Public Comments

• Measles requires ~95% vaccination coverage to prevent outbreaks (CDC).
• During recent U.S. measles outbreaks, the majority of cases occurred in unvaccinated or under-vaccinated populations, often linked to schools or universities.
• Mumps outbreaks on college campuses have occurred repeatedly in states that weakened vaccination compliance.

• 126 Primary Care Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs)
• ~793,000 West Virginians live in designated primary-care shortage areas
• Only ~38% of primary-care need is currently met
• 43% of rural hospitals operate at negative margins

• emergency rooms,
• rural hospitals,
• immunocompromised communities,
• elderly populations,
• and childcare and K-12 school systems.

• offer tuition credits,
• provide housing priority,
• or use public-health promotion strategies that are widely accepted and legal in other states.

• outbreaks become foreseeable,
• harm becomes preventable,
• and liability exposure increases.

• class cancellations,
• housing disruptions,
• athletic shutdowns,
• and litigation from students or staff harmed during outbreaks they were legally barred from preventing.

• medical exemptions,
• informed consent,
• and individualized accommodation.

• one of the oldest populations in the country,
• persistent healthcare shortages,
• and fragile rural hospital systems.

I agree with this bill as cameras in classrooms could ensure the safety of students as well as staff. accusations could be authenticated meanwhile deterring the acts of bullying, vandalism, theft, disruptions, and more. Classrooms would be held to more accountability, making the environment comfortable for work and learning. The safety of all individuals should be of priority, even in classrooms. The transition to this would be smooth, as there are already cameras in hallways, stairwells, outside the building, etc.

I disagree with this bill as I don't think that Charlie Kirk is symbolic of freedom of speech. While he did use his rights to practice and grew a large audience, he was not the first, nor the most successful. His practices did not create a movement or a change for the betterment of society collectively. he was a debater who more often than not was controversial and criticized core values and ideas of our society.

 i’m in agreement with this.

I completely disagree with this bill. I believe everyone should have a permit if they own or have a gun. If they are not trained to use a gun, then that is a safety hazard; someone could get hurt, or someone could abuse this, and they could commit serious crimes.

• Lack of FDA approval
• Reports of contamination, adulteration, and inconsistent potency
• Documented adverse health outcomes and dependence risks

• Regulated under a physician-certified medical program
• Subject to controlled dispensing, tracking, and testing
• Used by patients with chronic pain, cancer, neurological disorders, and other qualifying conditions when traditional pharmaceuticals fail

• Treating medically relevant substances as recreational intoxicants
• Prioritizing enforcement and penalties over patient access and safety
• Creating chilling effects for lawful commerce that supports medical patients

• Discourage lawful businesses that also serve medical cannabis patients
• Increase compliance costs that are passed on to patients
• Confuse consumers and employers regarding legality, testing, and enforcement standards

• Improperly conflates kratom with medically relevant cannabinoid products
• Places public-health substances under an alcohol enforcement agency
• Risks undermining West Virginia’s medical cannabis program and patient access
• Fails to reflect the nuanced, evidence-based reasoning used by states like California when addressing kratom specifically

• Primary care shortage areas: West Virginia has 126 designated primary care HPSAs, with ~793,019 people living in designated shortage areas; only ~38.28% of need met, and 163 additional practitioners needed to remove the designations.  
• Mental health shortage areas: West Virginia has 124 mental health HPSAs, only ~5.68% of need met, and 94 practitioners needed to remove designations.  
• Rural hospital financial stress: 43% of rural hospitals in West Virginia operate on negative margins.  

1. Synthetic dyes serve no functional purpose beyond aesthetics. These dyes, often derived from petroleum byproducts, offer no nutritional value. They are often used to make unhealthy foods look more appealing, so that consumers will want to buy them
2. Scientific research confirms their harm. The OEHHA report, which analyzed 27 clinical trials, found that synthetic dyes can cause or worsen hyperactivity, inattention, restlessness, irritability, sleeplessness, and aggression in some children. Additionally, consuming dyes can worsen or mimic ADHD symptoms.

I think we need this law due to the lives that have been taken.

• Clinically relevant dose-response studies are discouraged or rendered nonviable;
• Research protocols cannot reflect real-world medical use;
• Institutional review boards and universities are deterred from participation due to compliance and liability concerns.

• the Medical Cannabis Program has reached functional maturity;
• regulatory obstacles have been resolved;
• patient access, provider participation, and research infrastructure are operational at scale.

I feel this law needs to be put in place where another sweet life doesn’t get taken.

• Continuous service
• Local institutional knowledge
• Department-specific experience

• Article III, §10 of the West Virginia Constitution (Equal Protection and Due Process)
• Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution (Equal Protection Clause)

• W. Va. Code §7-1-1 (County commissions as governing bodies)
• W. Va. Code §7-7-7 (County compensation authority)

• Higher salary placement
• Increased overtime eligibility
• Accelerated retirement qualification

• Artificial inflation of service credit
• Accelerated vesting
• Increased unfunded pension liabilities

• Disciplinary records
• Performance evaluations
• Internal investigations

• Public safety outcomes
• Emergency response capacity
• Community policing effectiveness

• Article III, §10 of the West Virginia Constitution
• Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution

Vote no to Senate Bill 388. Spend your time elsewhere, on issues that will actually have a measurable effect on West Virginians. Requiring bibles in classrooms will do nothing for ensuring mountaineers have clean water, safe roads, access to reliable internet, access to good paying, career jobs, that public schools are properly funded, paying teachers what they deserve, for reducing the costs of childcare (did you know NM has free childcare for everyone in their state? Proves it can happen! Figure out what NM is doing!). Do something that is tangible for improving our lives! I couldn’t care less that my kids have access to a bible in a classroom. They have access to a bible at home which is where it should be. All I see in this bill, is that not only are teachers expected to be social workers, therapists, correctional officers, protect their students from mass shootings, pay for supplies for their students over and over again, but now they’re supposed to be preachers and priests as well? They’re supposed to answer questions about the Bible in their classroom? Well I’ll tell you, you can put whatever version of the Bible is closest to what you believe in the classrooms, but you can’t guarantee your child’s teacher is going to answer questions about it in the way you would. So maybe keep religion instruction where it’s meant to be and that’s in the home.