gov, david.green(a)wvhouse.gov, evan.hansen(a)wvhouse.gov, rick.hillenbrand(a)wvhouse.gov, josh.holstein(a)wvhouse.gov, gary.howell(a)wvhouse.gov, daniel.linville(a)wvhouse.gov, patrick.lucas(a)wvhouse.gov, erica.moore(a)wvhouse.gov, happyjoe.parsons(a)wvhouse.gov, clay.riley(a)wvhouse.gov, charles.sheedy(a)wvhouse.gov, george.street(a)wvhouse.gov, kayla.young(a)wvhouse.gov, mark.zatezalo(a)wvhouse.gov ✳️ Contact the House Judiciary Committee to get HB 5620 on an agenda. Email list: jb.akers(a)wvhouse.gov, jim.butler(a)wvhouse.gov, dana.ferrell(a)wvhouse.gov, bill.flanigan(a)wvhouse.gov, shawn.fluharty(a)wvhouse.gov, joe.funkhouser(a)wvhouse.gov, evan.hansen(a)wvhouse.gov, scot.heckert(a)wvhouse.gov, rick.hillenbrand(a)wvhouse.gov, josh.holstein(a)wvhouse.gov, michael.hornby(a)wvhouse.gov, buck.jennings(a)wvhouse.gov, laura.kimble(a)wvhouse.gov, larry.kump(a)wvhouse.gov, phil.mallow(a)wvhouse.gov, keith.marple(a)wvhouse.gov, carl.martin(a)wvhouse.gov, jordan.maynor(a)wvhouse.gov, chris.phillips(a)wvhouse.gov, bill.ridenour(a)wvhouse.gov, bill.roop(a)wvhouse.gov, andy.shamblin(a)wvhouse.gov, bryan.ward(a)wvhouse.gov, mark.zatezalo(a)wvhouse.gov

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MSN - Update on HB 4433 & HB 4983
by League of Women Voters of West Virginia 16 Feb '26

16 Feb '26

[image: lwv msn logo.png] 📣Make Some (More) Noise!📣 on HB 4433 & HB 4983 Thursday, Feb. 13 marked the halfway point in the 2026 WV Legislative Session. Here are updates on two bills we alerted you about before. Make Some (More) Noise and please continue to stay engaged. HB 4433 <https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Status/bills_history.cfm?INPUT=4433&year…> has passed the House and will be up for a vote by the Senate on Tuesday, Feb 17. While this bill has been improved through the committee and amendment process, it continues to equate assisting an undocumented immigrant with human smuggling. 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. LWVWV urges West Virginia lawmakers to focus on bills that address critical West Virginia needs. We have so many. Anti-immigrant bills serve a political agenda, not West Virginians. ACTION: Please contact your Senators (you have 2) and urge them to vote NO on HB 4433. Find your Senators here: https://fastdemocracy.com/find-your-legislators/ ------------------------------ HB 4983 <https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Status/bills_history.cfm?INPUT=4983&year…> has passed the House Energy and Public Works Committee and will be up for a vote by the full House of Delegates on Tuesday, Feb. 17. HB 4983 advances the rules proposed by the West Virginia Department of Commerce related to a 2025 bill encouraging the development of data centers. As written, these rules lack important transparency related to environmental and community impacts. An amendment that would have improved the rule by requiring stronger transparency on water use was rejected by the Committee (details here <https://wvecouncil.org/data-center-amendment-to-protect-water-fails-to-pass…> ). West Virginians deserve to know the basic facts about what is being proposed in order to make their voices heard and protect their communities from negative consequences. ACTION: Contact your Delegate and tell them they must amend the rules to require more transparency from big data centers. Find your Delegate here: https://fastdemocracy.com/find-your-legislators/

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Make Some Noise! 📣 OPPOSE HB 5219 -- TIME SENSITIVE
by League of Women Voters of West Virginia 16 Feb '26

16 Feb '26

[image: lwv msn logo.png] Make Some Noise! 📣 OPPOSE HB 5219 -- TIME SENSITIVE HB 5219 is on House Judiciary Committee Agenda for Markup/Passage, Mon, Feb 16, 9 am HB 5219 <https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Status/bills_history.cfm?INPUT=5219&year…> would establish new and complicated rules to determine residency to register and vote (or “register to vote” -- a possible typo that was not resolved in last week’s Committee discussion). HB 5219 claims to clarify residency, for use by the courts, but it appears only to raise more questions than it answers. (The possible typo noted above is only one.) Committee discussion pointed out many provisions where the language is unusually vague and subjective. A particular red flag for the LWV is how HB 5219 attempts to define residency for college students. This bill appears to conflict with a Supreme Court decision from 1979 (*Symm v. United States*) holding that students have the constitutional right to register and vote where they attend college. State law cannot override that, but HB 5219 appears to try. ✳️ Contact your Delegate and members of the House Judiciary Committee and ask them to OPPOSE this unnecessary and poorly drafted bill. LWVWV OPPOSES HB 5219. House Judiciary Committee member emails: jb.akers(a)wvhouse.gov, jim.butler(a)wvhouse.gov, dana.ferrell(a)wvhouse.gov, bill.flanigan(a)wvhouse.gov, shawn.fluharty(a)wvhouse.gov, joe.funkhouser(a)wvhouse.gov, evan.hansen(a)wvhouse.gov, scot.heckert(a)wvhouse.gov, rick.hillenbrand(a)wvhouse.gov, josh.holstein(a)wvhouse.gov, michael.hornby(a)wvhouse.gov, buck.jennings(a)wvhouse.gov, laura.kimble(a)wvhouse.gov, larry.kump(a)wvhouse.gov, phil.mallow(a)wvhouse.gov, keith.marple(a)wvhouse.gov, carl.martin(a)wvhouse.gov, jordan.maynor(a)wvhouse.gov, chris.phillips(a)wvhouse.gov, bill.ridenour(a)wvhouse.gov, bill.roop(a)wvhouse.gov, andy.shamblin(a)wvhouse.gov, bryan.ward(a)wvhouse.gov, mark.zatezalo(a)wvhouse.gov Find your Delegate here: https://fastdemocracy.com/find-your-legislators/

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MAKE SOME NOISE -- OPPOSE SB 615
by League of Women Voters of West Virginia 09 Feb '26

09 Feb '26

[image: lwv msn logo.png] Make Some Noise! 📣 OPPOSE SB 615 SB 615 (committee substitute) <https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Text_HTML/2026_SESSIONS/RS/bills/sb615%2…> would mandate that WV state and local police assist in federal immigration enforcement. Specifically, it would require state and local law enforcement to notify federal immigration authorities regarding persons with illegal immigration status, and it would prohibit local jurisdictions from passing laws to the contrary. History: - Introduced Jan 27 - Committee Substitute Passed Senate Judiciary Committee Feb 3. - Senate 1st Reading Feb 4 - Senate 2nd Reading Feb 5 (no amendments) - Senate 3rd Reading laid over Feb 6 - Likely to be voted on the Senate floor on Monday, Feb 9. This onerous bill is headed for passage in the Senate. Contact your Senators (you have two) and ask them to vote against this bill. Background: According to news reports, at least 650 individuals have been rounded up in WV and detained for immigration violations, overburdening local jails. The number of cases involving state or local police has not been released, but the impact has been: ICE raids in West Virginia overstep constitutional limits <https://mountainstatespotlight.org/2026/01/31/ice-arrests-surge-court-skept…> . WVMetroNews reported Feb 8 <https://wvmetronews.com/2026/02/08/local-law-enforcement-in-west-virginia-g…> on the roles of WV state and local law enforcement in the anti-immigrant surge in our state and the Federal dollars being used to entice them to participate. Some detainees, who appealed their detentions in Federal court, already have been found to be detained illegally — Judge orders third ICE detainee released <https://mountainstatespotlight.org/2026/02/04/third-ice-detainee-released/> and Federal judge orders release of fourth WV immigrant detainee wrongly jailed <https://westvirginiawatch.com/2026/02/05/federal-judge-orders-release-of-fo…>. More such cases are likely to follow. Extending WV state/local law enforcement into this morass of Federal immigration enforcement will make things worse. Federal money will incentivize unconstitutional arrests and detentions. LWVWV OPPOSES SB 615. Find your Senators here ... https://wvecouncil.org/wv-legislature/senate/

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