Marly Ynigues, 5th Ward
marlyformorgantown@gmail.com
Q1. People experiencing houselessness sometimes set up encampments on personal or public property. These provide a sense of community and stability but also have created concerns about safety and sanitation. How do you think Morgantown should approach encampments like these?
"We must create a Morgantown Department of Housing. Right now, the City has no staff whose job it is to work on affordable housing policies and shelter resources. We can’t begin to build stability, safety, and sanitation without this foundation.
With a Department of Housing, we can empower policies for safe, affordable homes and transitional living spaces. Without such a resource, we will always be playing catch-up."
Q2. Recently, people have criticized unsheltered residents for asking for money in the downtown area and along roadways. Do you think this activity should be illegal? How do you envision addressing economic insecurity in Morgantown?
"It’s neither constructive nor constitutional to ban panhandling. Such a ban would invite a significant lawsuit against the City of Morgantown. Last month, a federal judge struck down an anti-panhandling law in Alabama as a violation of free speech, siding with ACLU of Alabama, the National Homelessness Law Center, and the Southern Poverty Law Center.
Economic security starts with housing security (see my first answer) and transportation: maintained roads and bridges, accessible sidewalks, bicycle trails and lanes, and a useful transit system."
Q3. The Center for Disease Control advocates for needs-based syringe programs (providing access to the number of syringes needed “to ensure that a new, sterile syringe is available for each injection” with no restrictions including returning used syringes) as the best practice to reduce new HIV and viral hepatitis infections. These programs (that follow suggested best practices) have been controversial in West Virginia and in 2021 resulted in the passage of Senate Bill 334, which limits some of the evidence-based best practices.. If elected to city council, how would you view syringe distribution programs? Are there other harm reduction programs you would like to see Morgantown implement?
"Harm reduction is preventive care for our public health. These essential medical resources stop the spread of life-threatening infections, such as the HIV epidemic centered in Charleston that is spreading to other counties.
Health Right’s LIGHT program provides clean needles, sharps containers, and naloxone (Narcan). This is also a way to reach patients with medical tests, mental health counseling, doctor referrals, contraception, and wound care supplies. I support a healthy community, and that includes harm reduction."
Q4. In 2020, the Morgantown City Council passed a cannabis decriminalization ordinance, lowering the misdemeanor crime of possession of cannabis under 15 grams in city limits to a $15 fine and no jail time. What are your views on cannabis and decriminalization of drugs for personal use? Should more be done to decriminalize the use of cannabis in Morgantown?
"Cannabis laws in West Virginia and Morgantown are out of sync with a growing number of our neighbors. For instance, Maryland has legalized cannabis possession and use starting this July.
Morgantown is a modern community. This means decriminalizing cannabis possession–not mostly decriminalizing it while maintaining a token punishment. Decriminalization should mean that there is no fine as well as no jail time."
Q5. In 2017, Morgantown passed a Non-Discrimination Ordinance to include protections “against discrimination in employment, housing, and public accommodations on account of actual or perceived race, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, disability, familial status, or veteran status.” The 2023 WV Legislature passed a Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) that may allow people in Morgantown to cite their religious beliefs as being in conflict with the NDO. How vigorously should Morgantown defend the NDO in light of RFRA? Do you support the passage of local legislation to support marginalized communities in Morgantown protected by the NDO who may be at risk of discrimination under RFRA?
"If Morgantown refuses to defend a local law that protects marginalized Morgantowners, then why did we pass the law in the first place? We should defend our Non-Discrimination Ordinance however we need to, whether through local legislation or the City Attorney. My platform is “Housing • Roads • Human Rights,” and I’ll stand by my fellow Morgantowners."
Q6. The West Virginia Traffic Stop Study, released in 2009 (the last time this data was collected, was conducted through legislative action initiated by the ACLU of West Virginia. The report identified a significant problem with law enforcement using race as a criteria in their suspicion of criminal activity. State-level data showed that compared to white drivers, Black drivers and Hispanic drivers are 1.64 times and 1.48 times more likely to be stopped respectively. Once stopped, they were searched more than twice as frequently when compared to white drivers despite having a lower contraband hit rate. They were also approximately 27% more likely to receive a citation compared to white drivers. The study cited Morgantown as having a particularly high rate of racial disparity in stop and searches. How do you propose Morgantown explore the current state of racial disparities in policing and stops?
"Morgantown should convene the local civilian advisory board, which can review current data and reported policing disparities to recommend community policing policies.
The City of Morgantown worked with local partners like the Morgantown/Kingwood NAACP to develop a detailed plan for this board, yet City Council has allowed it to languish. Even as several terms are due to expire within 3 months, the current City Council has neglected to appoint the required number of members, so the Board has yet to meet."