Public Comments

1. Please pass this bill, hopefully stricter punishment will be a strong deterrent for possible future offenders

Justice for baylea !! 🩷

• Baylea lost her life because of choices made by someone who CHOSE to drive under the influence. Her husband, parents, siblings, family and friends lost their precious wife, daughter, sister and friend to many. Baylea's absence is felt deeply in her community, even by those who only knew her casually. Baylea and her husband had plans for their future together. No one should have to suffer such tremendous loss because another human CHOSE to drive impaired. Laws need to be much more strict. Please pass Baylea's law so perhaps people will think twice before getting behind the wheel of a vehicle when they have been drinking or using drugs. Baylea and all who love her deserve justice in every way possible. Make Baylea's Law speak loud and clear that choosing to drive under the influence has harsh consequences.

There is absolutely no reason for anyone to get behind the wheel of a vehicle when the senses have been dulled by drugs or alcohol.   Alternatives such as Uber, taxi, friends or family are willing to help a person home to make money or because they are loved.  The choice to become inebriated must be preceded by the choice to protect others from wanton and reckless behavior that can lead to the injury or death of others.

Members of the Legislature,

Thank you for the opportunity to comment on this bill. I understand the intent to recognize the historical role of the Aitken Bible during the Revolutionary War and its place in early American history.

West Virginia’s Constitution requires the Legislature to provide a thorough and efficient system of free schools. Any law affecting public education should clearly support student learning, improve outcomes, and use limited resources wisely.

This bill does not meet that standard.

Requiring public schools to house religious material that cannot be purchased with public funds does not improve education in West Virginia. It does not raise test scores, improve reading skills, or increase student achievement. It does not create jobs or strengthen our workforce.

Our schools are already struggling to meet basic needs. Teachers and administrators regularly ask families and community members to donate supplies, books, and other resources. The Aitken Bibles required by this bill are costly, and requiring schools to obtain them through outside funding places yet another burden on communities that are already stretched thin.

The bill applies to fourth, eighth, and tenth grades based on when the American Revolution is taught. While the Revolution is discussed in those grades, it is important to note that eighth grade focuses on West Virginia history. The Revolutionary War is only briefly covered, and the limited time spent on it does not allow for the depth needed to make the historical connections this bill appears to expect.

This bill also includes no penalty for failing to comply. Without any enforcement, it functions more as a suggestion than a true requirement. That raises concerns about whether this legislation is meant to improve education or simply send a message to certain voters.

There is no clear evidence that this requirement would benefit students in any measurable way. At best, it risks becoming a display item that is rarely used.

There is no evidence or rationale demonstrating that this requirement will improve test scores, raise academic achievement, or meaningfully enhance historical understanding. In practice, it risks becoming nothing more than a decorative item on a bookshelf.

I respectfully urge you to focus your efforts on policies that clearly strengthen education and better serve West Virginia’s students.

The purpose of this bill seems to push private and charter school programs. This takes funding away from rural and poverty areas within WV. All children deserve free and accessible education not just the elite and wealthy. We cannot expect success when adequate and sustainable resources are not provided to a system  of public education. The children in public schools deserve proper funding this bill diverting funds to scholarships or vouchers undermines the effectiveness and success of our public education system.

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,