Senate Democrats are formally requesting a controversial bill that completed legislative action Saturday night be stopped from becoming law.
The state Senate’s two democrats have both signed a letter to Senate President Randy Smith stating that Senate Bill 474 did not properly complete legislative action, and should not be enrolled, authenticated, or presented to the Governor for approval.
“Due to the Senate’s patent disregard of established legislative procedure, the bill did not properly complete legislative action,” the letter says.
The bill, which would end diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives – referred to collectively as DEI – statewide, was a key part of Gov. Patrick Morrisey’s legislative agenda going into the 2025 legislative session.
The letter from Sen. Mike Woelfel, D-Cabell, and Sen. Joey Garcia, D-Marion, argues that not only were 15 amendments to the bill not considered but that the procedure used to do so was carried out improperly.
“The Senate took up the bill in the final hour of the session, and during that time, it improperly suspended a Joint Rule of the Senate and House of Delegates, failed to correctly reconsider its actions in passing the bill and suspending the Joint Rule, and refused to consider numerous properly filed Senate amendments to the House of Delegates amendments to the bill,” they said.
In the letter, Woelfel and Garcia also call on Morrisey to veto the bill if it reaches his desk.
“If the bill is enrolled and presented to the governor, it will be incumbent upon the governor to veto the bill in order to send a strong message to the Legislature that compliance with that branch of government’s own rules is essential to the making of sound public policy in the State of West Virginia,” they said.
The West Virginia Democratic Party published a letter Tuesday criticizing Senate leadership for the handling of the bill and calling for the reversal of the anti-DEI bill.
