Gov. Patrick Morrisey (R-WV) signed an executive order on his first full day in office that prohibits diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives from state institutions. This follows companies the likes of Meta,

Republican Gov. Patrick Morrisey has issued a slew of aggressive executive orders on his first day as West Virginia's chief executive.

Morrisey is taking over for Jim Justice (R-WV), who got elected to the U.S. Senate in the 2024 general election. Former West Virginia State Auditor JB McCuskey was sworn into office as the state’s new Attorney General, filling Morrisey’s former position.

The order tasks state agencies with completing a review of all DEI initiatives and positions in their department.

West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice signed a number of socially conservative laws during his two terms in office. But he rarely pushed for them.

The West Virginia Democratic Party is responding to eight executive orders signed by the Mountain State’s new governor Patrick Morrisey. Two of those orders will get rid of all diversity, equity and inclusion efforts and introduce non-medical exemptions to the state’s vaccination laws.

Speaking, Governor Morrissey – who succeed Jim Justice in the role after serving as West Virginia’s attorney general for more than a decade – said of his assault on DEI that he was actually working to shield citizens from racial and gender discrimination,