Sen. Mike Azinger

Maddy summaryWest Virginia's SB 612 designates November 7 as "Victims of Communism Day" for public schools, requiring high school students in the mandated U.S. Government class to receive at least 45 minutes of annual instruction on this topic. The bill specifies instruction must cover historical communist regimes (including Mao Zedong's Cultural Revolution, Stalin's Soviet system, and others) and how victims suffered through poverty, violence, and suppression. It directs the State Board of Education to revise social studies standards by April 2026 to include these requirements. The observance applies to all public schools, with make-up days if November 7 falls on a non-school day. This bill directly affects West Virginia public school students and educators in required U.S. Government courses.

Maddy summarySB 602 requires repeat DUI offenders in West Virginia to carry a special identification card indicating they are prohibited from purchasing alcohol. The card must feature a prominent red stripe and the words "No Alcohol Sale" on its front. This applies to individuals identified as "interdicted persons" under the law, meaning those legally barred from alcohol sales due to DUI convictions. The bill establishes the card's design, application process, and enforcement mechanisms for businesses to verify compliance. It does not change DUI penalties but creates a new identification requirement for affected individuals.

Maddy summarySB 629 prohibits medical professionals in West Virginia from providing gender transition-related surgeries, hormone treatments, or therapies to minors under 21 years old. The bill bans specific procedures (like hysterectomies, phalloplasty, and puberty blockers) and hormone therapies exceeding normal physiological levels, with penalties including license revocation and up to $10,000 in civil fines per violation. It includes narrow exceptions only for minors with genetic disorders of sexual development (e.g., ambiguous genitalia at birth or specific chromosomal conditions). The law directly affects minors seeking gender-affirming care, healthcare providers, and local governments, while prohibiting taxpayer funding for such treatments.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits minors under 18 from attending venues displaying sexually explicit content without parental accompaniment. It amends penalties for indecent exposure near minors and creates exemptions for private venues like restaurants, sports stadiums, and private clubs that meet specific operational requirements. The law specifically targets venues where "obscene matter or sexually explicit conduct" occurs, with penalties including fines up to $500 for venue owners admitting minors without parental supervision. The bill focuses on venue access rules rather than individual conduct, applying directly to venue operators and minors.

Maddy summarySB 628 requires commercial websites distributing material harmful to minors (defined as pornographic content appealing to minors' prurient interests and lacking serious value) to verify users are 18+ using age-verification tools. It directly affects websites hosting such content by mandating age checks before access, with violations triggering civil liability for damages and legal fees. The bill excludes liability for internet service providers (e.g., hosting platforms) and focuses on content distributors. This policy change aims to prevent minors from accessing prohibited material online through mandatory age verification.

Maddy summarySB 591 prohibits public and charter schools in West Virginia from teaching students to believe certain "divisive concepts," such as the idea that one race is inherently superior or that the United States is fundamentally racist or sexist. The bill defines these concepts broadly, including claims about inherent racial or sexual superiority, historical blame, or discrimination based on race or sex. Teachers who teach these concepts may face dismissal, though the bill allows objective academic discussion of them without endorsement. The law takes effect on July 1, 2026.

Maddy summaryThis bill (SB 588) amends West Virginia law to limit who can pay property taxes for others. It restricts co-owners of real estate or others with an interest in property from paying taxes on another person’s share without specific legal steps. Under the bill, if a person pays taxes for someone else’s property interest, they must file a written claim with the county court within 30 days to secure a legal lien on that interest. This change directly affects co-owners, lienholders, and others with shared property interests who previously could pay others’ taxes without formalizing their claim. The bill does not alter tax amounts but changes the process for protecting payment claims.

Maddy summarySenate Bill 598 would replace the existing statue of Robert C. Byrd (a former U.S. Senator from West Virginia) in the Capitol rotunda with four new statues: George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, James Madison, and Arthur I. Boreman (West Virginia's first governor), each to be placed in a separate corner of the rotunda. The bill directs the Department of Administration's General Services Division to execute the replacement using funds from a pre-established "capitol renovation and improvement fund." This is a procedural change to Capitol artwork with no policy impact on residents or government operations. The bill does not alter state laws or create new obligations for citizens.

Maddy summarySB 584 shortens the required notice period for tax lien sales in West Virginia from 30 days to 15 days before a deed may be issued (amending §11A-3-55). It also reduces the time homeowners have to challenge a tax deed from two years to one year after the deed is delivered (amending §11A-4-4). The bill requires property owners seeking to contest a sale to deposit funds for redemption before court proceedings can begin. These changes directly affect property owners at risk of losing homes to tax sales and tax lien purchasers.

Maddy summarySB 569, the Transparency in Financial Services Act, requires large banks (with over $100 billion in assets) and major payment processors (handling over $100 billion in annual transactions) to provide customers with specific written reasons when denying, restricting, or terminating financial services like checking accounts, loans, or payment processing. The law prohibits these institutions from taking adverse actions based on a customer’s protected religious practices, speech, political activity, lawful economic behavior, or the institution’s desire to avoid financial loss tied to those factors. Customers can request a detailed explanation within 90 days of an adverse action, and institutions must respond within 30 days with clear reasons - not vague terms like "internal policies" - and must name any prohibited factor if it influenced the decision. The bill also bans financial institutions from conspiring with others to discriminate in providing covered services.