CROWN Act Story Archives - West Virginia Public Broadcasting

Crown Act Sparks Debate Over Fiscal Note

The Senate considered bills Friday on welfare programs, the Crown Act, oil and gas taxes, and a bill that would affect West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

The Crown Act, a bill that would prohibit racial discrimination based on certain hair textures and hairstyles, hit the Senate floor Friday.

Sen. Charles Trump, R-Morgan, is a sponsor of Senate Bill 496 and the chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee. The committee approved the bill Thursday evening following testimony from Veronica Clay-Bunch, Miss Black West Virginia.

“Whenever it comes to wearing ethnic hairstyles, sometimes we do tend to have issues with being discriminated against,” Clay-Bunch said.

The bill was read for the first time and then debate erupted.

Sen. Eric Tarr, R-Putnam, asked for the bill to be sent to the Senate Finance Committee, which he chairs. He indicated he was concerned there might be costs associated with the bill that had not been discussed.

Trump asked for evidence of the fiscal implications, and then opposed the motion to send the bill to the Finance Committee. He said it was unnecessary for the bill to go to Finance, because the bill would not increase expenses to the state.

“In fact, I think this bill, if we pass it will reduce, has a chance to reduce expenses to the state,” Trump said.

He reiterated that it is already illegal to discriminate against someone because of race in the state.

“This bill simply clarifies that if you discriminate against someone because of his or her hairstyle associated with his or her race, it qualifies as racial discrimination,” Trump said.

Sen. Mike Caputo, D-Marion, said the bill passed the Senate four years ago without a fiscal note.

“I don’t know what the motive is for moving this bill to Finance this late in the session, but I can certainly anticipate what the motive is,” Caputo said.

The Senate voted 22-12 to send the bill to the Finance Committee.

All bills have to be out of committee by Sunday, Feb. 25 to have a chance at making it across the finish line.

Senate Bill 562 expands job training requirements for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients.

West Virginia has the second lowest labor participation rate in the United States, behind Mississippi.

Sen. Rollan Roberts, R-Raleigh, lead sponsor of the bill, said it would address multigenerational dependence on welfare.

“I would describe this legislation as in this bill as a compassionately structured three year plan designed to gradually wean able-bodied adults without dependent children off of SNAP benefits,” Roberts said.

There is no fiscal note on the bill. Roberts said that counties can fund these programs using opioid settlement funds.

Caputo asked for the bill to be sent to Finance. Tarr opposed the motion.

“I can’t believe what I’m hearing, quite frankly,” Caputo said.

Caputo and Tarr debated why one bill was getting a fiscal note, and another bill that would involve programs that require some form of funding was not going to the Finance Committee. Ultimately, the bill was passed by the Senate without Caputo’s motion and heads to the House for consideration.

Senate Bill 844 would directly affect West Virginia Public Broadcasting. It changes the name of the oversight committee from the Educational Broadcasting Authority to Educational Broadcasting Commission. But it also shifts the ability to select the executive director to the secretary of Arts, Culture and History.

Caputo read a letter from a constituent urging him to vote no.

“It happens to come from two of my constituents who happen to be pretty large donors to the public broadcasting system. Now, I’m not going to mention their names, but, ‘I’m writing in hopes that you will vote against Senate Bill 844. This bill will fundamentally change public broadcasting by changing it to a state commission. West Virginia Public Broadcasting is funded by donations, of which my husband and I contribute generously, and bequests. Our donations are specifically for the independent journalism provided by WVPB. We’re not going to be supporters if our donations are simply to a state commission, which can be raided by a future governor to fund other pet projects,’” Caputo read.

The bill was passed by the Senate and heads to the House for consideration.

Drug Test Strips, Taxes, Natural Hair And Transgender Rights, This West Virginia Week

On this West Virginia Week, we continue our coverage of the West Virginia Legislative session with discussions from lawmakers and community stakeholders. We’ll listen back to a few of our conversations with our guests on our program The Legislature Today as they discuss taxes, natural hair and trans rights.

On this West Virginia Week, we continue our coverage of the West Virginia Legislative session with discussions from lawmakers and community stakeholders. We’ll listen back to a few of our conversations with our guests on our program The Legislature Today as they discuss taxes, natural hair and trans rights.

We also hear about drug testing strips, new potato chips and the state’s broadband future.

Chris Schulz is our host this week. Our theme music is by Matt Jackfert.

West Virginia Week is a web-only podcast that explores the week’s biggest news in the Mountain State. It’s produced with help from Bill Lynch, Briana Heaney, Chris Schulz, Curtis Tate, Emily Rice, Eric Douglas, Jack Walker, Liz McCormick, and Randy Yohe.

Learn more about West Virginia Week.

Black Policy Day Returned To The Legislature

Black Policy Day returned to the West Virginia Legislature Wednesday for its second year to highlight the policy issues facing Black West Virginians.

Wednesday was Black Policy Day at the West Virginia Legislature. The event is in its second year and is an opportunity for advocates to highlight the policy issues facing Black West Virginians.

Katonya Hart, one of the day’s organizers, said she wants the legislative process to be open so that all can participate. This year, the day’s focus expanded to not only look at policy, but also to help community members learn about and engage with the process directly.

“It’s that diversity when everyone’s at the table,” Hart said. “Having an opportunity to put in that we become strong, that there is a ‘we’ and there’s no longer that separation, that we’re able to keep our identity while supporting and standing in solidarity with each other.”

She said the day’s focus is broad, bringing attention and action to issues facing all West Virginians. Hart is tracking more than 200 bills this session. However one bill, the CROWN Act, is of particular interest. Hart and many other activists around the rotunda wore crowns during the day as a symbol of support for the legislation.

“CROWN stands for, ‘creating a respectable and open world for natural hair and culturally relevant hairstyles,’” Hart said.

“If I wake up in the morning and I wash my hair and I go to work and not straighten it, perm it, it’s okay,” she continued. “Nobody’s gonna say ‘That looks wild and unruly and unprofessional,’ and send me home and try to have me press it like another culture’s hair in order to file papers, to type a letter. What is the necessity of that? What is the reason for that? But so many people have found themselves in that situation, showing up for work and someone saying ‘Your Afro, your curly hair is just not professional.’”

Several municipalities, including Morgantown, Charleston and Beckley, have created their own ordinances to codify the CROWN Act’s protection locally, but advocates have been waiting to see it become state law for four years.

Hart listed issues of funding for education, the regulating of women’s bodies and legislation targeted at the LGBTQ+ community as other areas of focus.

Kasha Snyder-McDonald, the president of the West Virginia Black Pride Foundation, echoed the importance of passing the CROWN Act.

“People of color, we do have distinct hair, hair quality, something that Caucasian people have no understanding of,” she said. “Therefore it is no other body’s place to tell a person of color, what to do with their hair, how we wear our hair. Our hair is a sign of our glory.”

As an LGBTQ+ advocate, Snyder-McDonald also had her eye on several bills aimed at banning drag shows in the state, which she said is often a crucial source of income for people in the community.

“People are scared of what they do not understand or what they do not know. When it comes to the drag community, they do not know that some people that do drag, the majority of people that do drag, is because it is their livelihood, it is their way of employment,” Snyder-McDonald said. “There are so many doors that are close to the LGBTQ+ community, especially the LGBTQ+ community of color.”

“Here in West Virginia, we don’t have a lot of representation for the LGBTQ+ community, including within our own community,” she continued. “It’s very hard for us to get people to understand our vision and to see that we’re here and we’re just like everyone else. Each and every day is a struggle. We’re fighting just to be seen and just to be heard.”

Snyder-McDonald and Hart both expressed their excitement for the opportunity that Black Policy Day provides for Black West Virginians to organize and stand together for a better future.