Skip to content Skip to main navigation Skip to footer
West Virginia Legislature

87th Legislature

Public Comments

2026 Regular Session HB5165 (Energy and Public Works)
Comment by: Jayli Flynn on February 6, 2026 08:47
While framed as a public health and safety measure, HB 5165 raises serious constitutional and equity concerns regarding private property rights, due process, and selective enforcement. This bill authorizes escalating civil penalties, daily fines, and property liens against private landowners based on discretionary nuisance determinations. When penalties and compliance costs are allowed to accumulate beyond a property owner’s ability to cure, enforcement ceases to be regulatory and functions as a de facto taking. Courts have repeatedly recognized that property may be unconstitutionally taken not only through formal eminent domain, but through coercive regulatory schemes that deprive owners of viable use or ownership without just compensation. HB 5165 disproportionately impacts individual and rural landowners while explicitly exempting many industrial and commercial activities operating under permits. As a result, residents may be penalized for conditions that are legally tolerated for permitted industries, reinforcing unequal accountability rather than addressing environmental harm at its source. Of particular concern is the lack of:
  • proportional penalty caps tied to property value or owner income,
  • guaranteed remediation assistance or cleanup funding,
  • independent oversight to prevent selective or retaliatory enforcement,
  • and robust procedural safeguards before liens or continued penalties attach.
When nuisance enforcement is combined with other legislative efforts expanding redevelopment authority, blight designations, or lien enforcement, such regimes risk becoming coercive mechanisms that pressure property owners into forfeiture or forced sale under the guise of health and safety. Police powers do not override constitutional protections for due process or just compensation. Public health and environmental protection are legitimate state interests, but they must be pursued through equitable regulation, industry accountability, and assistance-based remediation — not punitive frameworks that effectively strip residents of property rights while shielding permitted polluters. For these reasons, HB 5165 should not advance without substantial amendments that:
  • cap penalties,
  • ensure meaningful opportunity to cure,
  • provide cleanup assistance,
  • apply standards equally to industrial actors,
  • and protect private property owners from indirect or constructive takings.
2026 Regular Session HB5160 (Energy and Public Works)
Comment by: Jayli Flynn on February 6, 2026 08:39
I support the intent of HB 5160 to protect public safety and environmental stability by regulating unauthorized atmospheric or environmental modification activities. However, the bill must be evaluated in the context of existing environmental degradation in West Virginia and the state’s statutory obligations to preserve natural resources. West Virginia law already recognizes that the state has a duty to protect land, water, wildlife, and public health:
  • WV Code §22-1-1 establishes that it is the public policy of the state to conserve natural resources and protect the environment for the benefit of present and future generations.
  • WV Code §22-11-1 (Water Pollution Control Act) acknowledges that environmental harm is cumulative and directly impacts public welfare, ecosystems, and economic stability.
  • WV Code §19-12-1 et seq. recognizes the importance of forests and forestlands to soil conservation, water regulation, wildlife habitat, and climate moderation.
West Virginia is already experiencing environmental change due to:
  • Deforestation and conversion of farmland for industrial and commercial development
  • Habitat loss affecting native flora and fauna
  • Increased flooding, erosion, and landslides tied to land disturbance
  • Altered local temperature and moisture patterns caused by loss of forest canopy
Preserving forests and agricultural land is not merely an environmental preference — it is a statutory and economic necessity. Forests and farmland act as natural infrastructure by:
  • Regulating surface and groundwater flow
  • Reducing flood damage to roads and communities
  • Stabilizing soil and preventing landslides
  • Supporting biodiversity and pollinators critical to agriculture
While HB 5160 focuses on atmospheric or environmental intervention, it does not clearly distinguish between harmful environmental manipulation and sustainable, ground-based practices that protect public safety and infrastructure. Without clear statutory exclusions, the bill risks creating uncertainty that could discourage environmentally beneficial practices while failing to address the root causes of ecological degradation already occurring in the state. If the Legislature’s goal is environmental protection and public safety, policy should prioritize:
  1. Preservation of forests and farmland
  2. Clear statutory distinctions between environmental harm and sustainable infrastructure
  3. Alignment with existing conservation and environmental protection statutes
Environmental stability is achieved not only by prohibiting risky interventions, but by protecting the natural systems that already regulate climate, water, and ecosystems at no cost to taxpayers. For these reasons, I urge lawmakers to ensure HB 5160 is clearly aligned with West Virginia’s conservation statutes and does not unintentionally undermine sustainable environmental practices or preservation efforts that are essential to the state’s long-term resilience.
2026 Regular Session HB5159 (Energy and Public Works)
Comment by: Jayli Flynn on February 6, 2026 08:33
I am concerned about the broader fiscal direction this bill fits into, even if its provisions are limited in scope. West Virginia lawmakers have repeatedly proposed eliminating or significantly reducing the personal income tax. At the same time, the Legislature continues to expand tax incentives, exemptions, and preferential treatment that allow certain individuals or entities to reduce or avoid tax liability altogether. Taken together, these policies compound revenue loss rather than balance it. Personal income taxes are a primary funding source for essential public services, including but not limited to:
  • The Division of Highways and road maintenance
  • Public education
  • Emergency services
  • Environmental oversight and public health
  • State agencies tasked with regulatory enforcement
When income taxes are reduced or eliminated without a stable replacement revenue source, and when additional tax incentives are layered on top of that, the result is predictable:
  • Less funding for infrastructure
  • Deferred maintenance and safety risks
  • Increased burden shifted onto residents through fees, regressive taxes, or service cuts
  • Greater instability in agency budgets that already struggle to meet statutory obligations
Tax policy should be evaluated in aggregate, not in isolation. Even narrowly written tax measures contribute to a broader erosion of public funding when they are enacted alongside income tax repeal efforts and expanding exemptions. If the Legislature intends to eliminate income tax, it must clearly identify:
  1. How essential public programs will be funded long-term
  2. Which services will be reduced or eliminated
  3. Why residents should expect improved outcomes with fewer resources
Without that transparency, continued tax incentives and revenue reductions risk undermining the very public systems that allow the state to function. For these reasons, I urge lawmakers to reconsider further tax relief measures until a sustainable, equitable revenue framework is clearly established.
2026 Regular Session HB4983 (Energy and Public Works)
Comment by: Leslie Stone on February 6, 2026 08:26
It is imperative that data centers share all data regarding community impacts with the people of WV and our agencies charged with overseeing their work and environmental impact. WV is no longer for sale to the lowest bidder. We have lived and suffered through extraction industries. We are done giving away all that is good. In the last 25 years we have worked hard to build tourism and market WV as a remote work and retirement destination. This is working. Mega data centers or any other proposed partner that redacts key information is not a good partner. Do not enable WV to be used again. We are better and stronger than that. We also know how to grow our economy in healthy ways. Let’s work together to do that. We have a strong public-private partnership of economic developers. Ask them where the investments are needed. WV has abundant natural resources. We owe it to each other to responsibly manage them. No one else will protect what is ours like we can  
2026 Regular Session HB5193 (Judiciary)
Comment by: Ethan Prichard on February 6, 2026 08:18
Adverse possession is an outdated practice dating back to the common law of England. It serves no purpose in the present day, and is primarily enforced to support shady dealers stealing the property of others. In West Virginia specifically, adverse possession infringes upon the rights of property owners in rural areas and does not promote the public good.
2026 Regular Session HB5193 (Judiciary)
Comment by: Ethan Kahsay on February 6, 2026 08:17
Adverse possession is an outdated concept from a time when it was necessary for people use their land in order to settle this country. Now such things are not needed and as such I am in favor of this bill.
2026 Regular Session HB4600 (Judiciary)
Comment by: Leslie stone on February 6, 2026 08:15
Honorable Representatives, Please carefully consider the wisdom of  asking registered voters and our state to rely on things out of their control. A voter can mail a ballot two weeks ahead of an election deadline. The only thing they have control over is the date they vote and place their ballot in the mail. -wars -storms -fewer postal workers -misplaced mail A postal mark showing the date of mailing is the only thing that shows a mail-in voter’s intent - the day they vote and put it in the mail. We should make it easy for WV citizens’ votes to count. Thank you!
2026 Regular Session HB5158 (Health and Human Resources)
Comment by: Jayli Flynn on February 6, 2026 08:15
I am submitting this comment with concerns about House Bill 5158, not because men should lack reproductive healthcare options, but because the framing and structure of this bill risks reinforcing harmful gender stereotypes and unequal policy treatment rather than addressing true healthcare equity. HB 5158 mandates 100% insurance coverage for voluntary male sterilization under the Public Employees Insurance Agency (PEIA). While access to reproductive healthcare for men is important, the bill narrowly focuses on sterilization rather than comprehensive reproductive health education, informed consent safeguards, or parity across genders. This approach risks reinforcing outdated assumptions that:
  • Men’s reproductive responsibility should be reduced primarily to sterilization,
  • Gender equality is achieved by isolating procedures rather than addressing systemic bias,
  • Biological sex determines appropriate roles or decisions in family planning.
Healthcare policy should be gender-neutral, evidence-based, and rooted in informed consent, not framed in a way that could normalize permanent medical decisions without broader educational, social, or ethical context. Additionally, history shows that sterilization policies—when promoted without strong safeguards—have disproportionately harmed marginalized groups, including people with disabilities, lower incomes, or limited access to independent medical counseling. While HB 5158 states procedures must be voluntary, the bill does not include explicit protections addressing coercion, long-term consequences, or informed decision-making standards. True equality in healthcare would:
  • Address reproductive healthcare access across all genders, not isolate one procedure,
  • Invest in education, counseling, and prevention, not only surgical outcomes,
  • Avoid reinforcing gender stereotypes that already contribute to unequal treatment in workplaces, healthcare settings, and the legal system.
For these reasons, I urge the Legislature to reconsider or amend HB 5158 to focus on comprehensive reproductive health equity, informed consent protections, and gender-neutral policy design rather than a narrow procedural mandate.
2026 Regular Session HB5058 (Health and Human Resources)
Comment by: Laura A. Isom on February 6, 2026 08:10
Do you honestly think Vegetarians and Vegans are suddenly going to start eating meat if you prohibit the sale of vegetarian alternatives???  My husband is a vegetarian and this past August had to have a bypass down in Charleston at CAMC Memorial.  When the nutritional specialist came by, we were told after informing her he doesn't eat meat, "oh...gee this is going to be a problem" come find out they ONLY offered vegetable soup and foods that contained cheese (which had he been a vegan would have been a no no) that first few days, they gave him so much cheese, it constipated him, which was not good for a person awaiting a bypass). My point is, stop ignoring the fact that there are many people who were meat eaters but due to high cholesterol have been advised by their doctors to cutout red meat, products like Impossible Burgers and Beyond Meat products (as well as other meat alternatives) are giving them a way to not miss their taste for meat.  Not every meat analog is full of chemicals and dyes. Please focus on real issues at hand and stop playing God. Your fellow WV'ns are suffering out here, needing water and highway reconstruction and ya'll are trying to ban Meat Analogs...your mother's would be ashamed of you at how silly you are being.
2026 Regular Session HB4669 (Health and Human Resources)
Comment by: Don E Skaff DDS on February 6, 2026 08:05
I practice pediatric dentistry in Kanawha County. I see the pain & suffering caused by dental decay. Water fluoridation has universally been deemed as one of the 10 most significant advances in public health, vastly reducing the amount of tooth decay in both children & adults. This bill must be voted down in the interest of public health. Removing fluoride would cause a significant increase in dental decay .
2026 Regular Session HB5156 (Judiciary)
Comment by: Jayli Flynn on February 6, 2026 08:04
This bill raises serious concerns regarding due process, accountability, and the potential for abuse of discretion. Under established principles of administrative and constitutional law, government actions that restrict rights, deny benefits, or impose penalties must be supported by documented evidence and a rational, reviewable basis. Allowing officials to overrule rules or make adverse determinations without a clear evidentiary standard creates arbitrary and capricious decision-making, which courts have repeatedly found unlawful. When discretion is not tied to written findings, evidence, and statutory criteria:
  • Decisions become unreviewable
  • Nepotism and conflicts of interest are harder to detect or prove
  • Selective enforcement becomes more likely
  • Financial or political incentives can improperly influence outcomes
  • Public trust in government institutions erodes
Ethics and nepotism laws rely on traceable, evidence-based decisions to function effectively. If an official can claim “administrative judgment” without documentation, enforcement of those laws becomes largely illusory. To protect both the public and lawful governance, any bill granting discretionary authority should, at minimum:
  1. Require written findings citing specific evidence
  2. Identify the statutory basis for any override
  3. Create a record subject to audit and judicial review
  4. Establish clear consequences for undocumented or improper decisions
Without these safeguards, the bill risks enabling abuse rather than improving governance. Accountability is not achieved through trust alone, but through transparent, evidence-based decision-making.
2026 Regular Session HB5154 (Judiciary)
Comment by: Jayli Flynn on February 6, 2026 08:00
I am submitting this comment in strong support of House Bill 5154 based on my lived experience with repeated discrimination and the failure of existing systems to provide meaningful accountability in West Virginia. I am pansexual, mixed-race, a medical cannabis patient, and someone who relocated to West Virginia from California. These aspects of my identity have resulted in layered and ongoing discrimination in employment and public-facing workplaces. The harm I have experienced has not typically appeared as a single, obvious act, but rather as cumulative treatment over time — exclusion, retaliation, unequal enforcement of rules, and being labeled as a “problem” for defending myself against bigotry. In several instances, when I attempted to verbally defend myself against discriminatory remarks or treatment while acting as an employee, law enforcement was called and sided with the business. Police stated that management could tell me to leave, even though I was an employee at the time. At the same time, conduct directed at me — including blocking my movement, threats, and stalking behavior — was dismissed as “free speech.” This unequal application of authority punished self-advocacy while tolerating harassment. I was repeatedly told by police to “survive and report later,” yet there was no meaningful explanation of how or where such reports would lead to accountability. This reflects a systemic problem: those tasked with enforcing the law are not required to fully understand civil rights protections, and there is no immediate corrective process when authority is used in a way that reinforces discrimination. As a result, individuals facing bias are silenced, isolated, and discouraged from reporting. Under current law, these failures are compounded by two structural barriers. First, many discriminatory incidents occur in smaller workplaces that fall outside the jurisdiction of the West Virginia Human Rights Commission. Second, the existing one-year filing deadline does not reflect the reality of how discrimination actually occurs. People experiencing retaliation, medical vulnerability, economic insecurity, or fear of further escalation often do not immediately recognize that their treatment is unlawful. By the time patterns become clear, the opportunity to seek relief has already expired. HB 5154 does not create new protected classes or special treatment. Instead, it addresses these systemic gaps by expanding coverage to more employers and extending the time to file a complaint. These changes acknowledge that discrimination is often enforced indirectly, through selective authority and procedural decisions, rather than explicit statements. The extended filing period allows individuals to document patterns, gather evidence, and seek review beyond local systems that may be unwilling or unable to act. For people like me, who experience layered discrimination involving identity, disability, medical treatment, retaliation, and misuse of authority, HB 5154 provides a realistic path to accountability. It shifts the balance away from silence and toward due process, fairness, and public trust. I urge lawmakers to support and pass HB 5154.
2026 Regular Session HB5153 (Health and Human Resources)
Comment by: Jayli Flynn on February 6, 2026 07:53
Diabetes and metabolic disease cannot be accurately understood or addressed solely as individual lifestyle or genetic issues. Extensive public-health research shows that food insecurity, limited access to nutritious foods, and early-life nutritional deprivation significantly increase the risk of type 2 diabetes later in life. These risks are further compounded by epigenetic effects, where nutritional stress and deprivation—especially during pregnancy and childhood—can alter metabolic regulation and insulin response across generations. Reductions in food assistance programs such as SNAP have been consistently associated with higher food insecurity, increased reliance on ultra-processed foods, and poorer glycemic control, all of which contribute to higher diabetes prevalence and complications. When affordable, healthy food access is reduced, individuals are pushed toward cheaper, calorie-dense options that increase insulin resistance and long-term metabolic disease risk. This is not a failure of personal responsibility, but a predictable outcome of structural food access constraints. Certain populations experience disproportionate diabetes risk due to historical and intergenerational nutritional deprivation, where metabolic adaptations formed under scarcity become harmful in modern food environments. Treating diabetes as merely “being born with it” or as an adult behavioral issue ignores this well-established public-health reality and leads to delayed or denied treatment. HB 5153 recognizes that diabetes treatment must reflect medical necessity and prevention of long-term complications, rather than punishing individuals for risks shaped by food insecurity, generational deprivation, and systemic barriers to healthy nutrition. Ensuring insurance coverage for clinically prescribed medications is a necessary component of addressing diabetes equitably, particularly in a state where food access challenges and chronic disease burdens remain significant. Addressing diabetes effectively requires acknowledging upstream causes—including food access, SNAP policy impacts, and intergenerational health effects—while ensuring timely access to appropriate medical treatment. HB 5153 moves policy closer to that evidence-based approach.
2026 Regular Session HB5152 (Energy and Public Works)
Comment by: Jayli Flynn on February 6, 2026 07:49
While HB 5152 proposes protections against residential utility shutoffs during declared emergencies, recent events in Wayne County demonstrate why these protections must be understood in the broader context of how the state currently handles contamination, billing, and accountability. During the Wayne County water contamination incident, residents continued to receive full water bills despite official notices stating the water could not be safely used or consumed. In practice, residents were charged for a service that was functionally unavailable. This occurred even as the health risk was acknowledged, highlighting a disconnect between emergency declarations, public-health guidance, and utility billing enforcement. Through my own FOIA requests and state-issued documentation, I have obtained records and visual evidence showing that contamination events, billing practices, and emergency response are treated as separate administrative issues, rather than as a single, integrated public-health and consumer-protection failure. This fragmentation allows responsibility to be shifted between agencies — water authorities, health departments, utilities, and the state — with no single entity required to resolve the full harm to residents. HB 5152 addresses disconnection during emergencies, but it does not fully resolve the underlying problem illustrated by the Wayne spill:
  • Residents can be billed for unsafe or unusable water
  • Emergency declarations do not automatically trigger billing relief
  • Agencies acknowledge contamination while disclaiming authority over financial harm
  • The burden is placed on individual residents to navigate multiple systems rather than on the state to coordinate a unified response
Without explicitly tying water safety determinations, billing suspensions, deferred payment requirements, and post-emergency accountability together, the state risks repeating the same outcome under future emergencies — legal compliance on paper, but financial and health harm in reality. HB 5152 should be evaluated with this history in mind. Emergency protections must apply not only to shutoffs, but to the fairness of charging residents for essential services they are instructed not to use, and to ensuring agencies cannot continue operating in silos when public health, utilities, and consumer protection clearly overlap.
2026 Regular Session HB4712 (Judiciary)
Comment by: Cynthia Chandler on February 6, 2026 07:48
Please support HB4712 bill.  Baylea’s Law
2026 Regular Session HB5148 (Education)
Comment by: Jayli Flynn on February 6, 2026 07:46
HB 5148 proposes a statutory Student Bill of Rights. However, its provisions must be evaluated in the context of existing state law, including statutes that limit expression, restrict curriculum, address weapons on campuses, and affect educational supports, especially for students with disabilities and historically underserved populations. 1. Free Expression and Political Advocacy – Conflict with Restrictions on Viewpoint-Based Speech HB 5148 guarantees student rights to free expression and participation in civic life. Yet West Virginia law includes restrictions on certain political advocacy, such as anti-boycott, divestment, and sanctions (anti-BDS) enforcement provisions tied to government contracts and investment decisions (see WV Code § 5A-3-60 et seq., relating to patriotism and anti-BDS compliance). These statutory restrictions create viewpoint-based limitations that can chill protected student expression on public issues, undermining HB 5148’s free expression guarantees. 2. Equality and Inclusion – Impact of Eliminating DEI Programs HB 5148 affirms rights to equality and nondiscrimination. However, Senate Bill 474 (2025) eliminated diversity, equity, and inclusion programs and offices from state government and public education, modifying multiple sections of the Code (e.g., removing DEI language from WV Code § 18-2E-1 et seq. and related sections across education and workforce statutes). The removal of these supports, including culturally competent training and assistance, reduces institutional capacity to ensure equal educational access and support for students from diverse backgrounds. 3. Campus Safety – Campus Carry Statute (WV Code § 18B-4-5b) HB 5148 promises a right to physical safety in educational environments. At the same time, the Campus Self-Defense Act, codified at WV Code § 18B-4-5b, requires public colleges and universities to allow individuals with valid concealed handgun permits to carry concealed firearms on campus, subject to limited exemptions. This statutory requirement directly intersects with safety claims in HB 5148, as students in higher education must legally share campus environments with concealed firearms. Safety protections in the Student Bill of Rights cannot be meaningfully guaranteed without acknowledging this statutory context. 4. Discipline, Disability, and Accommodations – IDEA and Discipline Risks HB 5148 includes language supporting dignity and nondiscrimination. West Virginia and federal law require accommodations for students with disabilities under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), 20 U.S.C. § 1400 et seq., and related West Virginia Code provisions (e.g., WV Code § 18-20-2 et seq.). At the same time, discipline criteria in school policy can lead to exclusionary practices if behaviors related to disability are mischaracterized as “violent” or “disruptive” without appropriate manifestation determination reviews as required by IDEA. Disability advocates have raised concerns that recent discipline-related legislative proposals could lead to disproportionate exclusion of neurologically diverse students absent safeguards. 5. Curriculum and Instruction – Guaranteed Meaningful Education HB 5148 asserts a right to a meaningful curriculum. Yet statutory efforts to limit instruction on topics such as sexual orientation and gender identity have been pursued in West Virginia statutes governing curriculum standards and instructional materials (e.g., changes under WV Code § 18-2A-1 et seq. regarding instructional content standards). Restricting curricular scope impacts students’ ability to receive comprehensive, factual instruction and reduces access to a complete education. 6. Enforcement and Oversight – Education Department Capacity The enforcement of student rights in HB 5148 depends on administrative capacity. Proposals to reduce, absorb, or eliminate the West Virginia Department of Education (WV Code § 18-2-1 et seq.) raise concerns about capacity to monitor compliance, investigate complaints, and provide remedies. Rights without enforcement mechanisms remain aspirational rather than protective. Conclusion HB 5148 must be evaluated in light of current West Virginia statutes that shape the educational environment, affect speech rights, restrict curriculum content, determine campus safety conditions, and influence accommodations for students with diverse needs. Without addressing these statutory conflicts — including anti-BDS restrictions (WV Code § 5A-3-60 et seq.), the elimination of DEI programming, the campus carry requirement (WV Code § 18B-4-5b), and discipline practices tied to disability supports — a statutory Student Bill of Rights risks being symbolic rather than actionable. I urge the Legislature to reconcile these statutes so that rights guaranteed on paper align with students’ actual experience across the state.
2026 Regular Session HB4712 (Judiciary)
Comment by: Rhonda D Smith on February 6, 2026 07:11
I love Baylea’s law! I think there should be stiffer penalties for those who take someone’s life because they are driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. I also think if there are multiple people involved the charges should be multipled.  
2026 Regular Session HB4073 (Health and Human Resources)
Comment by: Nicole on February 6, 2026 06:52
  1. Please pass this bill.
  2. We need it coded into law
2026 Regular Session HB4712 (Judiciary)
Comment by: Makayla Bias on February 6, 2026 05:44
I pray Baylea gets the Justice she deserves and this bill is passed!
2026 Regular Session HB4712 (Judiciary)
Comment by: Lois Guthrie on February 6, 2026 05:39
I support the passage of ‘Baylea's Law’ More severe penalties are needed for driving impaired. Too many innocent lives, both young and old, are lost due to the negligence of others.
2026 Regular Session HB5260 (Health and Human Resources)
Comment by: Amy Grimm on February 6, 2026 05:20
I have a neurological condition that requires meds and I find cannabis to be less additive and less side effects of the drugs prescribed.  Being able to have edibles would help those who like the benefits of the medicine without having to consume it by vaping.
2026 Regular Session HB4712 (Judiciary)
Comment by: Perry Changes on February 6, 2026 04:04
Pass the bill....
2026 Regular Session HB4712 (Judiciary)
Comment by: Arista Shrewsbury on February 6, 2026 03:08
This is important for our community. So many lives could be impacted, on both the driver & potential victims. Baylea Bower’s death must stand for something. Please allow my family the comfort in knowing that her name will live on forever changing & protecting lives. Say her name BAYLEA BOWER!
2026 Regular Session HB4712 (Judiciary)
Comment by: Sharon Saunders on February 6, 2026 01:14
#Justice4Baylea… Please pass Bill- HB1234 Gone but never forgotten 💔
2026 Regular Session HB4712 (Judiciary)
Comment by: Adrianna smith on February 6, 2026 00:49
It’s very important that this bill gets passed. Too many people are getting killed by drunk drivers and we need an end to it. Drunk drivers who kill someone 100% needs more then just 3-15 years….
2026 Regular Session HB4922 (Finance)
Comment by: Elizabeth Gravley on February 6, 2026 00:20
I support HB 4922 because property taxes effectively turn homeowners into lifelong renters of the government.West Virginians shouldn't be taxed out of homes they've lived in for years. Seniors on fixed incomes face being priced out of their own homes. My mother's property assessment increased $20k this year. Her property taxes are almost as high as they were before she had the homestead exemption. Each year is more difficult to pay than the last. This bill ensures that those who have contributed to our state for a lifetime can age in their home with peace of mind.
2026 Regular Session HB4712 (Judiciary)
Comment by: Judy halstead on February 6, 2026 00:19
Please
2026 Regular Session HB4712 (Judiciary)
Comment by: Hollie on February 6, 2026 00:16
#JUSTICEFORBAYLEA
2026 Regular Session HB4712 (Judiciary)
Comment by: Janet Vint on February 6, 2026 00:07
I am in support of this bill! Stiffer penalties are needed for driving while under the influence! Drug convictions not even involving death have more jail time than a dui resulting in death.
2026 Regular Session HB4712 (Judiciary)
Comment by: Tamela Elswick on February 5, 2026 23:36
Getting behind the wheel of a car while intoxicated is a choice.   Every single time it happens in places everyone around them at risk of severe injury or death.  Higher initial penalties, before a death happens, would possibly deter people from endangering lives again.  But, at the bare minimum the consequences for causing death while driving impaired should be higher.
2026 Regular Session HB4712 (Judiciary)
Comment by: Charity Bragg on February 5, 2026 23:24
I feel that harsher sentences should be given for drunk/intoxicated drivers. I feel as if it is a thought out crime. I think that anyone who gets behind the wheel willingly and takes a life because of that, should have to serve several years. The families and friends of these victims due to drunk driving serve a life sentence, they get no other chances, no other “I love yous”, no confidant to tell all their problems to, no more holidays with their families, and I think that the people who do drink and drive face harsher sentences. Hopefully with harsher sentences that would deter people in the future from making the same bad choices.
2026 Regular Session HB4712 (Judiciary)
Comment by: Tyler Bothwell on February 5, 2026 23:18
Not only does Baylea deserve justice, everyone that has died due to a DUI driver and their families do. This has happened way too many times and it’s unfortunate that people like Baylea who had their whole life ahead of them lost their life due to an individual that was just reckless and childish. I understand mistakes happen and you get second chances, but you don’t get a second life. Think of your kids, and think of theirs. You would do the same.
2026 Regular Session HB4712 (Judiciary)
Comment by: Lilly Browning on February 5, 2026 23:15
This law needs to be moved forward with due to the amount of people who get off easy after taking some ones life. There should be further punishment.
2026 Regular Session SB4 (Judiciary)
Comment by: Endangers our lives on February 5, 2026 23:05
Giving ICE more power when they are already have the ability to execute US citizens unilaterally without repercussions is not helpful to your citizens, your base, or your oaths to your offices. Anyone voting in favor this should be shamed into resigning.
2026 Regular Session HB4712 (Judiciary)
Comment by: Brittany Gendron on February 5, 2026 23:03
I agree this bill should be passed to make people think again before getting behind the wheel intoxicated.
2026 Regular Session HB4712 (Judiciary)
Comment by: Margaret Dodrill on February 5, 2026 22:57
4721
2026 Regular Session HB4712 (Judiciary)
Comment by: Misty Perdue on February 5, 2026 22:33
I Have Been Praying Everyday For Justice For Bailey!I Didn’t Know Her Personally But Her Story Breaks My Heart. I Know Her Parents Somewhat Zelda Is Sisters With My Aunt Connie. Connie Was Married To My Uncle. My Heart Breaks For The Whole Family. And I Know Bailey Didn’t Deserve This. And The Person Responsible For Her Death Needs To Be Held Accountable. R.I.P Bailey🦋💙🩵
2026 Regular Session HB5260 (Health and Human Resources)
Comment by: Larissa Bowles on February 5, 2026 22:19
We need this bill to pass!!! So many of us need this approved for medical reasons! It’s so very beneficial to us!
2026 Regular Session HB4712 (Judiciary)
Comment by: Tiffani Chaney on February 5, 2026 22:12
Please consider changing the laws regarding DUI causing death. There should be harsher punishments for such a thing.
2026 Regular Session HB4712 (Judiciary)
Comment by: Allycia Governor on February 5, 2026 21:53
Driving under the influence is not a simple mistake—it is a conscious decision that puts every life on the road at risk. When that choice results in the death of another person, the consequences should reflect the irreversible harm caused to families and communities. Increasing the prison sentence for DUI offenses involving death would send a stronger message of accountability, act as a meaningful deterrent, and demonstrate that our laws value the lives of victims as much as we value prevention. Current penalties often fail to match the lifelong grief endured by surviving loved ones. Stronger sentencing would reinforce that impaired driving is not an accident but a preventable act of negligence, and those who make that choice must face consequences proportionate to the loss of human life.
2026 Regular Session HB4712 (Judiciary)
Comment by: Jaden Jarrell on February 5, 2026 21:31
What happened to Baylea is a tragedy. It should never happen to another family, and while nothing could ever bring Baylea back to us, this is a step in the right direction to justice. It is a joke for the sentence for knowingly getting behind a wheel intoxicated by any means, and taking a life to be such a small amount. It is a slap in the face to victims and their families. A DUI causing death, is a murder just the same. The punishment should reflect that sentiment as well. I hope this is taken into heavy consideration
2026 Regular Session HB4712 (Judiciary)
Comment by: Crystal Morgan on February 5, 2026 21:30

http://4224 seng Creek Rd

2026 Regular Session HB4712 (Judiciary)
Comment by: R Graley on February 5, 2026 21:29
  1. This is something that should have been in place already. Its murder, careless, senseless, murder. These people get by with a slap on the wrist for taking a life. Get this going so it doesn't happen anymore.
2026 Regular Session HB4712 (Judiciary)
Comment by: Anna Workman on February 5, 2026 21:14
Baylea Bower was one of my closest friends for 10 years. The sensless act of a minor caused her tragic death. The act that deserves more jail time. The act that deserves more than just mental punishment. Baylea will never return and Destany Lester, has been able to sit at home. It is very important to me that this act passes, I feel as if this will help protect and prevent many accidents, and hopefully improve driver's decisions when thinking drinking and driving or under the influence of any substance is ok. Anyone who hits, and kills someone under the influence deserves more jail time than a couple of years. Thank you.
2026 Regular Session HB4712 (Judiciary)
Comment by: Heather Turley on February 5, 2026 21:11
I believe this bill should be passed. The people that get behind the wheel intoxicated do that willingly, knowing they shouldn’t, that they could possibly take a life or theirs, yet they do it anyways. A minimum of 5 years for their carelessness couldn’t even begin to amount to the life sentence the families have to suffer. Knowing this could have been prevented.
2026 Regular Session HB4712 (Judiciary)
Comment by: Mechelle Dunlap on February 5, 2026 20:54
This law is a 100% need for anyone who has been affected by such senseless selfish people who continue to harm or kill people with their horrific actions.  
2026 Regular Session HB4712 (Judiciary)
Comment by: Carrie Morgan on February 5, 2026 20:50
The law should be a lot more tougher on people that drink and drive and take a life! if you would give somebody 30 years instead of three for killing someone while intoxicated and driving, there would be a lot more people calling at designated driver,
2026 Regular Session HB4712 (Judiciary)
Comment by: Rita Michaelson on February 5, 2026 20:41
If you drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs the penalty should be more, if it’s a fatality you have not only taken a life, you have affected a family, friends, a community. It affects a lot of lives.
2026 Regular Session HB4712 (Judiciary)
Comment by: Pam weaver on February 5, 2026 20:35
Please pass this bill for all the  families and others that have lost loved ones maybe it will get ppl to think before getting behind the wheel
2026 Regular Session HB5260 (Health and Human Resources)
Comment by: Autumn on February 5, 2026 20:32
I support HB 5260 because not all patients can safely inhale medical cannabis. Regulated edible options provide an important alternative for patients who need consistent dosing and non-inhalable forms of medicine.
2026 Regular Session HB5259 (Health and Human Resources)
Comment by: Robert Moore on February 5, 2026 20:23
I support this bill for it would allow medical cannabis card holders the option to grow their own strains to best fit their needs. It would also aid in cutting expenses for medical cannabis users that choose to grow their own plants along with truly knowing how the plants are grown and cared for. Too many companies still use harsh growth chems/fertilizers.
2026 Regular Session HB5090 (Education)
Comment by: Linda Crumm on February 5, 2026 20:19
I am completely for this bill and pray that it passes.  Health decisions belong to parent(s), not schools, organizations, nor governments.
2026 Regular Session HB4712 (Judiciary)
Comment by: Tresa on February 5, 2026 20:18
I am a drunk driver server from years ago ! It should have been changed years ago !
2026 Regular Session HB4712 (Judiciary)
Comment by: Colleen Lookabill on February 5, 2026 20:17
Passing this bill could prevent someone else from making the same mistake destiny did that night. If not justice for Baylea Bower, then justice for someone else in the future.
2026 Regular Session HB4712 (Judiciary)
Comment by: Stephanie Massey on February 5, 2026 20:17
Please pass this law.
2026 Regular Session HB5260 (Health and Human Resources)
Comment by: Robert Moore on February 5, 2026 20:11
I fully support 5260. As a medical card holder having the option for edibles would allow myself and other that do not like vaping or oils a better option. Not to mention the just keeping WV money in WV rather than individuals traveling to border states to buy edibles.
2026 Regular Session HB4712 (Judiciary)
Comment by: Halee Ring on February 5, 2026 20:05
Baylea was more than a young business owner from Boone County. She meant not only a lot to her family, but the community in the county & many others (pretty much anyone she met). Her life was valuable, just as anyone’s. One important question you should ask yourself: “How is the law “just” on taking a life?” Anyone who gets behind a wheel knows the risk, whether impaired or not. The way we conduct ourselves behind the wheel can affect the safety of others. We’re also taught to be cautious of others on the road and to use our judgement on how to safely handle a situation. But how do you expect another driver coming from the opposite roadway? How do you expect someone to be completely intoxicated and under the influence of drugs? As any decent human being, you would assume other people follow the laws.  In our society today, it’s sadly not the way things are anymore. You can’t predict whether or not someone will get into a vehicle and drive illegally, impaired by some substance. So what will you do to protect the people in your own state? How will you justice the law to your sons and daughters? That you found it justice that those that break the law received the minimum? Do you tell them that 15 years is enough for taking a life, even though the guilty persons show no remorse? Better question to ask yourself: What IF it was your son or daughter that died? What would you ask/plead law makers to side with? Is 3-15 years enough, enough to send someone back into society, knowing they will probably go back and do it again? Listen to the people. The very people who vote you all in office. Do we matter? Do our lives matter?
2026 Regular Session HB4712 (Judiciary)
Comment by: Shane sowards on February 5, 2026 19:52
This is a law that needed passed well beyond all the people that reaped the consequences of the actions. Maybe with the criminal charges raised, more thought would be considered before these scenarios happen. A death caused by dui is murder no less.
2026 Regular Session HB4712 (Judiciary)
Comment by: Tyler Foster on February 5, 2026 19:51
This bill would help stop drinking and driving
2026 Regular Session HB4712 (Judiciary)
Comment by: Kitty Stover on February 5, 2026 19:51
Please pass this bill to make stiffer penalties for DUI
2026 Regular Session HB5260 (Health and Human Resources)
Comment by: Karen Ratliff on February 5, 2026 19:48
I support HB 5260 because not all patients can safely inhale medical cannabis. Regulated edible options provide an important alternative for patients who need consistent dosing and non-inhalable forms of medicine.
2026 Regular Session HB4712 (Judiciary)
Comment by: Vickie Dingess on February 5, 2026 19:42
Baylea law
2026 Regular Session HB4413 (Public Health)
Comment by: Alicia Smith on February 5, 2026 19:41
I highly disagree with this bill because making syringe exchange programs illegal can be HIGHLY damaging to our homeless community. Syringe exchange programs were created to keep drug using homeless people safer by giving them clean, sterile needles for exchange for the used ones. This keeps our streets clean from used needles, protecting curious kids and people who walk. It also prevents the spread of disease (AIDS, HIV, etc.) from people reusing the same needles or using needles they find lying around. Taking this away can reverse the positive, increasing disease, harming children, and making our streets unclean.
2026 Regular Session HB4966 (Judiciary)
Comment by: Alicia Smith on February 5, 2026 19:37
I agree with this bill because preventing adults from selling nicotine to minors is highly needed. There are far too many older siblings, uncles, and aunts buying vapes for their underage family members, feeding their addiction. Vapes are highly deadly to children and teens. They can cause popcorn lung, a lung disease that makes it hard to breathe, and collapsed lungs. This bill would make it so that any person/business that sells vapes to underage kids gets a fine of $250. I think the fine should be higher, considering they're selling a deadly item to minors.
2026 Regular Session HB4712 (Judiciary)
Comment by: MATTHEW EPLING on February 5, 2026 19:30
Harsher penalties can discourage people from committing serious crimes by increasing the cost of breaking the law. When consequences are clear and significant, potential offenders may think twice, which can reduce crime rates and help protect communities.
2026 Regular Session HB4712 (Judiciary)
Comment by: Carol Pettry on February 5, 2026 19:28
Please pass this bill!
2026 Regular Session HB4712 (Judiciary)
Comment by: Joey Pettry on February 5, 2026 19:25
I support Baylee’s Law! Please pass this!
2026 Regular Session HB4669 (Health and Human Resources)
Comment by: William A Klenk DDS on February 5, 2026 19:25
I am writing as a dentist with a 40-year career of treating patients in Northern Fayette County. When I first started seeing patients in 1986 in Ansted, that community was the only town in that part of the county with a citywide fluoridated water system. Everyone else was on well water, cisterns, or spring water. My observation was that those who lived in the country had higher rates of decay! Over the past 40 years much of Northern Fayette County has come to be served by WV American Water. The incidence of decay has decreased dramatically. This reduction follows what scientific research tells us will happen if fluoride is used at optimal levels. If you have questions about fluoride the website www.ilikemyteeth.org is a great resource that explains any concerns that you may have. This year I have the privilege as serving as the President of the WV Board of Dentistry whose mission is to protect the health, safety and welfare of the public. This bill directly conflicts with that mission statement. Please feel free to reach out to me if you were to have any questions or concerns.
2026 Regular Session HB4712 (Judiciary)
Comment by: Sonja Brown on February 5, 2026 19:20
It could happen to anyone’s family. That kind of loss can be replaced.
2026 Regular Session HB4712 (Judiciary)
Comment by: Christy Bowen on February 5, 2026 19:15
This should definitely be a new law  !!!
2026 Regular Session HB4712 (Judiciary)
Comment by: Tonya Brown on February 5, 2026 19:13
It could happen to anyone’s family
2026 Regular Session HB4712 (Judiciary)
Comment by: Bendi Howell on February 5, 2026 19:11
I think this law should be passed to protect innocent bystanders from being injured or even losing their life due to the poor decisions of others. 15 years is not enough to justify another life being taken from a persons lack of responsibility.
2026 Regular Session HB4712 (Judiciary)
Comment by: Tony smith on February 5, 2026 19:08
Please concider Bayleas law these laws need to stricter on offenders they have a choice the person killed doesnt
2026 Regular Session HB4712 (Judiciary)
Comment by: Linda Massey on February 5, 2026 19:06
Support 1000%
2026 Regular Session HB5253 (Judiciary)
Comment by: Cristy Anderson on February 5, 2026 18:55
Totally support this. I think an abuser’s name should appear on the registry after the second offense though, rather than the third.  
2026 Regular Session HB4712 (Judiciary)
Comment by: Sandra Meadows on February 5, 2026 18:52
It’s not fair being selfish and doing what u want to without any care of who it hurts! Not only do u take 1 life but you rob everyone else that loves them!!! Make the law stronger so people may think about it before they ruin many life’s!
2026 Regular Session HB4712 (Judiciary)
Comment by: James Lipford on February 5, 2026 18:49
It’s a shame that there hasn’t always been a stiffer penalty! Bailey wasn’t the first life taken by the poor judgment  of someone & she won’t be the last…but it has to stop somewhere with the hand smacks for poor judgement. It’s a shame a grieving family has to pour their heart & soul into trying to protect the lives of others and their families….this is a chance to right a bunch of wrongs and hopefully make people think twice before getting behind the wheel endangering their life and the lives of others…DO THE RIGHT THING
2026 Regular Session HB4712 (Judiciary)
Comment by: Rhonda Hayes on February 5, 2026 18:45
I fully support Baylee’s Bill!
2026 Regular Session HB4712 (Judiciary)
Comment by: Beverly Milam on February 5, 2026 18:39
This is such a wonderful bill to pass.
2026 Regular Session HB4600 (Judiciary)
Comment by: Tim Reinard on February 5, 2026 18:37
Why would you disenfranchise WV citizens who have voted by mail for the last 5 years at least. There has never been a fraud finding that would have impacted an election. so why trample on people’s rights
2026 Regular Session HB4712 (Judiciary)
Comment by: Debbie Kirk on February 5, 2026 18:36
A father and mother lost their daughter to a drunk driver . We need this bill Josh has brought forth . So many has lost their lives due to drunk drivers more time is what they need .
2026 Regular Session HB4712 (Judiciary)
Comment by: Jim Clendenen on February 5, 2026 18:31
I feel like this law should be made for offenders to serve more time when involved with killing another person as a result of drunk driving. Too many people who are guilty of this crime do not seem to learn from their mistakes if set free without heavy penalty and go on to drink and drive over and over while taking more lives with zero consequences.  If the time served were more severe then perhaps people would think twice before drinking and driving and taking another life and ruining families.
2026 Regular Session HB4712 (Judiciary)
Comment by: Kenzi Vance on February 5, 2026 18:30
Baylea’s Law needs to be passed!
2026 Regular Session HB4712 (Judiciary)
Comment by: Abigail D on February 5, 2026 18:29
Baylea was an amazing soul taking way too soon. #JusticeforBaylea
2026 Regular Session HB4712 (Judiciary)
Comment by: Jamie barker on February 5, 2026 18:28
Bayleas law should be passed. No one should every lose a child (or any other person) especially to such a careless act like driving impaired.
2026 Regular Session HB4712 (Judiciary)
Comment by: Bailey on February 5, 2026 18:20
.
2026 Regular Session HB4712 (Judiciary)
Comment by: Amy Hensley on February 5, 2026 18:19
Justice for Baylea Nevada Bower . Always missed but never forgotten .
2026 Regular Session HB4712 (Judiciary)
Comment by: Denise Booth on February 5, 2026 18:19
I think DUI crimes should have longer sentences. I was hit head on by a drunk driver 20 years ago, entrapped in my car as they ran and fled from scene.  They were caught and I was told this was their 3rd DUI, not even their car and they would be charged and put in jail.  They got nothing! Unacceptable
2026 Regular Session HB4712 (Judiciary)
Comment by: Darlene Long on February 5, 2026 18:16
No parent should lose a child. Baylea’s law would hopefully make a person choose to not get behind the wheel intoxicated or on drugs. I would sign this a billion times if I could! Prayers to Jimmy, Zelda, her husband and her family and friends
2026 Regular Session HB4712 (Judiciary)
Comment by: Angela Lucas on February 5, 2026 18:10
  1. Please pass this bill, hopefully stricter punishment will be a strong deterrent for possible future offenders
2026 Regular Session HB4712 (Judiciary)
Comment by: Cassidy Mitchell on February 5, 2026 18:06
Please pass this bill. Rip Baylea
2026 Regular Session HB4712 (Judiciary)
Comment by: Amanda on February 5, 2026 17:51
Drinking and driving is no joke. Causing death while drinking and driving should have harsher punishment in the state of WV. I couldn't believe current law has a minimum of three years. Three years for causing a death that could have been prevented! Please pass Baileys law so this may not happen again.
2026 Regular Session HB4712 (Judiciary)
Comment by: Jennifer Richmond on February 5, 2026 17:40
Justice for baylea !! 🩷
2026 Regular Session HB4970 (Education)
Comment by: Brian Powell on February 5, 2026 17:11
Considering how many bills we see being introduced by legislators who had to have been high to think they were a good idea, this bill should be amended to require regular, repeated drug screening of members of the legislature.
2026 Regular Session HB4712 (Judiciary)
Comment by: Melinda Gurski on February 5, 2026 17:06
Pass the bill 4712, there needs to be more penalties for this!!
2026 Regular Session HB4712 (Judiciary)
Comment by: Lisa Oiler on February 5, 2026 16:26
#justiceforbaylea
2026 Regular Session HB4712 (Judiciary)
Comment by: Cheryl Milam on February 5, 2026 16:18
A beautiful life lost to the decisions of someone who was incapable of making a decision  due to alcohol,  drugs. The double sentence is not enough.....let Bailee live through the new law to always remember what ALL families loose. Cheryl Milam  
2026 Regular Session HB4712 (Judiciary)
Comment by: Cheryl Watson on February 5, 2026 16:10
  • 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.
2026 Regular Session HB4712 (Judiciary)
Comment by: Amber Brown on February 5, 2026 16:09
We need harsher penalties for DUI.
2026 Regular Session HB4073 (Health and Human Resources)
Comment by: Ludmilla on February 5, 2026 16:02
Pass this bill!  WV has never had religious exemptions and all walks of life would like this to pass in WV. Everyone who doesn't want this to pass.. should have no say in someone's else's child's medical interventions. Religious exemptions to do no harm.. People dont want to inject something that harmed kids & their own children.