CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The West Virginia Senate approved a controversial bill Monday that would eliminate non-discrimination ordinances enacted by 20 cities across the state, including eliminating protections for LGBTQ+ individuals in housing and employment.
Senate Bill 579, passed in a 25-8 vote, and now moves to the House of Delegates for further consideration. The bill would amend state law governing the Municipal Home Rule Program, rendering local non-discrimination ordinances that extend beyond state protections void and unenforceable.
Two senators from the Northern Panhandle region voted against the bill, including Sen. Ryan Weld (R-1), and Sen. Charles Clements (R-2). While Sen. Laura Wakim Chapman (R-1) was absent for the vote, Sen. Chris Rose (R-1) voted in favor of the legislation.
Under current West Virginia law, the Human Rights Act and Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination based on race, sex, religion, veteran status, and other categories. However, multiple attempts to amend these laws to include sexual orientation and gender identity have failed. In response, cities such as Wheeling, Charleston, Morgantown, and others enacted local ordinances to fill the gap.
Proponents of the bill argue that uniformity in anti-discrimination laws is essential for legal clarity. Opponents, however, see SB 579 as an unwarranted intrusion on local governance.
West Virginia’s Municipal Home Rule Program, created in 2007 and made permanent in 2019, allows local governments to craft policies beyond state law. Currently, 64 municipalities participate in the program.
As SB 579 heads to the House of Delegates, the debate over state control versus local autonomy is expected to intensify, with LGBTQ+ rights at the center of the controversy.
