Public Comments

Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs is a criminal act that poses a serious and preventable threat to public safety. Despite existing laws, impaired driving continues to claim innocent lives each year, leaving families and communities across West Virginia devastated. This legislation is introduced in response to tragic and preventable losses, including victims such as Baylee, whose life was taken by an impaired driver. These incidents are not mere accidents — they are the foreseeable result of reckless, unlawful decisions to operate a vehicle while impaired.

Current penalties have not been sufficient to deter this dangerous behavior. Stronger sentencing measures are necessary to reflect the severity of the harm caused, hold offenders fully accountable, and send a clear message that driving under the influence will carry significant legal consequences. The State of West Virginia has a duty to protect its citizens by ensuring that the punishment for impaired driving resulting in serious injury or death matches the gravity of the offense and helps prevent future tragedies.

WVRSOL opposes HB-5209 because it creates a retroactive, publicly searchable animal abuse registry that does not improve public safety and does not prevent animal cruelty. Decades of research show registries do not deter crime, and animals cannot benefit from online databases.

HB-5209 imposes duplicative annual fees totaling $250, enforced through judgment liens, expanding a registry model already under federal civil-rights litigation in West Virginia. The bill explicitly applies retroactively, raising serious ex post facto concerns under Article III, Section 4 of the West Virginia Constitution.

WVRSOL supports strong enforcement of animal cruelty laws but urges the Legislature to reject HB-5209 and avoid expanding registry-based punishment schemes that increase litigation risk without protecting animals.

My Name is Sandra Moran, Mother of Justin Moran. I have some concerns about House Bill 4761 . Extending prison times is not the answer if anything, it is only going to be a burden on the State and the families of the Inmates. I know firsthand because my Son has served seventeen years in several facilities through the WVDOC. He was sentenced to Life with Mercy and has been denied twice by the Parole board, with no good explanation given for their denial. Many are young healthy men who are role model inmates that are being denied a chance in becoming productive members of society. This bill will only increase the elderly population within the prisons leading to very expensive but necessary medical support for the aging population. Also, these inmates will not be wanted in the workforce once they are released back into society, too old and or too sick to work in any community. This bill is an economic failure for the State, for the citizens of West Virginia. There are no positive benefits for anyone. This bill does not even support what the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation was originally put into place for. If anything, it will be going in reverse for WV. Please oppose House Bill 4761 or brace for disaster. Respectfully, Sandra Moran

WVRSOL opposes HB-5176. The bill creates a publicly searchable animal abuse registry that does not improve public safety, does not prevent animal cruelty, and instead functions as public shaming after individuals have completed their sentences. Decades of research show registries do not deter crime, and animals cannot benefit from online databases.

HB-5176 also imposes an annual $125 fee enforced through judgment liens, expanding a revenue-driven registry model already under federal constitutional challenge in West Virginia. If applied retroactively, the bill raises serious ex post facto concerns under Article III, Section 4 of the West Virginia Constitution.

WVRSOL supports strong enforcement of animal cruelty laws but urges the Legislature to reject HB-5176 or remove the public registry and fee provisions and pursue evidence-based approaches that actually protect animals and withstand constitutional review.

1. This law should be passed. The current minimum and maximum sentences are too low and outdated. The fines should be doubled too.

I am asking you to Please Pass Bill 4725.WV is seeing an enormous amount of animal abuse cases.Its time to take animal abuse/cruelty serious and to start putting the abusers behind bars.

Greetings,

Sincerely,

This young ladies life was took by a drunk driver who got behind the wheel of her vehicle and didn't even show remorse for it and I think she deserves to rot in prison cause Baylea can't be brought back and her mom dad and other family members will be hurting for the rest of their life.

I am a West Virginia constituent in Beckley, Raleigh County, and I oppose HB 4442.

West Virginia is already struggling to keep experienced people working for the state. We should strengthen retention and trust, not create new fault lines within the workforce.

This bill draws a hard line at $75,000 and treats state employees differently based on that number. It offers certain Tier II employees who retire under $75,000 access to benefits such as the use of accrued sick/annual leave for retirement credit and the Rule of 80.

But it also does something that alarms me: it exempts any employee earning $75,000 or more from classified civil service coverage, effective July 1, 2026.

That is a major change in protections and accountability. Classified coverage is part of what keeps state service stable, fair, and less vulnerable to favoritism and political churn. Cutting people out of that system because they earn over an arbitrary threshold is disrespectful, and it sends a clear message that performance and experience do not earn security; they earn fewer protections.

I am also concerned about clarity. The bill repeatedly hinges on the phrase “retire making less than $75,000,” and the stakes are high if that language is interpreted differently across agencies or job classifications.

When a bill changes benefits and civil service status, the language needs to be unmistakable and consistently applied.

If lawmakers want to improve Tier II retirement fairness, do that directly. Do not pair it with a provision that weakens civil service protections and risks driving more skilled employees away. Please vote no on HB 4442.

1. Harsher punishment may deter further deaths

My name is Deborah Harpold & I fully support HB 4062, the involvement of WV & our counties allowing homeschooled students to participate in sports with students in public schools here in WV. 1) The homeschool students should not be punished by the state for not allowing them to participate & compete with public schools sports. 2) Everyone I talk to about this subject when I am asked why my grandchildren have to go to Ohio, Kentucky & other states, find out they are not allowed to compete & play within their communities, find it completely ludacris. 3) Homeschooled parents are tax payers as well as public or private schools & reserve the right to have their child participate in sports close to home.                                                4) Parents of homeschoolers can contribute in monetary ways at the public school toward admission and concessions.

1. This is way over due