Update: Capito Protesters Receive Minimal Fines

Updated: July 30, 4:15 p.m.

The six received fines of $50 each for trespassing.

Original Story

Morgan Fowler is a self-employed mom who was among six people arrested last month at Sen. Shelley Moore Capito’s Charleston office. 

The six are set to appear in Charleston Municipal Court Wednesday to answer to charges of trespassing. 

“I would do it again,” she said.

Fowler said she was there to express concerns about Medicaid cuts proposed as a part of the budget reconciliation bill. 

“This is my family’s life on the line, so whatever punishment that you could hand down to me would never be as much as it would be to my family if they weren’t able to receive medical care,” Fowler said. “So I would do it again.”

The protesters face up to $500 fines and 30 days in jail when they appear before a judge on Wednesday. 

Fowler says she’s not nervous, but she does feel betrayed by her elected representative, and frustrated at what she sees as Capito’s lack of engagement with constituents.

“This is someone who was elected to represent the people, and she’s completely inaccessible to the people. This state is heavily reliant on Medicaid, and so just kind of refusing to interact with your constituents and hear their concerns, it’s just really a bad faith measure. It doesn’t feel like you’re representative of the people you were elected to represent, but instead beholden to someone else,” Fowler said.

Capito’s office said in an earlier statement that the legislation puts Medicaid on a more fiscally stable trajectory. Capito was not in her Charleston office the day the protesters arrived. 

Editor’s Note: This story was updated to include the punishment received by the protesters and to reflect that it was a Charleston Municipal Judge.