'No excuse for inaction': West Virginia governor calls on lawmakers to get more work done

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WCHS) — West Virginia’s governor appeared to call out state lawmakers Tuesday for “inaction” and urged them to “move the needle on issues that matter.”

Gov. Patrick Morrisey hinted in a social media post Tuesday that lawmakers could be heading for a special session if they don’t begin working on and passing legislation he is seeking.

“The more work the Legislature gets done now, the less time it will spend in Charleston during the long, hot summer,” Morrisey said. “There’s no excuse for inaction. There’s no excuse for failing to move the needle on issues that matter. There’s no excuse for just doing things the way they’ve always been done.”

The social media post comes a day after the House of Delegates rejected a bill providing exemptions for childhood vaccines, one of the governor's sought-after pieces of legislation.

A total of 20 bills have been passed by the West Virginia Legislature since the regular session began Feb. 12.

The legislature only passed a handful of high-profile bills 75 days into the session. Two high-profile bills have been passed in recent weeks – including one that defines “men” and “women” and another that bans certain dyes and preservatives from food in West Virginia.

A dozen of the bills passed have been approved by Morrisey and the remaining eight are awaiting his signature, according to the West Virginia Legislature’s website.

A total of 111 bills have been passed by the Senate and await action in the House of Delegates, while 121 bills have been passed by the House and await action in the Senate.

The 2025 regular session will end on April 12.