Many LWVWV members spent countless hours following the 2026 State
Legislative session. Judy Ball, chair of the League Legislative Action
Workgoup, shares the following takeaways.
1. Anti-immigrant bills prioritized in WV State Legislative
West Virginia ranks dead last in immigrant population, and estimates show few undocumented immigrants. Yet, this session of the Legislature was awash in anti-immigrant bills. One, HB 4433, became law. It had a misleading title — Prohibiting Human Smuggling and Trafficking — and took West Virginia unnecessarily into federal immigration enforcement territory.
2. Continued focus on data centers, the hornet’s nest kicked off by the
Microgrid Program enacted in 2025.
At least 17 bills were related to data centers, but only one of the 17 (HB 4983) became law. It authorizes the state to promulgate legislative rules on certification of microgrid districts or high impact data centers (HIDCs). It added language for developers to assess the burden on water access of these projects and to share how they plan to offset potential harms. However, application details will remain confidential. This is the new, hot button issue for the public — lack of transparency.
3. Elections, culture wars
Many bills continued to focus on elections and culture war issues. But unlike prior years, few passed. The worst election bill (SB 59), intending to “clarify” residence for voting and voter registration, requires voters to declare their residence would be “indefinite.” SB 640 made campaign finance transactions less transparent.
4. Budget
As enacted, the League opposed the state budget, along with its 5% cut in personal income taxes. A 2023 law was designed to decrease the income tax gradually, if specific criteria were met. In 2026, that law and those criteria were ignored, a full $272 million was set aside for Hope Scholarships, and funding for foster care transition assistance and prevention, despite hefty legislative support, were vetoed by the Governor.
5. Crisis in public education
Public education is reaching a crisis point: In 2025-2026, 14 schools closed; another 20 are expected to close in 2026-2027. Yet, the Legislature was unable to make any progress. They introduced 293 education-related bills, even though the Legislature is not responsible for school governance. None of the four bills designed to modify the school aid formula passed. The problem is clear: the state budget pie is not expanding, Hope scholarships are taking up an ever-larger slice, public education is being cut out.