Tag: Sen. John Unger

Senator Drops Lawsuit Over Sunday Session

Berkeley County Democrat Sen. John Unger has dropped his lawsuit against Senate President Bill Cole after “reaching an agreement” with Senate Majority Leader Mitch Carmichael Thursday.

Unger filed a lawsuit in Kanawha County Circuit Court after Senate leadership announced they would hold floor sessions, including votes on bills, both Saturday and Sunday this week.

Unger is the pastor of three churches in Berkeley County and said Cole was forcing him to choose between his parishioners and his constituents, violating his religious freedom, but a deal was reached Thursday causing Unger to drop the suit. 

“The Majority Leader gave me his word that there will be no floor votes on Sunday,” Unger said in a written statement Thursday evening. 

A court hearing about the injunction was schedule before Kanawha County Circuit Judge James Stucky 11 a.m. Friday, but has been canceled.

Senators are expected to meet both Saturday and Sunday.

W.Va. Senator Sues to Prevent Sunday Senate Session

A senator who is a pastor has filed a lawsuit to prevent the West Virginia Senate from working this Sunday.

Sen. John Unger filed the lawsuit Wednesday against Senate President Bill Cole in Kanawha County Circuit Court.

The suit by Unger, a Berkeley County Democrat, says he’s the pastor at three different churches this Sunday.

It says scheduling a Sunday session conflicts with his state constitutional right of religious freedom.

The lawsuit says Unger has to perform pastoral duties of visiting the sick, shut-ins, the elderly and the dying, and giving communion to people who can’t make services.

In a statement, Cole called the lawsuit a “sad attempt at political gamesmanship and obstructionism.” Cole, a Republican, said Unger didn’t have a problem working on Sundays when Democrats were in power.

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