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Morrisey’s gender definition bill draws opposition from domestic violence shelters serving WV women

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westvirginiawatch.com – Amelia Ferrell Knisely – 2025-02-25 05:00:00

Morrisey’s gender definition bill draws opposition from domestic violence shelters serving WV women

by Amelia Ferrell Knisely, West Virginia Watch
February 25, 2025

At the request of Gov. Patrick Morrisey, the West Virginia House of Delegates is considering a bill that aims to keep transgender individuals from accessing women’s bathrooms, locker rooms and other spaces. The measure would also define sex-based terms of female and male using biological sex.

The bill is a priority for Morrisey, who while attorney general fought the participation of transgender athletes in school sports.

“One of the purposes of the bill [is] to try and protect safe, single sex spaces and places where women have historically had privacy,” said Curtis R. A. Capehart, the governor’s director of policy, who spoke to the House Judiciary Committee members Monday.

The bill, House Bill 2006, doesn’t come with criminal penalties for schools, higher education institutions or domestic violence centers that are impacted by the women’s space restrictions.

The West Virginia Coalition of Domestic Violence opposes the measure, saying “it denies individual freedoms under the guise of protecting women and is counter to our survivor centered and empowerment values.” 

“Most of the women seeking shelter have been abused by their intimate partners, not men dressing up as women to gain access to vulnerable survivors,” the coalition said in a press release. “Protection for women and girls is best provided by recognizing that most forms of violence are perpetrated against them within their homes.”

Julie Britton, who oversees a domestic violence shelter through the YWCA Charleston Resolve Family Abuse Program, said that restricting the ability to serve transgender women seeking shelter would be “a death sentence” for those individuals. 

“There are no alternative facilities, and if we are not available, the only other option would be a homeless shelter or the streets,” she told lawmakers. “I don’t know if we’re worried about women’s safety putting trans women out on the street.”

Del. Shawn Fluharty, D-Ohio, questioned how the measure could move forward legally — particularly the focus on restricting transgender individuals access to bathrooms — following a 2020 U.S. Supreme Court ruling in favor of a transgender male, Gavin Grimm, who sought access to a public school bathroom.

The bill says enforcement couldn’t violate the Supreme Court ruling; Capehart said the Morrisey administration believes the Grimm case could be overruled. 

In response, Fluharty said, “One of the first pieces of legislation coming from the governor’s office is bathrooms. And I’m trying to understand the policy consideration here and why this is such an important piece of legislation from the governor’s office.”

The bill is similar to a piece of legislation, known as the “Women’s Bill of Rights,” that lawmakers considered last year at the request of former Gov. Jim Justice. The high-profile measure failed to make it to the governor’s desk on the final night of the 2024 session as lawmakers dealt with budget negotiations. 

Nearly down-to-wire budget negotiations on the last day of session meant the House of Delegates ran out of time to vote on the measure. 

Public input on measure questioned 

The House changed its bill vetting process this year, ending the long-standing rule of requiring public hearings for bills when they are requested. Members of the public are allowed to testify on bills when they are being considered in committees through an invitation by the committee’s chair or vice chair.

Del. Evan Hansen, D-Monongalia, raised concerns that the Judiciary Committee agenda, which included what he said was a high profile bill about gender, wasn’t posted with 24-hours notice despite Republican leaders saying they would to allow public input.

“We were told we’re gonna get 24 hours notice so that for bills with great public interest, because there were no longer any public hearings, they would be able to know that they could get in the room to testify or submit with testimony. That did not happen to this bill,” Hansen said.

Judiciary Committee Chair Del. J.B. Akers said that he did not confirm Capeherat was able to attend the meeting until Sunday evening.

“The 24-hour notice is an aspirational rule,” said Akers, R-Kanawha. “I had the agenda posted last night, within less than about half an hour, confirming that Mr. Capehart would be the witness to appear today.”

Akers rejected a motion from Hansen to postpone bill consideration for one day to potentially allow additional public input. 

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West Virginia Watch is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. West Virginia Watch maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Leann Ray for questions: info@westvirginiawatch.com.

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Measles exposure alert issued for Texas after visitor tests positive

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February 24, 2025

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www.youtube.com – WCHS Eyewitness News – 2025-02-24 18:19:22


SUMMARY: A measles exposure alert has been issued in San Antonio, Texas, after a visitor tested positive for the virus. The individual visited multiple locations on the day of exposure, including UTSA’s campus and attractions along the Riverwalk, potentially exposing dozens of people. Symptoms of measles include high fever, cough, runny nose, red eyes, and rash. Mayor Ron Nirenberg emphasized the importance of vaccinations, urging the community to stay updated on MMR vaccines. Texas is experiencing its largest measles outbreak in 30 years, with 90 reported cases, linked to declining vaccination rates, underscoring the importance of maintaining a 95% vaccination rate.

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A potential measles exposure has been reported in San Antonio after a Gaines County resident who tested positive for the virus visited the city.

On February 15, 2025, the individual visited UTSA Main Campus from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., the River Walk (Wax Museum, Ripley’s Believe It or Not, Ripley’s Illusion Lab) from 2:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., and Mr. Crabby’s Seafood and Bar in Live Oak from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m, according to the City of San Antonio.

Comal County also reported that this person stopped by the New Braunfels Buc-ee’s Convenience Store on February 16 between 9 a.m. and noon.

FULL STORY: https://news4sanantonio.com/news/local/measles-exposure-alert-issued-for-san-marcos-after-visitor-tests-positive-risk-potential-contact-resident-texas-state-university-health-services-outbreak#

#measles #measlesoutbreak #vaccine #bacconeawareness #virus #texas #texasoutbreak #positive #healthnews #health #danger #awareness
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Braden’s Latest Forecast: Warmer & Sunny

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February 24, 2025

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www.youtube.com – WOAY TV – 2025-02-24 06:25:07


SUMMARY: Braden’s latest forecast predicts a warmer and sunnier week ahead, with temperatures starting cool in the 20s and 30s but rising to the 50s and possibly 60s by Wednesday. High pressure will dominate, bringing mostly clear skies and mild conditions. Wednesday will be the warmest day, while Thursday may see some rain before dropping temperatures bring potential snow flurries by Friday. Overall, the week will feature dry weather with highs around 50 degrees early on and cooling towards the weekend, when temperatures may drop near freezing under sunny conditions. Enjoy the mild start to the week!

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‘What’s next?’: West Virginia native loses dream job during National Park Service terminations

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February 24, 2025

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westvirginiawatch.com – Lori Kersey – 2025-02-24 05:00:00

‘What’s next?’: West Virginia native loses dream job during National Park Service terminations

by Lori Kersey, West Virginia Watch
February 24, 2025

In December, Charleston native Ellen Blackwood started her dream as a recreation fee technician at Acadia National Park on the coast of Maine. Just two months later, on Valentine’s Day, that dream was cut short.

Blackwood was one of 1,000 newly hired National Park Service workers who were recently fired from their jobs as part of a Trump administration plan to downsize federal spending. The effort is being led by billionaire Elon Musk and the so-called Department of Government Efficiency. In addition to the Park Service terminations, 2,000 people were terminated from their jobs with the U.S. Forest Service.

“I’m definitely scared. I had just signed a lease for a place up there, and had even started a second job just to supplement my income” Blackwood said. 

“Not being secure in my plan anymore, that was scary,” she said. “But also it’s very concerning to hear all of these federal agencies losing employees. It’s not just the Park Service, the Forest Service, too, and other federal agencies. I just wonder where we’re going. What’s next?”

The layoffs have led to concerns about longer lines into the park and for potentially unsafe conditions for visitors and as well as making forests more vulnerable to fires. 

In addition to concerns about her future, Blackwood said she worries about the future of the parks, which may go without needed maintenance due to the staffing cuts. News reports indicate that the cuts have already harmed visitor experience at national parks around the country. In 2023, more than 325 million people visited one of the 400 national parks. 

“If there aren’t people to maintain the trails, then it could mean closures to the areas of the park because they’re deemed unsafe,” she said. “It could mean bathrooms and other necessary facilities are closed because there aren’t the staff to go in and clean them up, restock them with toilet paper. Lots of closures, I foresee happening.”

Seven other Acadia National Park workers were eliminated Feb. 14, she said. At least seven of the eight total jobs were funded from fee donations, not appropriated money, she said.

“So it’s not saving the government money,” Blackwood said. “And fee dollars are important, not just because they fund these positions, but because they go to fixing up the park and repairing facilities, repairing trails, making the parks a great experience for all who visit. Twelve million dollars was brought in by my position and others like it at Acadia in 2024. Without us there, there’s just no way the park could collect that much in the future.”

Blackwood said her termination letter said she failed to demonstrate fitness or qualifications for continued employment because her skills and knowledge didn’t meet the department’s needs. 

She disagrees with that assessment. Her first job with the Park Service was in 2021. She hadn’t been on the job long enough for a performance review in her current role, but she’d been given high ratings and even a performance award for a past season at Acadia, she said. 

“So if I had an outstanding season at Acadia where I received a performance award, why would they hire me for this permanent position if I wasn’t qualified or fit?” she said. 

The National Park Service did not respond to a question about whether the New River Gorge National Park or any of the state’s national trails or historical parks were affected by layoffs. A  spokesman for the U.S. Department of Agriculture said the agency eliminated 2,000 probationary, non-firefighting employees from the Forest Service, but did not respond to a question about whether West Virginia was affected.

Many of the positions were compensated by temporary Inflation Reduction Act funding, the spokesman said. 

“It’s unfortunate that the Biden administration hired thousands of people with no plan in place to pay them long term,” he said. “Secretary [Brooke] Rollins is committed to preserving essential safety positions and will ensure that critical services remain uninterrupted.”

Blackwood had hoped to make a career with the National Park Service. She started working as a college student at Yosemite National Park in 2021 and has had stints at Olympic National Park and Everglades National Park. She earned a degree in recreation, parks and tourism at West Virginia University. Her love of public lands started with childhood trips to West Virginia landmarks. 

“So many of my childhood memories are tied to visits to public lands in West Virginia, like Dolly Sods, Canaan, Blackwater, Kanawha State Forest,” she said. “And I’ve always, always appreciated these natural spaces, and I think they’re so important, and their preservation is so important.”

Blackwood said she doesn’t know what’s next for her. She’ll stay in West Virginia with family for now. She hopes she can get back to the National Park Service in the future. 

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West Virginia Watch is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. West Virginia Watch maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Leann Ray for questions: info@westvirginiawatch.com.

The post ‘What’s next?’: West Virginia native loses dream job during National Park Service terminations appeared first on westvirginiawatch.com

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