Maddy summarySB 440 requires all judicial candidates in West Virginia to file as partisan candidates (running under a political party label) and mandates they compete in both primary and general elections. The bill changes current nonpartisan judicial elections to partisan ones for all judicial positions - including Supreme Court justices, circuit judges, family court judges, magistrates, and Intermediate Court of Appeals judges - effective with the 2028 elections. It amends election code sections to specify that judicial races will use partisan ballots and require candidates to appear on both primary and general election ballots. The bill also updates ballot formatting requirements to include partisan labels for judicial offices. This is a procedural change to election administration, not a substantive policy shift.
Sponsored bills
Maddy summarySB 424, the "Restoring Sanity Act," prohibits West Virginia public schools and state universities from requiring instruction, curriculum content, or statements about specific concepts related to race, ethnicity, or biological sex. It bans teaching that one race/ethnicity/biological sex is inherently superior, that individuals are racist/sexist based solely on identity, or that people bear responsibility for others' actions due to their identity. The bill also prohibits state universities from maintaining diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) offices or using funds for DEI initiatives, requiring those funds to instead support merit scholarships or reduce tuition. Additionally, it states school employees are not required to use a student’s preferred pronoun if inconsistent with their biological sex, and schools cannot be held liable for using the student’s biological sex-based pronoun.
Maddy summarySB 445 would allow West Virginia state legislators and legislative staff who already hold valid concealed carry permits to carry concealed handguns inside Capitol buildings. To do so, they must first register with Capitol Police and submit a signed letter of intent to carry. This changes current law, which prohibited concealed carry in Capitol buildings (though concealed weapons in locked vehicles was permitted). The bill does not affect other Capitol visitors or expand who may carry; it only modifies the process for existing permit holders among legislators and staff.
Maddy summarySB 133 prohibits the use of ranked choice voting (also called instant runoff voting) in all West Virginia elections. The bill bans this voting method for local, county, statewide, and federal elections, including all offices elected by voters. It defines ranked choice voting as a system where voters rank candidates and votes transfer between candidates in rounds until a winner achieves a majority. The law applies to all election offices and voids any local government ordinances that conflict with this prohibition.
Maddy summarySB 97, the West Virginia Chemical Abortion Prohibition Act, prohibits healthcare providers from prescribing or dispensing abortion drugs unless specific requirements are met. It requires a physical exam before the procedure, the provider’s presence during administration, a follow-up visit within seven days, and provision of a medical waste kit for disposal. Violations could result in fines up to $1,000 or up to three years in prison, though exceptions exist for life-saving procedures. The bill also mandates that drug manufacturers cover cleanup costs if abortion drugs are found in wastewater, and defines key terms like "chemical abortion" and "abortion drug" to clarify prohibited actions.
Maddy summarySB 190 increases the retirement benefit multiplier for deputy sheriffs in West Virginia from 2.5% to 3% of their final average salary, multiplied by their years of credited service. This change directly affects current and future members of the Deputy Sheriff Retirement System who retire on or after July 1, 2018. The bill amends the existing retirement formula to provide a higher benefit percentage without altering contribution rates or eligibility rules. This policy change results in larger monthly retirement payments for qualifying deputy sheriffs based on their salary and service length.
Maddy summaryThis bill clarifies that wind power projects in West Virginia are not classified as pollution control facilities for tax purposes. Instead, wind turbines and their towers will be taxed as regular real property (subject to standard property taxes), ending prior tax treatment that treated them as pollution control facilities. The bill specifically defines the scope of taxable components, including turbine blades, generators, nacelles, towers, and foundations. This change directly affects wind energy developers and landowners by shifting their tax obligations from a special category to standard property tax rules.
Maddy summaryThis bill requires replacing the Robert C. Byrd statue in the West Virginia Capitol rotunda with four new statues - George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, James Madison, and Arthur I. Boreman - each placed in a corner of the rotunda. It directs the Department of Administration to use existing funds from the "capitol renovation and improvement fund" for this replacement, without creating new costs or policy changes. The bill is purely procedural, affecting Capitol decor, not public policy or citizen rights.
Maddy summarySB 289 amends West Virginia's school immunization law to expand exemption options for required vaccines (chickenpox, hepatitis-B, measles, meningitis, mumps, diphtheria, polio, rubella, tetanus, and whooping cough). It adds religious and philosophical exemptions for parents/guardians to cite as reasons for not vaccinating schoolchildren or childcare attendees, while eliminating the requirement for a State Immunization Officer and removing reporting obligations for schools. The bill also permits medical exemptions based on physician certification, as previously allowed, and allows individuals harmed by violations to seek court-ordered relief. These changes directly affect students entering West Virginia schools or state-regulated childcare centers.
Maddy summarySB 131 creates new state criminal offenses for undocumented immigrants entering or reentering West Virginia without authorization. It defines "illegal entry" as entering outside designated ports (like Charleston) and makes this a misdemeanor ($50-$500 fine or up to 90 days jail), or a felony with harsher penalties for repeat offenses or prior convictions involving drugs/crimes. The bill also establishes a "return order" process (§61-17-4) allowing judges to dismiss charges if immigrants agree to leave the state, after verifying identity and security checks. It prohibits courts from halting prosecutions due to pending federal immigration status decisions (§61-17-5). The bill directly affects undocumented immigrants entering West Virginia, shifting enforcement to state criminal penalties for violations previously handled federally.