Press Release
FROM THE DESK OF
Delegate S. Chris Anders
97th District – West Virginia House of Delegates
Dear Neighbor,
This letter is a short autobiography of my first legislative session — a snapshot of the fights we took on, the battles we’re still waging, and the principles that guided me every step of the way.
Throughout the session, I kept you informed. I sent emails, posted video updates several times a week, and gave you an unfiltered view of what was really happening in Charleston. You deserve honesty — not spin.
When I took the oath of office, I swore to uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States and of West Virginia — and I meant it. Every vote I cast, every amendment I offered, and every stand I took was guided by one thing: protecting your liberty, your property, and your God-given rights.
One of the biggest challenges this session was the explosion of government spending. The state didn’t run a surplus — it increased spending by hundreds of millions of dollars. I voted no. Why? Because government spending is a tax, whether you see it now in higher income and sales taxes or later through inflation. The inflation tax is real, and it’s crippling families right here in our district. I fought to rein in this reckless growth and will continue defending your paycheck and your future.
I introduced HB2469 to eliminate the so-called “rain tax”, a ridiculous fee that punishes property owners for the weather. Leadership refused to run the bill — not because it lacked merit, but because too many politicians protect special interests instead of taxpayers. However, I worked behind the scenes with several state senators and delegates to help pass a ban on MS4 regulations, which prohibits any local regulation beyond state or federal standards. While not a direct repeal, this legislation was designed specifically to stop the rain tax from being weaponized against our people ever again.
I also led the fight to repeal Certificate of Need laws — outdated regulations that block new healthcare providers from helping our communities. Bureaucrats shouldn’t get to decide whether a new clinic is allowed to open. West Virginians deserve access to affordable healthcare — not red tape and monopolies.
When SB48, the bill to allow counties to raise local sales taxes, came up, I stood firmly against it. It wasn’t about “local control.” It was about giving politicians another tool to reach into your wallet. I said it plainly: “They spend like drunk college kids on spring break with their parents’ credit cards.” We stopped it in its tracks thanks to a strong coalition: Majority Leader Pat McGeehan, and Delegates Lisa White, Elias Coop-Gonzalez, Laura Kimble, Henry Dillon, Tresa Howell, Wayne Clark, Marty Gerhart, Larry Kump, and many others who refused to back down.
On medical freedom, I was proud to stand with many others to fight against vaccine mandates. We forced multiple roll call votes — and while we didn’t win the final round this session, those votes mattered. They put every legislator on the record and laid the groundwork for a future win. We will not stop until West Virginians have full medical freedom — not just in principle, but in law.
We also achieved a major victory in banning the chemical castration of minors in West Virginia. As I said during debate:
“This is not compassion — it is cruelty masquerading as progress. These children are being influenced by woke policies and broken adults who tell them they were born in the wrong body. But let me be clear: God did not make a mistake. We have a moral obligation to protect these young lives from irreversible harm.”
Another major win: we banned DEI (Diversity, Equity & Inclusion) programs in state government and education. These programs don’t promote unity — they promote division, resentment, and collectivism. I was proud to support this effort, led strongly by Delegate Elias Coop-Gonzalez, to root out this toxic ideology from our public institutions.
We also passed the Riley Gaines Act — legislation to ensure that only biological females compete in women’s sports in West Virginia. This should not be controversial. No young woman should lose out on a scholarship, a title, or a safe competition space because of political correctness. This was a crucial stand for fairness, safety, and common sense.
Another important accomplishment was passage of the Parents' Bill of Rights. I gave my full support on the floor because parents — not bureaucrats — are the ultimate authority in their children's lives. In my floor speech I said:
“This bill restores what never should have been taken — the right of parents to make decisions for their own children without interference from the state.”
We’re putting power back where it belongs: with families.
I stood up for the unborn — clearly and unapologetically. I told my colleagues, “If we won’t defend the most defenseless among us, we have no moral claim to defend anything at all.”
I also called out the unconstitutional surveillance operations taking place in Marion County — programs funded in part by federal politicians like Joe Manchin and Shelley Moore Capito. These efforts are a direct assault on the Fourth Amendment, and I won’t stay silent while the federal government uses our tax dollars to spy on us.
This session also brought a major Second Amendment victory. I was proud to co-sponsor HB2067, which passed into law and protects firearm manufacturers from being sued out of existence. We sent a clear message: West Virginia will not become a testing ground for anti-gun activist lawfare.
But telling the truth in Charleston comes at a cost. I refused to cut backroom deals. I refused to sell out. I never attended a single lobbyist happy hour or dinner, and I refused to trade my vote for free food or drinks. And because I won’t play the insider game or make friends with lobbyists, the establishment has tried to punish me. They blocked good bills, killed important reforms, and prioritized their lobbyist friends over the people they claim to represent.
The toughest thing about being a legislator is not giving into the groupthink — to stand firm on principle even when you're pushed, yelled at, and threatened. But I didn’t come here to take one for the team. I came here to defend the Constitution. And I will never vote against it.
“Groupthink in politics is a disease — and I didn’t come here to catch it.”
That brings me to something I believe we must urgently change: the House Rules. As they stand today, a single person — the Speaker of the House — decides which bills live or die. No bill gets a vote unless the Speaker allows it. That means one delegate, from one district, can silence the voices of every other district in this state.
This year, the Speaker was openly hostile to vital pro-life legislation, and bottled up nearly every true conservative bill — not because the ideas were flawed, but because they didn’t serve the Speaker’s personal or political agenda.
In many other states, every bill gets a vote. Every delegate is equal. But in West Virginia, we have a system where your elected representative is not equal — unless they bow to the Speaker. Committee assignments, leadership positions, and whether your bill even gets read — it all depends on loyalty to one person.
Let me ask: Why should the Speaker’s voters matter more than yours? They don’t. Why should a delegate from Clay County have more power over your life than your own representative? They shouldn’t.
Anyone who dares to question the Speaker’s control is punished — no bills run, no hearings, no votes, not even in committee. This isn’t democracy. It’s a power structure that’s still run by undocumented Democrats wearing Republican lapel pins.
Some fights we won. Others we’ve just begun. But through it all, I stayed true to the Constitution — and to you.
I didn’t come to Charleston to play politics or seek power. I came to stand between you and a government that’s grown far too comfortable telling you how to live. The oath I took wasn’t to a party, a committee, or a lobbyist. It was to the Constitution — and that still means everything to me.
I also want to thank my wife, Laura, for her unwavering support and strength during this session. Without her, I couldn’t stand as firmly as I do.
Thank you for the honor of representing you. The fight for liberty continues — and I’m not backing down.
I have not yet begun to fight.
In liberty,
Delegate S. Chris Anders
97th District – West Virginia House of Delegates
P.S. The far left and the political establishment are already targeting me in the upcoming 2026 election. They’ve made it clear they want me gone — unless I cave in. I won’t. But I can’t do it alone. If you believe in what we’re fighting for, please consider making a donation today. Your support keeps this fight alive.
