Maddy summarySB 440 requires all judicial candidates in West Virginia to file as partisan candidates (running under a political party label) and mandates they compete in both primary and general elections. The bill changes current nonpartisan judicial elections to partisan ones for all judicial positions - including Supreme Court justices, circuit judges, family court judges, magistrates, and Intermediate Court of Appeals judges - effective with the 2028 elections. It amends election code sections to specify that judicial races will use partisan ballots and require candidates to appear on both primary and general election ballots. The bill also updates ballot formatting requirements to include partisan labels for judicial offices. This is a procedural change to election administration, not a substantive policy shift.
Sponsored bills
Maddy summarySB 463 creates a new misdemeanor offense for the first-time simple possession of narcotics or methamphetamine classified as Schedule I or II substances in West Virginia. This replaces previous penalties, setting a maximum penalty of six months to three years in regional jail or a $1,000 fine for first offenses. For second or subsequent offenses within five years, possession becomes a felony punishable by one to five years in prison or a $1,000 fine. The bill also requires all such cases to be tried in circuit court and allows courts to reduce certain felony convictions to misdemeanors under specified conditions.
Maddy summarySB 424, the "Restoring Sanity Act," prohibits West Virginia public schools and state universities from requiring instruction, curriculum content, or statements about specific concepts related to race, ethnicity, or biological sex. It bans teaching that one race/ethnicity/biological sex is inherently superior, that individuals are racist/sexist based solely on identity, or that people bear responsibility for others' actions due to their identity. The bill also prohibits state universities from maintaining diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) offices or using funds for DEI initiatives, requiring those funds to instead support merit scholarships or reduce tuition. Additionally, it states school employees are not required to use a student’s preferred pronoun if inconsistent with their biological sex, and schools cannot be held liable for using the student’s biological sex-based pronoun.
Maddy summaryWest Virginia's SB 221 creates a refundable state tax credit for working families with children. It allows eligible residents who claim a federal child tax credit or childcare credit to receive either 20% of their federal childcare credit or 10% of their federal child tax credit (whichever is larger), capped at $100,000 in federal adjusted gross income. The credit is refundable, meaning it can be paid as a cash refund if it exceeds state tax liability, but refunds are only issued for amounts over $10. The credit cannot be counted as income for public assistance programs like Medicaid or food benefits.
Maddy summarySB 43 updates West Virginia law to require certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs) to meet specific new credentialing standards when administering anesthetics under physician or dentist supervision. To qualify, CRNAs must now hold a registered nursing license, an advanced practice nursing license, graduate from an accredited nurse anesthetist program, and hold board certification from the National Board of Certification. The bill clarifies that this supervision requires active collaboration ("cooperation") between the CRNA and the physician or dentist, with each working within their respective expertise. This directly affects CRNAs, physicians, and dentists providing anesthesia services in the state.