Tag: West Virginia
What Other States Are Doing That West Virginia is Not
Posted on May 10, 2014 in Life by Nathan Cherry
West Virginia is a great place to live, once you get used to its quirky ways. But one thing that is hard to ever get used to is how behind West Virginia is regarding many social issues and public policies. A good example of that is the 20 week abortion bill that passed our state legislature with an overwhelmingly bi-partisan support only to be vetoed by our governor. Gov. Tomblin’s reason for vetoing the bill? He said he wasn’t sure that it was constitutional.
Well, that’s just a lame excuse used to cover up some political strategy aimed at advancing Tomblin’s career. After all, Tomblin has to first take care of himself rather than the people he serves and the unborn children being killed each and every day. But just in case Tomblin is still living in denial and believing he did the right thing, let’s take a look at what some other states are doing to protect the unborn.
Mississippi governor signs 18-week abortion ban, one of nation’s most restrictive: “Mississippi has passed one of the nation’s most restrictive abortion laws after Governor Phil Bryant signed a bill banning most abortions at 18 weeks’ gestation, or 20 weeks after a woman’s last menstrual period. House Bill 1400, which will take effect on July 1, allows an abortion if a woman would likely die or face permanent injury as a result of the pregnancy. It also has an exception for when an unborn baby has severe abnormalities, but no rape or incest exceptions. Bryant, who has said he wants to ban all abortions in his state, signed the bill into law on Wednesday despite heavy criticism from Democrats and abortion providers.”
31 States Have Religious Freedom Protections. Is West Virginia One of Them?
Posted on March 4, 2014 in Religious Freedom by Nathan Cherry
In light of the debacle that took place in Arizona last week, the question has been asked whether or not states already have religious freedom protections. The answer? Yes! At least 31 states have religious freedom protections that were either enacted by legislation or by state court decisions. The map below shows the breakdown of which states have what kind of protections.
Unfortunately, West Virginia has no such protections. I am currently unclear on what protections, if any, West Virginia has in place. According to this map our state doesn’t have any protections other than what is provided in the Constitution of the United States. It’s alarming to me how behind West Virginia is on critical issues like abortion limits, abortion funding, marriage protection laws, religious freedom laws, and more. It’s as if our state has been in the hands of liberal leadership for the past century. Oh wait…
Government Gone Wild: Will West Virginia Be the Next State to Fall to Judicial Activism?
Posted on February 17, 2014 in Marriage, Public Policy by Nathan Cherry
I recently wrote about the trend of attorney’s general refusing to defend the laws of the states that elected them to defend their laws. I commented that this trend was accelerated by President Obama and Attorney General Eric Holder refusing to defend DOMA. Once the president starts deciding which laws he will and will not defend it is just a matter of time before everyone else decides they can do it too.
Over the last year we’ve seen numerous attorney’s general decide not to defend state laws, while activist judges decide to strike down other laws. The latest in this trend comes from Kentucky where a judge said the state must recognize foreign gay marriages from other states. His declaration is in violation of Kentucky law, but that didn’t stop the judge from deciding to strike down the law and rewrite it according to his opinion. He reportedly ruled:
BREAKING: W.Va. Senate President Kessler Introduces Dangerous ENDA Bill
Posted on February 4, 2014 in Religious Freedom by Nathan Cherry
AP: “A bill introduced in the West Virginia Senate would make it unlawful for employers and landlords to discriminate against individuals based on their sexual orientation. Senate President Jeff Kessler, the sponsor, introduced similar bills in 2008, 2009 and 2010. The bills passed the Senate each year but stalled in the House of Delegates. The West Virginia Human Rights Act prohibits discrimination in employment and housing based on race, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, age, blindness or disability.”
Even though the water crisis has dominated the legislature up to this point, anyone with an ounce of insight into West Virginia politics knew that it was a matter of time before a bill like this hit the floor. The tide is changing in West Virginia and true conservatives that do more than talk are gaining seats in the state house. Knowing this, liberals seeking to veer away from the values that has made our state great are desperate. This bill from Kessler is just another example of that desperation.
How States Are Restricting Abortion in Insurance Plans. What West Virginia Isn’t Doing…
Posted on December 6, 2013 in Life by Nathan Cherry
Here’s some important statistics you need to know about abortion coverage in state insurance plans:
34 states prohibit public funding of abortions for indigent women.
19 states restrict coverage in insurance plans for public employees.
23 states prohibit coverage in plans offered through the exchanges.
8 states have laws restricting insurance coverage of abortion in private insurance plans.
These statistics show how abortion coverage is restricted in the states so that people will a moral or religious objection to abortion are not forced to pay for it. Here’s one more very important statistic:
West Virginia has no restrictions on abortion coverage in insurance plans. None.
A recent article explains what some states have done: “Obamacare allows health insurers selling plans on exchanges to cover abortion. In response, some states have passed ‘opt-out’ laws, barring insurers participating in their exchanges from offering health plans that include coverage of elective abortion. However, 27 states and the District of Columbia have taken no final action to prevent insurers from covering elective abortion.[2]”
While most states have taken measures to secure the moral, religious rights of pro-life people that don’t want to fund abortion, West Virginia has done nothing. As many of our lawmakers claim to be pro-life and say they will defend life, they have yet to put any action behind those words. For now, every citizen paying taxes in West Virginia is also helping to fund the abortion industry and ensuring that 5-7 West Virginia babies are killed daily in our great state. Let that sink in for a while. Click here for original article.