Name Andrea "Red" Greer
Office Sought House of Delegates
Party Affiliation Democratic
District 13
City/Town Parkersburg
Campaign Website 3049167775
Data shows that Black and low-income students are disciplined at a higher rate than their peers in West Virginia schools. Involvement of School Resource Officers (SROs) exacerbates these discrepancies and can lead to the school-to-prison pipeline. Studies show SROs do little to make schools safer, while contributing to harsher discipline and drawing resources away from other services like mental health and other support services. What is your position on having SROs in schools?
I do not believe SROs are necessary in schools. It only exacerbates small problems, which are often escalated to the detriment of both the student and the school environment.
Mental health has been a growing concern since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. Conversations on mental health are complicated by the prevalence of substance use disorder (SUD) in the state. WV has long wait times for mental health services including SUD treatment. One proposal is using mental health teams as first responders. Would you support funding for more mental health response teams? Why or why not, and what if any is the role of the legislature in solving this issue?
I would support using funds for mental health response teams. Many community interactions have a much greater likelihood to go badly when mental health issues are involved. This is not to disparage our law enforcement; only an acknowledgment that it takes specialized training to recognize and handle some issues that officers see. I believe we need a variety of response teams available in our community as a matter of course; not every community disturbance can be most effectively handled by the police. The legislature can best help by understanding the differences in these types of services, and advocating for their inclusion in our local communities, as well as allocating funding on the state level to better equip our communities for this type of transition to more comprehensive community services.
In Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. In response, the West Virginia Legislature banned most abortions. Do you agree or disagree with this new law? What do you think West Virginia's abortion policies should be?
I believe medical care should be handled by the doctor and the person that needs care. Government should not be involved in those decision-making processes, at any point.
Several West Virginia municipalities have passed ordinances that expand the definition of racial discrimination to include discriminating against traditional or natural hair textures and styles. Would you support expanding this protection statewide? Why or why not?
Yes, I would support the expansion of these ordinances across the state. It is ridiculous that any discrimination would ever occur based on someone's hair style. Not everyone can wear the same styles, or even should! The fact that there is discrimination against people who are wearing traditional styles or natural textures is just bewildering to me.
Many states have created laws that seek to limit the teaching of "divisive concepts" or "critical race theory.” West Virginia narrowly missed passing a similar law during the 2022 Legislative Session. What is the value or harm in teaching these topics and what role should the legislature play in determining this curriculum?
Education should be left to educators, not politicians. Teaching a rose-colored history does not help our children to avoid our country's past mistakes. Age-appropriate instruction about how this country came to be, the struggles it faced, and still faces, is so important to our future. Education is the bedrock of a thriving, vital community! We must educate our children about our past, and teach them how to think critically for our future.
Currently there is no statewide law protecting people in matters of employment, housing, and public accommodations based on their sexual orientation or gender identity. Do you support or oppose adding sexual orientation and gender identity to the state’s nondiscrimination law? Why or why not?
I support adding sexual orientation and gender identity to state nondiscrimination laws. All people deserve to live their lives without being discriminated against.
There is increasing tension with communities of people who are unhoused or face housing insecurity. Police breakups of encampments are common, and municipalities have shown growing opposition to low-barrier housing and recovery housing. How would you address community concerns while protecting the rights of unhoused people?
I would reach out to the wonderful organizations in our community that have been dealing with this issue for years. Those people, plugged into the local situation and with a deep understanding of what drives it, would be an invaluable resource for crafting legislation relevant to these issues. I would also attempt to bring the community together on this issue with opportunities for community input and planning.
Jails in West Virginia are overcrowded, have some of the nation’s highest death rates, and are bankrupting some counties. Prisons are understaffed, making them dangerous for residents and staff alike. What steps should West Virginia take to address these issues?
This is a subject on which I'd have to defer to the experts in their field. Overcrowding and understaffing are problems that are rampant in many states; we need to examine strategies that have worked in other areas, and determine how best to apply them in our communities.
Taxpayers who have served time behind bars and are currently on probation and/or parole cannot vote in West Virginia. The West Virginia Senate Judiciary Committee joined a growing number of states this year and passed a bill that would have expanded that right to people in community corrections. When, if ever do you think people should lose their right to vote? When should that right be restored?
I do not believe people should ever lose the right to vote due to incarceration. Even while incarcerated, they are still US citizens and should have a say in the society they hope to rejoin, as well as on the conditions in which they live.
Study after study shows that gender-affirming care is lifesaving for trans people. And yet, some states have banned things like hormone therapy and even labeled gender-affirming care for minors as child abuse. How can West Virginia, a state with a large percentage of trans-identifying teens, best protect transgender people?
Gender-affirming care is essential to our trans youth and adult populations. Not only does such care offer dignity to the patient, it also provides a support system for a community that may face exclusion from their families and larger communities. West Virginia can help protect this population by mandating gender-affirming care in all facilities that receive state funding. WV could also pass legislation adding that sexual orientation and gender identity are protected classes for non-discrimination laws.