2025 WV Legislature: What’s in Store?

The West Virginia Capitol building

By Luanne McGovern

The upcoming legislative session is shaping up to be a challenging time for all West Virginians who love the environment. With the Legislature set to convene on Feb. 12, 2025, the new Governor and the super-majority House and Senate have plenty of time to align their legislative priorities. 

The West Virginia Highlands Conservancy and the West Virginia Environmental Council will be monitoring the situation closely, but the year promises to be a constant defense against the worst new policies. Based on past experience, bills are likely to be introduced very quickly at the outset of the session and passed by suspension of constitutional rules.

Election Recap
West Virginia’s transition to a fully Republican state is complete. All the major elections were won handily by Republican candidates, and Democrats lost three legislative seats. All of the margins of victory were substantial:

  • President: Donald Trump – 70%
  • U.S. Senate: Jim Justice – 69%
  • Governor: Patrick Morrissey – 62%
  • Congressional District 1: Carol Miller – 66.4%
  • Congressional District 2: Riley Moore – 71%

Additionally, four long-serving Democratic legislators opted to retire in 2024:

  • Sen. Mike Caputo (District 13)
  • Sen. Robert Plymale (District 5)
  • Del. Ric Griffith (District 27)
  • Del. Larry Rowe (District 52)

We thank them for their service.

While Joey Garcia successfully defended Sen. Caputo’s seat, the three other seats flipped to Republican control. This leaves only two Democratic senators and nine democratic delegates among the 134 total legislative seats—an 8.2% representation. A Republican supermajority indeed.

Legislative Priorities for 2025
Our priorities for the upcoming session remain unchanged and aligned with previous years.  With even smaller Democratic majorities, introducing new legislation will be harder than ever.  The key, as always, is to get the appropriate committees to consider legislation so it can be sent to the House and Senate floors for a vote.  

Public Lands Protections
If last year is any indication, we can expect new efforts to exploit our beautiful natural areas. Last year, an out-of-state timbering company lobbied for legislation to prevent “wildfires” in our state parks. West Virginia experienced the worst drought in years in 2024, and there were no significant fires on state lands, so hopefully, logic will prevail, and this bill will not be resurrected in 2025.  

West Virginia is in the process of receiving “primacy” from the federal Environmental Protection Agency to control the permitting of carbon sequestration injection wells. This means the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection can approve well permits directly, without federal approval. Since the passage of SB162 in 2023, these wells can be installed under “state forests, natural and scenic areas and management areas.” The upcoming session is sure to contain plenty of surprises and calls to action.

Community Air Monitoring
HB5018, introduced in 2024, sought to restrict the use of citizen-collected air monitoring data against polluters. It is likely to reappear in 2025. As more and more citizens install monitors at their homes, this citizen-sourced data is valuable and timely information that can be used to pinpoint pollution sources. We encourage our members to consider installing or sponsoring a PurpleAir Monitor in conjunction with the West Virginia Citizen Action Group. For more information, visit their website: wvcag.org

Stay Engaged
The 2025 legislative session is expected to bring surprises and urgent calls to action. Stay connected with us through the coming months as we continue to explore other priorities and find ways that you can help. We are all in this together!