Regional News, Events, and Activities

Proposed Rule Change for West Virginia House of Delegates

CCSJ is sharing this email that came from West Virginia NOW that reflects a concern from other groups related to public hearings at House of Delegates.

Dear Speaker Hanshaw,

I am writing to you about the proposed changes to the House committee process. I appreciate the effort to create a more deliberative and thoughtful process, and hope that it will lead to more effective policymaking. However, I am concerned about the elimination of citizens' right to a public hearing.

Public hearings are a necessary opportunity for West Virginia's citizens to make our voices heard in the legislative process. As proposed, the changes would put public comment on the first day a bill is considered in committee. For this to be an effective option, committee agendas would have to be published well in advance of the meeting. Without adequate prior notice, members of the public who want to speak about a bill may not have the opportunity to do so.

For this reason, I am asking you to reinstate the public hearing in the final rule changes. West Virginians deserve to have our voices heard.

Thank you,

ACLU WEST VIRGINIA

See more about ACLU West Virginia here or Facebook. There is information on this page about dealing with ICE agents and other immigration-related concerns. Email them at mail@acluwv.org.

Citizen Lobbyist Training will be Tuesday, February 4th, from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. 

“Are you looking for a way to get involved in the 2025 Legislative Session? Wondering how to navigate the session and have an impact?"Join us for our Citizen Lobbyist Training to talk about effective citizen lobbying, tips and tools, and more. Register for the virtual training (held on Zoom) here.

“ Ready to get involved in politics at a state level? Join the ACLU of West Virginia and community partners for a day of advocacy, trainings, and community at the Capitol!

We'll host a series of skill building sessions to teach people about recent changes to the legislative process, how to navigate resources on the Legislature's website, and how to talk to lawmakers about the issues you care about.
There will also be activities for children of all ages: story time for younger kids and youth advocacy training for teens.”

10:00 Welcome
10:30 Skill building sessions
11:00 Floor sessions
11:30 Movie sessions
2:30 After-School Programming
3:30 Storytime Read-In
5:00 After Party

If you have any questions, emailmail@acluwv.org.

FAIRNESS WEST VIRGINIA

Fairness West Virginia is a civil rights advocacy organtization dedicated to the fair and equal treatment of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender West Virginians. 

The following events were posted on their Facebook page.

Demystyfying Democracy

A presentation from FAIRNESS WV. Breaking down the WV legislature and teaching us how to navigate the 2025 Legislative Session. February 5, 6:30 pm. Email WVTRANSCOALITION@GMAILCOM. For the Zoom link. “West Virginia's legislative session lasts only 60 days, and in that time, lawmakers introduce hundreds of bills. But only a few actually make it all the way to the Governor's desk to become law. So how do we make sense of the noise? How do we follow what's happening under the dome and take action that will make a real impact?

“Join us for an important discussion on these questions and more next Wednesday night!”

Fairness For All Day

"On February 17, 2025, Fairness WV will host the third annual Fairness For All Day at the West Virginia Legislature. This lobby day is a chance for members of the community to meet with legislators about important issues facing the LGBTQ+ community.

“If you or your organization would like to have a table at this event, contact jack@fairnesswv.org for more details.”

Fairness West Virginia has a calendar of state-wide PRIDE events here.

Follow Fairness West Virginia on Facebook.

SUPPORT BLACK BY GOD: THE WEST VIRGINIAN

According to its website, “We are an emerging news and storytelling organization centering Black voices from the Mountain State. We provide a more nuanced portrayal of the Black experience in the Appalachian region.” Crystal Good is the editor/publisher/founder of Black By God.

There is a weekly online edition and a quarterly print edition. 

To contact Black by God, email Info@Blackbygod.org or call 304-207-0352. The mailing address is 2156 University Ave. Suite 400, Morgantown, WV, 26505. To make a tax-deductible donation, go to blackbygod.org/donate.

Black Policy Day at the West Virginia Legislature

This day will be Monday, March 10, at the State Capitol. You can register and get more information here. According to that website, “Black Policy Day (BPD) is a transformative event held annually at the Capitol in West Virginia. “It is much more than a single-day gathering. “It represents a powerful movement that aims to address policy issues affecting Black communities in West Virginia and foster cooperative and united communities.”