FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 21, 2025

Judy K. Ball, PhD, MPA

Co-President, League of Women Voters of West Virginia

Chair, League Legislative Action Workgroup (LLAW)

240-997-1222

LWVofWV@gmail.com

League of Women Voters Releases 2025 WV Legislative Scorecard for 24 Bills

Morgantown, WV: The League of Women Voters of West Virginia has published its Legislative Scorecard for the 2025 West Virginia legislative session. This Scorecard compiles the votes of all senators and delegates on 24 bills that became law. These 24 bills are significant to the LWVWV because they directly relate to key LWVWV priorities in four policy areas: strengthening democracy, safeguarding equal rights, protecting children and families, and creating a sustainable future.

Voter service is a principle mission for the League. The Legislative Scorecard is designed to inform voters and to hold legislators, regardless of party, accountable for their votes on League priorities. This information is particularly important as voters begin to prepare for the 2026 election cycle.

“This is our third year producing a Legislative Scorecard, and we continue to refine it based on feedback from voters,” says Judy Ball, Co-President of LWVWV. “This year, we’ve eliminated the Summary Detail section to improve clarity and, for the first time, included the state budget bill in our analysis of bills to include.”

When the Legislature adjourns from each regular session, production of the 2025 LWVWV Scorecard represents a significant undertaking — reviewing all 243 bills that became law from the 2,460 bills introduced during the regular session. Although LWVWV priorities and positions are the focus of the Scorecard, voters who disagree with those positions may still find the Scorecard useful because each bill is presented with full transparency. Whether the League supported or opposed each bill is clearly noted. Bills included in the Scorecard are selected without regard to their sponsors or votes for or against. For more information, every bill is linked to its legislative history on the WV Legislature website.

“The inclusion of HB 2026, the state budget bill, marks an important shift in our Scorecard this year,” said Ball. “The League opposed this bill not for what it included, but for what it failed to include for protecting children and families in our state. Then, the Governor’s 29 line-item vetoes significantly altered the budget passed by the Legislature. Voters deserve to know how their representatives voted on this critical legislation.”

Two additional bills addressing supplementary appropriations (HB 3356 and HB 3357) would have been included in the scorecard but for the League’s practice of not incorporating such measures. The LWVWV opposed both bills under its priority of protecting children and families.

“Once again, our Legislature failed to address many of the critical challenges facing West Virginia families,” Ball concluded. “Issues like the ongoing childcare crisis, adequate Medicaid funding, strengthening public education, expanding voting access, combating discrimination, support for equal rights, providing family leave, supporting evidence-based substance use disorder treatment, and protecting our environment — all those remain unresolved.”

The LWVWV Legislative Scorecard for 2025 is available in a searchable format at LWVWV.org http://lwvwv.org/.

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The League of Women Voters is a nonpartisan volunteer organization that encourages informed and active participation of citizens in government. The League does not support or oppose any political party or candidate, but is engaged in local, state, and national issues of importance to our communities. The League works to influence public policy through advocacy and education. League membership is open to all men and women age 16 or older. More at: www.lwv.org (National) and www.lwvwv.org (WV).