Domestic Violence Story Archives - West Virginia Public Broadcasting

Advocates Seek Bigger Slice Of State Budget To Address Domestic Violence

Domestic violence prevention nonprofits have not received a state budget increase since 2009. Advocates hope a special session of the West Virginia Legislature could change that.

Tucked away on a side street of downtown Martinsburg, the Eastern Panhandle Empowerment Center (EPEC) is a domestic violence prevention nonprofit serving Morgan, Berkeley and Jefferson counties.

EPEC was founded in 1977 and expanded with time. Ten years ago, Executive Director Katie Spriggs said the EPEC served 250 people annually. Now, it serves more than 1,400 people each year.

Visits to EPEC may be on the rise, but Spriggs said funding has not increased sufficiently to meet them.

Looking at EPEC’s first-floor office it immediately becomes clear. Each day, staff members squeeze into corners of the room with laptops and cell phones in hand.

“We have probably on an average day 12 people that work out of this office, so it’s not large enough,” Spriggs said.

According to Spriggs, moving out of EPEC’s apartment-turned-office into a larger space would bring benefits. But a potential move and the expansion of current EPEC services are constrained by the same factor: the budget.

“We’re kind of stuck,” she said. “We haven’t seen an increase in so long that it’s really difficult to make the budget work every year.”

In West Virginia, domestic violence prevention nonprofits receive funding through a variety of sources, like private donations, federal grants and a line item included annually in the state budget.

But the state has not boosted that line item since May 2009, even as the cost of living has risen.

In recent years, Gov. Jim Justice has pursued a flat budget, which means freezing state spending so it stays the same each year. While surplus funds get redistributed, they do not supplement every budget item.

At the same time, Spriggs said that federal support for nonprofits through the Victims of Crime Act has become jeopardized by a recent reallocation of funds.

Continuing to provide resources to survivors of domestic violence requires reliable funding on the state level, she said.

Katie Spriggs, executive director of the Eastern Panhandle Empowerment Center, is in the process of digitizing decades of the center’s paper records.

*Photo Credit: Jack Walker/West Virginia Public Broadcasting*

Sara Belvins O’Toole, director of development at Huntington’s Branches Domestic Violence Shelter, said part of the need for additional funding stems from changing conversations around domestic violence prevention.

In the early days, Belvins O’Toole said advocates were focused primarily on removing individuals from crisis situations.

They now understand helping people stay away from abusive relationships requires more holistic assistance, she said.

“People who are just plopped out of a situation and put into another environment don’t have the resources and the skills and the support that they need to actually stay away from a person that was violent in their life,” Belvins O’Toole said. “Especially if that person was in control of the finances.”

Approaching domestic violence on a holistic level means considering other factors that put survivors at risk, like housing insecurity and child care needs.

“We have to do a little bit of that other work like housing advocacy, like legal advocacy — all of those things that are providing support,” Belvins O’Toole said. “It’s not about just getting somebody out of crisis anymore. It’s about supporting them into a life free from violence.”

But this is easier said than done. Joyce Yedlsoky, team coordinator at the West Virginia Coalition Against Domestic Violence (WVCADV), said that the state’s flat budget has also affected separate nonprofits that address these needs directly.

In turn, she said domestic violence prevention advocates must wear multiple hats, spreading their time and funding thinner.

The budget “being able to account for other aspects that survivors need” is important as well, she said.

Through the WVCADV, Yedlosky works with the 14 licensed domestic violence prevention nonprofits located across West Virginia. In February, she helped arrange a visit to the State Capitol featuring representatives from each of these organizations.

The advocates lined the Capitol’s lower rotunda with tables, passing out stickers and informational flyers to visitors and lawmakers alike.

Yedlosky also took the time to speak with lawmakers about the nonprofits’ current financial needs, and said they were generally supportive of securing new funds.

But, since then, Yedlosky said lines of communication between lawmakers and the nonprofits have all but closed.

“Since the session ended, we haven’t heard from lawmakers specifically around our funding,” she said.

Staff members Katie Brougham, Serena Hemple and Foxfire Formoso (from left) stand in the entryway of the Eastern Panhandle Empowerment Center.

*Photo Credit: Jack Walker/West Virginia Public Broadcasting*

By the time this year’s regular session of the West Virginia Legislature ended, no budget line increases for domestic violence nonprofits had been passed. New funding for services like child care were also left out entirely.

Still, this year’s budget is not completely settled. Gov. Jim Justice has expressed disapproval of some funding omissions from this year’s budget, and in March announced plans to call a special legislative session to reconsider the budget.

Justice said he plans to hold the session by May 14, the state’s primary election. Members of the Legislature’s leadership have indicated they would prefer for the session to coincide with interim meetings beginning May 19.

In a dream scenario, Yedlosky said she would like to see a $500,000 cost-of-living increase to the state’s funding for domestic violence nonprofits, which currently sits at $2.5 million split annually between all 14 licensed organizations.

But Yedlosky said she’s not holding her breath for what the special session will bring.

“To be honest, I don’t think that that’s on the table for the special session,” she said. “It would be really nice if it was.”

Instead, Yedlosky said she hopes that lawmakers will reverse course and provide new funding to other services like child care.

“I do believe if they reinstate back some of the huge cuts that they made, that’s also going to help survivors,” she said. “That’s my hope.”

Back in the Eastern Panhandle, Spriggs echoed Yedlosky’s calls for a cost-of-living budget increase. She described an increase like this as a critical way to reduce the risks that survivors of domestic violence face across the state.

“A line item increase on the state budget would not only keep the lights on and give us a foundation to grow on,” she said. “It would also prevent violence. A lot of violence.”

For more information on domestic violence prevention resources in West Virginia, visit the West Virginia Coalition Against Domestic Violence’s website.

Funding Needs For Domestic Violence Shelters On This West Virginia Morning

On this West Virginia Morning, domestic violence prevention advocates lined the State Capitol rotunda in February, seeking a budget increase. They said lawmakers were receptive to the idea. But no increase was passed before this year’s regular legislative session ended. Jack Walker checked in with domestic violence prevention advocates on funding needs as a potential special session approaches.

On this West Virginia Morning, domestic violence prevention advocates lined the State Capitol rotunda in February, seeking a budget increase. They said lawmakers were receptive to the idea. But no increase was passed before this year’s regular legislative session ended. Jack Walker checked in with domestic violence prevention advocates on funding needs as a potential special session approaches.

Also, in this show, Central Appalachia is home to 16 state and federal prisons. Now, federal officials are considering adding a medium security prison in Letcher County. But as the Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting’s Jared Bennett tells — the project is also drawing opposition from activists from across the country.

West Virginia Morning is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting which is solely responsible for its content.

Support for our news bureaus comes from Shepherd University.

Emily Rice produced this episode.

Listen to West Virginia Morning weekdays at 7:43 a.m. on WVPB Radio or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. #WVMorning

Spousal Sex Abuse Fully Criminalized, Marking ‘New Day’ For Survivors

Gov. Jim Justice signed a law on Friday eliminating marital exemptions for sex abuse. Advocates say the new law will help survivors pursue legal recourse for their experiences with spousal abuse.

In West Virginia courtrooms, marriage no longer qualifies as a legal defense for sexual abuse.

Gov. Jim Justice signed Senate Bill 190 into law Friday, removing all remaining marital exemptions for crimes of sexual violence.

Previously, state law blocked spousal prosecution over acts classified not as sexual assault, but as “sexual abuse” — namely non-consensual sexual touching.

Exemptions like these were even steeper decades prior. Spousal rape was not a criminal offense in the state until 1976.

That’s when former Sen. Judith Herndon, R-Ohio, then the only female state senator, called for changes to the state’s sex abuse laws that were later adopted by the West Virginia Legislature.

With spousal sex abuse now fully criminalized, state officials and community advocates alike have expressed hope that more support for survivors lies ahead.

Becoming Law

Marital exemptions for sex abuse have long been a concern of advocates for the survivors of domestic violence.

“This was definitely not new to this session. I’ve been working in advocacy full time for the last eight years, and I know that it’s been in conversation for as long as that,” said Sara Belvins O’Toole, director of development with Branches Domestic Violence Center.

Based in Huntington, Branches provides housing support to victims of domestic violence across five West Virginia counties.

This year, however, discussion over the statute grew in February, as members of the West Virginia House of Delegates debated the so-called “Women’s Bill of Rights.”

That bill aimed to define sex-based terminology in state law, and create protections for “certain single sex environments.”

Opponents of the bill described it as discriminatory toward transgender residents. Del. Kayla Young, D-Kanawha, introduced an amendment with several new provisions to exemplify “what [it] could look like if women had equal rights under the law.”

That included removing sales taxes on period products, establishing parental leave for state employees — and removing marital exemptions for sex abuse from state law.

Young’s other ideas were shot down. But one part of her amendment ultimately passed: removing the marital rape exemption.

The Women’s Bill of Rights, and therefore Young’s amendment, did not become law. But the possibility of removing marital exemptions grew as the session wore on.

A bill proposed earlier in the session by Sen. Ryan Weld, R-Brooke, passed through the West Virginia Senate later in February, then the House in March.

And, on Friday, Justice signed Weld’s bill into law.

Supporting Survivors

At a Feb. 23 Senate Judiciary Committee meeting, Gabrielle Mucciola, prosecuting attorney for Monongalia County, attested to the bill’s importance for supporting survivors of domestic violence.

“These cases are wildly underreported,” Mucciola said. “And I would say that this exemption creates just another hurdle for victims of sexual abuse and sexual assault to come forward and feel comfortable that West Virginia adequately protects them.”

“You can imagine the heartbreak that a survivor might feel if they’re going through the legal process and, all of a sudden, because they were married to that person, what happened to them is not validated,” Belvins O’Toole said.

With the bill passed, advocates for survivors of domestic violence say they expect these barriers to reporting sexual violence will be reduced.

“Hopefully… people understand that this is an option for them now,” said Julie Britton, director of the YWCA Resolve Family Abuse Program in Charleston. Britton’s group offers housing and emergency interventions for survivors of domestic abuse.

Belvins O’Toole said the new law ensures that people are equally protected from sexual violence.

According to her, reducing barriers to prosecuting sexual violence is especially important because it expedites a process that can be difficult for survivors. “Most importantly, this is a win for survivors,” she said.

Britton agreed, expressing hope for a better future for survivors across the state.

“I just think that this is a new day for West Virginia,” Britton said. “It’s just another tool that we can use to make sure survivors get the justice that they absolutely deserve.”

Lawmakers Talk Whether Private Schools Should Require Student Vaccinations

On this episode of The Legislature Today, there has been a lot of discussion this year about vaccines and whether they should be required in private schools, and there has been spirited debate on the topic in the last few days. Health Reporter Emily Rice spoke with Del. Chris Pritt, R-Kanawha, and Del. Joey Garcia, D-Marion, about this issue.

On this episode of The Legislature Today, there has been a lot of discussion this year about vaccines and whether they should be required in private schools, and there has been spirited debate on the topic in the last few days. Health Reporter Emily Rice spoke with Del. Chris Pritt, R-Kanawha, and Del. Joey Garcia, D-Marion, about this issue.

Also, nearly 2,600 bills have been introduced this session, but fewer than 50 have completed legislative action so far. Wednesday is Crossover Day, meaning it will be the final day for bills to be passed out of their chamber of origin.

In the House, the chamber considered more than 30 bills on third reading, including proposals highlighting water service cut offs, banning mugshots, helping veterans and outlawing deep fake election material.

In the Senate, the chamber passed a bill that would require public schools to show a video on the early stages of human development – and include language that life begins at conception. They also considered bills on competitive sports teams, tobacco and exams.

And, as this year’s window for proposing new legislation draws to a close, nonprofits that support victims of domestic violence are calling for more state funding. Jack Walker has the story.

Finally, with the deadline of Crossover Day looming, committees in both chambers are working through bill after bill. Education committees in both the House and Senate moved quickly at the start of the week to advance or decline more than a dozen bills. Chris Schulz has more.

Having trouble viewing the video below? Click here to watch it on YouTube.

The Legislature Today is West Virginia’s only television/radio simulcast devoted to covering the state’s 60-day regular legislative session.

Watch or listen to new episodes Monday through Friday at 6 p.m. on West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

Domestic Violence Nonprofits Seek New Funds Before Session Ends

Representatives from 14 groups fighting to curb domestic violence in West Virginia gathered at the State Capitol Tuesday morning to request new funding and spread awareness about domestic violence.

As this year’s window for proposing new legislation draws to a close, nonprofits that support victims of domestic violence are calling for more state funding.

Fourteen groups working to curb domestic violence gathered in the State Capitol on a busy Tuesday morning.

The West Virginia Coalition Against Domestic Violence (WVCADV) helps connect victims of domestic violence with the 14 nonprofit groups that tabled at the Capitol, which together serve all 55 counties in West Virginia.

With the end of this year’s legislative session in sight, Joyce Yedlosky, team coordinator with the coalition, said the groups are still in dire need of state funding.

“We’re all private nonprofit organizations who haven’t had a raise in the state budget for over 10 years,” she said. “We’re asking for a line item increase in the budget to be able just to keep up with the cost of living.”

Dwindling funds mark a particular issue for rural communities, according to Amaya Williams, outreach and volunteer coordinator with the Rape and Domestic Violence Information Center.

The group, based in north central West Virginia, often works with victims who can’t reach a resource center due to a lack of public transit.

Many victims “don’t have access to transportation – that’s our biggest barrier,” she said. “It’s a big barrier in seeking services, just because people, if they can’t get to us, then they’re kind of isolated.”

Victims of domestic violence also face challenges in the housing, legal and medical sectors.

These challenges can be particularly acute for Black West Virginians, according to Sarina Tuell, domestic violence outreach specialist with Charleston’s YWCA Resolve Family Abuse Program.

“With [the] systemic oppression and racism that our country alone has a huge history of, they may not trust the legal system,” she said. “They’re not going to go to the court system because there’s already that distrust there, underlying the situation.”

A 2009 study found that Black and Hispanic women are two to three times more likely to be victims of police-reported domestic violence than white women in the United States.

Tuell said racial disparities in domestic violence are something that the nonprofits “really need to hit home on,” and something that lawmakers should make a concerted effort to address.

The groups hoped their presence at the Capitol helped remind legislators of the importance of domestic violence policy. Yedlosky said lawmakers have been receptive to her group’s requests for more funding, but that time is quickly running out this year.

“They are considering our request,” she said. “But, so far, we’re starting to get a little antsy because we haven’t seen any movement.”

Crossover Day, the deadline for a bill to be passed out of its chamber of origin, is Feb. 28 this year — just one day away.

“We hope that we’ll see something as they start to finalize the budget,” Yedlosky said.

U.S. Attorney: Firearms Used In Most Domestic Violence Deaths

Nearly one in four women, and one in seven men, will experience severe domestic abuse in their lifetime and 20 percent of all violent crime is categorized as domestic violence.

In support of Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM), Will Thompson, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of West Virginia, is promoting the importance of enforcing federal firearm prohibitions.

Domestic violence abusers with access to a gun are five times more likely to kill their partners, according to the 2021 National Crime Victimization Survey data from the Bureau of Justice Statistics.

“Domestic violence affects us all personally in some way, and can have long-lasting impacts and consequences,” Thompson said. “As federal prosecutors in the Southern District of West Virginia, it is incumbent upon us to deploy every available resource and forge strategic collaborations with local law enforcement and fellow prosecutors. We have a shared responsibility to ensure that victims have a viable path to safety and justice.”

Thompson is promoting the importance of enforcing federal firearm prohibitions as part of the observance of DVAM.

In West Virginia, 14 of the 19 domestic violence homicides reported in 2020 were committed with firearms. Domestic violence abusers with access to a gun are five times more likely to kill their partners.

Under federal law, offenders with domestic violence misdemeanor and felony convictions, and those subject to domestic violence protective orders, are prohibited from purchasing or possessing firearms. They can face felony prosecution and a federal prison sentence.

“A crucial part of combatting domestic violence and reducing violent crimes includes enforcing federal firearm prohibitions,” Thompson said. “We want our communities to know that we are here to support victims and survivors in the Southern District of West Virginia, and not just in October but every month.”

If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic violence or need resources, please visit: https://www.justice.gov/ovw/local-resources.

Immediate help for domestic violence victims: Call the National Domestic Violence Hotline (@ndvhofficial) at 1-800-799-7233 or Strong Hearts Native Helpline (@strongheartsdv) at 1-844-762-8483.