Tag Archives: West Virginia

West Virginia Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin Announces 2018 Reelection Bid: Washington Doesn’t Have To Suck

ABC News reports: Sen. Joe Manchin, a West Virginia Democrat, is confirming he will seek re-election, quelling his party’s fears that if he retired a Republican could win his seat. Manchin warned Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and other fellow Democrats about his frustrations with Washington politics Tuesday before conceding he plans to run again, according to the New York …

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Sen. Joe Manchin: Trump Begged Me To Switch Parties

Mediaite reports: Sen. Joe Manchin described President Donald Trump’s efforts to court him in a Politico “Off Message” podcast out Tuesday morning — which ranged from trying to sell the Democrat on Obamacare repeal to even attempting to persuade him to switch parties. Manchin, a Democratic senator in red-state West Virginia, revealed that the president repeatedly pushed him to switch …

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REPORT: Sheriff’s Deputy Tells High School Students “My Bible Tells Me All Faggots Will Burn In Hell” [VIDEO]

From the Facebook page of Nicholas County Democrats: On Tuesday morning, September 5th, 2017, an openly gay student from Clay County High School in Clay, West Virginia, boarded the school bus of part-time driver, Robert Belt, and sat down beside another student. Allegedly, Robert Belt, also a full-time Clay County Sheriff Deputy, dressed in full uniform, announced over the bus …

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West Virginia County To Pay Settlement And Apologize After Deputy Clerk Called Gay Couple An “Abomination”

CBS News reports: A settlement has been announced in a federal lawsuit against Gilmer County. The case Brookover v. Gilmer County was a result of alleged harassment received by a same-sex couple when going to get their marriage license. According to a news release by Americans United for Separation of Church and State, Gilmer County Deputy Clerk Debbie Allen called …

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WEST VIRGINIA: Billionaire Democratic Governor To Switch Parties At Tonight’s Campaign Rally With Trump

The New York Times reports: Gov. Jim Justice of West Virginia, a Democrat who was elected last year even as President Trump carried the state by 42 points, is expected to announce Thursday night at a rally with Mr. Trump that he is changing parties, according to three sources familiar with the plans. Speaking to reporters in the White House …

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WEST VIRGINIA: State Supreme Court Rules Hate Crimes Charges Can’t Be Applied To Gay Bashing Cases

West Virginia’s MetroNews reports: In a 3-2 opinion issued Tuesday, the state Supreme Court has upheld a lower court decision that dismissed hate crime charges against former Marshall University football player Steward Butler. In arguments before the Court last month, Cabell County Assistant Prosecutor Lauren Plymale said Cabell County Circuit Judge Paul Farrell was wrong when he dismissed the charges …

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WEST VIRGINIA: United Airlines Pilot/GOP Lawmaker Calls For Hillary Clinton To Be Hanged On DC’s Mall

From the Associated Press: A West Virginia Republican lawmaker said Sunday his comments made on Twitter calling for Democrat Hillary Clinton’s public execution weren’t meant to be taken literally. House of Delegates member Mike Folk said that his tweet Friday over Clinton’s use of a private email system while she served as secretary of state was “hyperbole.” In the tweet, …

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Bernie Sanders Wins West Virginia Primary

Bernie Sanders has been declared the winner of the West Virginia primary. At this writing it appears that he will take 14 of the 24 Democratic delegates up for grabs. According to exit polls, nearly half of Sanders’ supporters say they will vote for Trump in the general election should he not win the Democratic election. Just in from the …

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WEST VIRGINIA: Senate Kills Anti-LGBT RFRA Bill

Rejected by a vote of 27-7. Woo and hoo. The HRC reacts: “For one day at least, West Virginia is spared from legislation that would increase the likelihood of unacceptable discrimination and a flood of expensive legal challenges,” said HRC Legal Director Sarah Warbelow. “Unfortunately, despite today’s events, more work lies ahead. LGBT West Virginians still remain at risk for …

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WEST VIRGINIA: GOP Senate Majority Leader Chokes Up While Denouncing Anti-LGBT RFRA Bill [VIDEO]

Some promising news out of West Virginia last night: The state Senate has put the brakes on the controversial Religious Freedom Restoration bill (HB4012), making significant language changes that bill supporters say guts the measure. The Senate, on a 23-11 vote Tuesday evening, approved an amendment by Sens. Corey Palumbo (D-Kanawha) and Ron Stollings (D-Boone) that said the RFRA law could …

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WEST VIRGINIA: State Sen. Craig Blair Introduces Bill To Nullify All Local LGBT Rights Ordinances

The Charleston Gazette-Mail reports: A Republican lawmaker introduced a resolution on Saturday to amend the state Constitution to prevent cities and towns from enacting nondiscrimination ordinances that extend protections to the LGBT community. Sen. Craig Blair, the Majority Whip, introduced Senate Joint Resolution 13, which would prohibit a city or town from adopting any ordinance that creates a protected classification …

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WEST VIRGINA: Anti-LGBT “Religious Liberty” License To Discriminate Bill Passes House By 72-26 Vote

After hours of fiery and literally fist-shaking testimony in the name of White Jesus, West Virginia’s House of Delegates has voted 72-26 to pass a bill legalizing discrimination against LGBT citizens on the basis “sincerely held religious belief.” It appears that at least eight Democrats crossed party lines to vote with the GOP majority. The bill now moves to the …

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LIVE VIDEO: West Virginia House Of Delegates Debates Bill To Legalize Anti-LGBT Discrimination

The West Virginia House of Delegates has just begun its third and final reading of HB 4012, which would allow Christians to discriminate against LGBT citizens on the grounds of “religious liberty.” A live video stream is here. Watch below with us.

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WEST VIRGINIA: Lesbian Couple Says Gilmer County Deputy Clerk Screamed “Abomination” At Them

West Virginia’s Gilmer County Clerk Jean Butcher [inset above] says she agrees with her deputy clerk, whom a lesbian couple claims railed at them about God and called them an “abomination” when they applied for a marriage license. The Charleston Gazette reports: Samantha Brookover stood crying in the Gilmer County courthouse last week, humiliated on what was meant to be …

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WEST VIRGINIA: “Religious Freedom” Bill Would Let Christians Break Just About Any Law Because Jesus

West Virginia state Sen. Robert Karnes has introduced a “religious freedom” bill that is so broad that even sites that regularly report on this nonsense have dropped jaws. Michael Stone writes: Sharia for Jesus: West Virginia bill would give Christians a “get out of jail free” card. A sweeping religious freedom bill promoted by Republicans in West Virginia would allow …

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WEST VIRGINIA: Alleged Gay-Bashing College Football Star Booted From Team

Via Yahoo News: Hours after his arrest for allegedly beating two gay men who kissed in the street, Marshall running back Steward Butler has been dismissed from the program. Butler turned himself to police Wednesday morning in connection with the April 5 incident and school athletic director Mike Hamrick and head coach Doc Holliday announced his dismissal just before 3:30 …

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WEST VIRGINIA: College Football Star Charged With Assault On Gay Couple

Via USA Today: Marshall running back Steward Butler was arrested early Wednesday on battery charges that he beat a same-sex couple. According to the Huntington Police department, the incident occurred on April 5th in downtown Huntington, when the two male victims exchanged a kiss on the street. Butler was a passenger in a vehicle that was driving by and stopped. …

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15 AGs To Supreme Court: Same-Sex Marriage Will Cause Incalculable Damage

The attorneys general of fifteen states have filed an amicus brief with the Supreme Court in which they predictably argue that a ruling in favor of same-sex marriage will “irretrievably” destroy their right to self-government. From the brief:  The Constitution takes no sides on same-sex marriage, and therefore leaves the issue up to the free deliberations of state citizens. The …

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WEST VIRGINIA: GOP Senate Leader Says “No Way” To Ban On LGBT Rights

Via the Associated Press: Majority Leader Mitch Carmichael says there’s “no way” the Senate will consider a proposal to nullify local ordinances that protect gay and transgender people from housing and employment discrimination. The Jackson County Republican made the remarks Thursday to the AP. The West Virginia Intrastate Commerce Improvement Act would prohibit any local nondiscrimination ordinances stricter than state …

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WEST VIRGINIA: Statewide LGBT Rights Ban Advances Out Of Committee

Del. Karen Arvon’s bill to ban LGBT rights across West Virginia just advanced out of its initial committee hearing.

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