CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The American Civil Liberties Union of West Virginia (ACLU-WV) issued the following statements on proposed legislation moving through the Legislature. These comments are intended for any news media seeking the ACLU’s perspective on proposed legislation and can be attributed to ACLU-WV Executive Director Eli Baumwell.
ACLU-WV is tracking more than 200 introduced bills this session. See our bill tracker here.
HB 4413 – Total Ban on Syringe Programs
“Volumes of scientific studies spanning decades show that clean syringe programs safeguard public health by reducing the spread of blood-borne illness and introducing drug users to judgement-free treatment, without increasing crime in surrounding areas. Banning these programs will only worsen West Virginia’s addiction crisis and place help out of reach for thousands of people. The war on drugs is a failure. It’s time to stop embracing this outdated approach.”
SB 173 – Abortifacients
“Lawmakers in West Virginia are obsessed with banning abortion. West Virginia needs more access to this lifesaving care, and fewer politicians playing doctor. Abortion medication is safe, effective, and saves lives. This unconstitutional bill seeks to criminalize the actions of medical providers in other states where West Virginia lacks jurisdiction. If passed as written, it will almost certainly result in litigation.”
SB 388 – Requiring Bibles in Schools
“The Aitken Bible is no more deserving to be required in classrooms than is the Adams Quran – both books were the first of their kind to be printed in the United States and both have ties to the nation’s founders. SB 388 is a cynical attempt to force religion into the classroom under the guise of history. Public schools are not Sunday schools, and we will defend the foundational separation of church and state in court if necessary.”
SB 4 – “Halo” Bill
"We all have the constitutional right to record the actions of police officers in public, and most people do not have a tape measure on hand when they attempt to document police conduct. SB 4 is designed to chip away at that right by forcing observers to remain 30 feet away from officers as the officers execute their duties. It also prohibits the infliction of “emotional distress” on officers, a term so vague that it could be construed to include almost any behavior from bystanders. This opens the door for bad-faith actors to violate people’s rights.”
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