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Governor Morrisey announces 10 executive orders on day one in office.

Governor Patrick Morrisey promising swift action in first days in office, announced 10 executive orders Tuesday.

CHARLESTON West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey, a Republican sworn in as the state’s thirty-seventh governor on Monday, announced ten executive orders Tuesday during a press conference at the state Capitol. The orders focus on economic policies, religious exemptions, and government spending reviews.


One of the key initiatives is a review of West Virginia’s regulations, workforce rules, and licensing requirements compared to neighboring states. Morrisey described this as a "Backyard Brawl" aimed at making the state’s policies more competitive.


He also announced plans to prioritize school choice legislation, building on West Virginia’s existing laws. Morrisey said the state would continue to lead with the “broadest school choice law in the country.”


The governor directed state agencies to review and potentially terminate diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies in government. He said the review would cover recruiting, retention, and other programs to eliminate any "inappropriate preferences" in these areas.


A fiscal review of spending decisions exceeding $100,000 during the current fiscal year was also ordered, targeting expenditures from July 2024 through June 2025. Morrisey stated his administration would look for opportunities to reduce waste and rescind unnecessary programs.


“I do anticipate we’ll talk a little bit more later in the week that next year there will be a projected budget deficit so I want to begin to prepare for that possibility and make sure that government is working leaner, and more efficiently and more effective that it’s ever done before.”


Another directive calls for a government-wide examination of state rules and regulations to identify outdated or unnecessary policies that could hinder commerce.


Morrisey also announced that West Virginia will begin implementing the “Equal Protection for Religion Act” passed in 2023, allowing religious exemptions to vaccine mandates. His administration plans to create a process for individuals to submit affidavits declaring religious objections.


“We would envision something along the lines of: if someone subm,its an affidavit that they have that religious belief – and regardless of the vaccine – that, we believe, would meet the definition of the law that was passed a couple of years ago that I don’t think has been fully and properly enforced.”


Further directives involve evaluating previous executive orders to determine their pertinence and clarity; suggesting laws to legally define gender strictly as male or female; and encouraging federal authorities to designate fentanyl as a weapon of mass destruction to address its effects on the state's drug crisis.


“These are ten announcements. They’re swift, they’re decisive, they’re really important for setting the framework how my administration plans to operate,” he said. “I don’t expect that we’re going to get everything done overnight, but you should expect a lot of action over the course of the upcoming weeks.”

PHOTO | Perry Bennet, WV Legislature

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