West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey visited Cacapon State Park Resort on Friday, April 25 as a stop during his post-legislative session tour of West Virginia, signing into law several bills passed by the GOP legislature.
On Friday morning at Cacapon’s Wobble Clay range, Morrisey stood before supporters, local officials and park rangers and spoke about three bills passed by lawmakers which he said would defend West Virginia residents second amendment rights.
Morrisey said the “Far Left is very aggressive in trying to take away your firearms” as he prepared to sign bills to limit the legal liability of firearms manufacturers if their products were used illegally or in mass shootings.
“We’ve learned about their schemes,” Morrisey said.
“My goal is to keep one step ahead of the gun grabbers and government elite,” the governor said. He noted as the state’s former Attorney General, he had worked with many other states to file lawsuits in favor of gun rights and manufacturers.
Morrisey signed House Bill 2067, which limits lawsuits against gun manufacturers, HB 3342 which relates to banking and financial transactions with gun manufacturers and SB 270 that prohibits the state from suspending gun rights during an emergency declaration.
Morrisey references several lawmakers, lobbyists and others outside the state who supported the laws.
He called up Delegate Elias Coop-Gonzalez (R-Randolph), who created HB 2067 after following the story on YouTube of a gun company that went out of business after legal challenges against them. Del. Coop-Gonzalez called himself a “gun nut” and said he hopes that the legislation will take hold in other states to prevent firearms companies from being sued and going out of business.
Morrisey said the three bills were part of the state’s efforts to give power back to the people.
“We have to stay vigilant against attacks on our rights and the Constitution,” he said.
Morrisey said West Virginia has the change to have “truly transformational change” in education, business and the legal landscape.
He said West Virginia is the envy of other states because of its beauty.
“We need to talk about that a lot,” he said.
Morrisey also referenced his effort to promote health through walking a mile per day. He left the bill signing to go to Cacapon State Park’s basic mountain bike trail head near the Nature Center to walk on a newly-designated “Mountaineer Mile” section of trail there.
Between stops, Morrisey talked with local residents and business leaders. Also attending were several county residents who questioned the state’s compliance with widespread federal cuts to programs, including Headstart and FEMA disaster relief.
