The American Civil Liberties Union of West Virginia (ACLU-WV) has released its 2020 Legislative Report Card, which assigns an individual letter grade to each member of the state Legislature.
The grades were compiled by analyzing lawmakers’ votes on more than 25 pieces of legislation pertaining to key civil liberties issues including criminal justice reform, religious freedom, free speech, defense of democracy, immigrants’ rights, reproductive rights, and disability rights. Prior to any vote, ACLU-WV publicly stated its position on each of these bills on its online Bill Tracker, Policy Director Eli Baumwell said.
"A core part of the ACLU's mission is to help educate voters about civil liberties issues,” Baumwell said. “These grades help voters understand where their representatives stand on these matters.
“Every representative should hold a deep and abiding respect for our basic liberties,” he added. “Legislators may claim to be ‘good’ on civil liberties issues based on one or two votes, but these grades allow us to see who truly shares these values,” he added.
Eight members of the West Virginia House of Delegates received a grade of “A-” or above. Three state Senators received a grade in the “A” range. Two state senators and five delegates received an “F.”
ACLU-WV is also working on a comprehensive Voter’s Guide ahead of the November Election that will include the report card, in addition to a candidate questionnaire. An updated list of candidates’ answers to the questionnaire can be found at https://www.acluwv.org/en/candidate-questionnaires.
ACLU-WV is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that seeks to expand the protections afforded by the federal and West Virginia constitutions.
The following bills were used in developing grades for the ACLU-WV 2020 Legislative Report Card:
SB 16: Creating Protect Our Right to Unite Act
SB 38: Requiring schools provide elective course on Hebrew Scriptures or Bible
SB 42: Permitting faith-based electives in classroom drug prevention programs
SB 94: Providing persons with physical disabilities ability to vote by electronic absentee ballot
SB 144: Creating misdemeanor penalty for making materially false statement in course of misdemeanor investigation
SB 311: Relating to court-ordered community service
SB 484: Requiring free feminine hygiene products be provided to female prisoners
SB 623: Allowing noncitizen of US be eligible for teaching certificate
SB 692: Clarifying persons indicted or charged jointly for felony offense can move to have separate trial
SB 716: Requiring DHHR pay for tubal ligation without 30-day wait between consent and sterilization
SB 765: Modifying "Habitual Offender" statute
SB 797: Authorizing governing boards of public and private hospitals employ hospital police officers
SB 838: Directing state police establish referral program for substance abuse treatment
SB 842: Requiring Superintendent of Schools establish a Behavior Interventionist Pilot Program in two school districts for five years
SB 850: Prohibiting racial discrimination based on certain hair textures and hairstyles
SCR 4: Urging Congress call convention to propose amendment on congressional term limits
HB 2419: Relating to the authorization to release a defendant or a person arrested upon his or her own recognizance
HB 4004: Creating the West Virginia Sentencing Commission
HB 4009: Relating to the process for involuntary hospitalization
HB 4069: West Virginia Student Religious Liberties Act
HB 4176: West Virginia Intelligence/Fusion Center Act
HB 4198: Permitting a person to obtain a 12-month supply of contraceptive drugs
HB 4352: Removing the use of post-criminal conduct in professional and occupational initial licensure or certification in decision making
HB 4353: Creating a rational nexus requirement between prior criminal conduct and initial licensure decision making
HB 4365: Granting of college credit hours for learning English as a second language
HB 4544: Relating to possession of any controlled substance on the premises of or within 200 feet of a public library
HB 4615: West Virginia Critical Infrastructure Protection Act
HB 4717: Seizure and Forfeiture Reporting Act
HB 4780: Permitting a school-based decision-making council to offer elective courses of instruction on the Bible
HB 4852: Relating to the penalties for the manufacture, delivery, possession, or possession with intent to manufacture or deliver methamphetamine
HB 4958: Relating to eliminating the ability of a person’s driver license to be suspensed for failure to pay court fines and costs
HB 2419: Relating to the authorization to release a defendant or a person arrested upon his or her own recognizance
HB 4004: Creating the West Virginia Sentencing Commission
HB 4009: Relating to the process for involuntary hospitalization
HB 4069: West Virginia Student Religious Liberties Act
HB 4155: Relating generally to the regulation of plumbers
HB 4176: West Virginia Intelligence/Fusion Center Act
HB 4198: Permitting a person to obtain a 12-month supply of contraceptive drugs
HB 4352: Removing the use of post-criminal conduct in professional and occupational initial licensure or certification in decision making
HB 4353: Creating a rational nexus requirement between prior criminal conduct and initial licensure decision making
HB 4365: Granting of college credit hours for learning English as a second language
HB 4544: Relating to possession of any controlled substance on the premises of or within 200 feet of a public library
HB 4615: West Virginia Critical Infrastructure Protection Act
HB 4670: Relating to the juvenile restorative justice programs
HB 4717: Seizure and Forfeiture Reporting Act
HB 4780: Permitting a school-based decision-making council to offer elective courses of instruction on the Bible
HB 4852: Relating to the penalties for the manufacture, delivery, possession, or possession with intent to manufacture or deliver methamphetamine
HB 4958: Relating to eliminating the ability of a person’s driver license to be suspensed for failure to pay court fines and costs
SB 16: Creating Protect Our Right to Unite Act
SB 42: Permitting faith-based electives in classroom drug prevention programs
SB 94: Providing persons with physical disabilities ability to vote by electronic absentee ballot
SB 144: Creating misdemeanor penalty for making materially false statement in course of misdemeanor investigation
SB 311: Relating to court-ordered community service
SB 623: Allowing noncitizen of US be eligible for teaching certificate
SB 692: Clarifying persons indicted or charged jointly for felony offense can move to have separate trial
SB 716: Requiring DHHR pay for tubal ligation without 30-day wait between consent and sterilization
SB 765: Modifying "Habitual Offender" statute
SB 797: Authorizing governing boards of public and private hospitals employ hospital police officers
SB 838: Directing state police establish referral program for substance abuse treatment
SB 842: Requiring Superintendent of Schools establish a Behavior Interventionist Pilot Program in two school districts for five years