On a vote of 56 nays to 42 yeas with two not voting, the Senate Bill adding religious and philosophical exemptions to mandated vaccines died in the House of Delegates. West Virginia is currently one of only five states in the nation that allow only medical exemptions and health care professionals from around the State had inundated legislators with medical evidence showing the risk of adding exemptions to the law. Governor Patrick Morrisey had sought to add the exemptions by executive order prior to the start of the legislative session.
Local legislators voting nay included Delegates Mark Zatezalo, Mark Willis and Sean Fluharty. Majority Leader Pat McGeehan did not vote nor did Speaker Roger Hanshaw. The bill was one of Gov. Morris’s premier bills and the loss is a blow to his ability to get his legislative agenda passed.
