CHARLESTON, WV — The West Virginia Democratic Party sharply criticized Senate Republican leadership on April 15th, for blatantly violating established Senate rules to pass Senate Bill 474, a controversial bill aimed at ending diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives statewide.

Senator Eric Tarr's unprecedented motion to suspend Joint Rule 3 to bypass critical amendments required a two-thirds roll call vote, followed by concurrence from the House of Delegates—neither of which occurred. When Senate Republicans realized their procedural errors, they made a half-hearted motion to reconsider, but even that motion was never properly voted upon.

"What happened on the Senate floor was nothing short of disgraceful," said Senator Joey Garcia. "They did not allow any debate. They didn't even allow us to take up the amendments we had filed in the system and have a hearing on each of them — which I believe, under the rules, is something that had to happen. The rules were simply not followed.”

Further compounding the chaos, Senate President Randy Smith astonishingly claimed ignorance about the legality of the procedure, stating the question was "above his pay grade."

"The Senate President is the presiding officer of the Senate. It's literally his job to make sure rules and procedures are properly followed," stated West Virginia Democratic Party Chair Mike Pushkin. "In this instance, President Smith didn't just neglect his duties; he actively abdicated his responsibility. 

“There's a reason the Senate President's license plate has the number 2 on it,” added Pushkin.  “It's because the only one above his pay grade is the Governor.”  

Pushkin continued, "The Senate, traditionally considered the more deliberative legislative body, under Randy Smith’s leadership, has chosen tyranny over transparency. Their message is loud and clear: 'We have the majority, so rules don’t apply.' This isn't governance—it's arrogance."

The West Virginia Democratic Party calls for immediate accountability from Senate leadership and demands the reversal of Senate Bill 474 until proper legislative procedures and transparent debate can take place.