WV Governor Scraps DEI, Signs Vaccine Exemptions on Second Day in Office

West Virginia Republican Gov. Patrick Morrisey issued a series of executive orders on his second day in office, including measures to allow religious exemptions for school vaccinations and eliminate diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives within state government.

These actions have elicited criticism from state leaders and activists, including West Virginia Democratic Party Chair Mike Pushkin, who criticized the executive orders as a “troubling example” of government overreach that “could harm us for generations.”

“The newly elected governor of West Virginia needs to remember that he’s the governor for all of us, even people who don’t necessarily have the same beliefs as him and also people who don’t look like him,” Pushkin said.

In announcing the executive orders, Morrisey referenced the far right U.S. Supreme Court’s 2023 ruling that struck down affirmative action, and indicated that his administration would be issuing letters to all cabinet officials and agency heads, directing them to review any “potential DEI that may exist within state government.”

West Virginia transgender activist Lazarus Orr also critiqued the governor’s actions on X, posting: “A reminder that [Morrisey] doesn’t care about West Virginians — his priority is lining his pockets and dismantling the few protections our marginalized communities have left in this state.”

Critics have previously raised questions about potential conflicts of interest tied to Morrisey’s tenure as West Virginia’s attorney general, a role he held from 2013 until his recent inauguration as governor. Notably, his wife lobbied for Cardinal Health, a pharmaceutical distributor linked to the opioid crisis, while Morrisey’s office was involved in related investigations. Additionally, in 2023, attorney Harvey Peyton accused Morrisey of “legal malpractice” over his handling of lawsuits addressing the state’s jail conditions. A federal judge issued a directed verdict against the state, citing the destruction of relevant documents.

Orr emphasized that these executive orders appear to target LGBTQ rights, even though West Virginia previously had one of the highest populations of trans youth in the nation, and ignore the real issues facing West Virginians.“I’d really like [Morrisey] and the @WVGOP to explain how targeting us trans West Virginians and limiting our rights will address our state’s crumbling infrastructure, public school closures, foster care crisis, and growing healthcare deserts,” Orr wrote on X.

Activist and journalist Erin Reed has classified West Virginia as a “high-risk state” for transgender people. As attorney general, Morrisey defended an anti-trans law barring transgender youth from participating in sports aligned with their gender identity. He has since announced plans to collaborate with the state legislature to create a legal definition of gender that explicitly excludes and targets transgender West Virginians.

Morrisey’s actions will continue to make the state even more inhospitable for trans West Virginians — likely exacerbating the state’s population decline. Meanwhile, the state continues to grapple with serious challenges: crumbling roads, bridges, and water systems; widespread public school closures, particularly in rural areas, due to declining enrollment and budget cuts; and one of the nation’s highest rates of children in foster care, driven by the opioid crisis and pervasive poverty that strain social services. Additionally, parts of West Virginia are turning into “health care deserts,” as rural hospitals and clinics shut down due to financial struggles, worsening the state’s poor health outcomes and already low life expectancy rates.

“It’s up to us to organize and fight back against him every step of the way over,” Orr said on X.