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ELKINS -- Delegate Elias Coop-Gonzalez, R-District 67, has announced his legislative priorities for 2024, including fighting the spread of chemical abortion pills, and bringing the Ten Commandments back into West Virginia classrooms.
The West Virginia Legislature's 60-day Regular Session begins on Wednesday.
"The 2024 legislative session has come upon us, and there are several things I am prioritizing," Goop-Gonzalez wrote in a statement to The Inter-Mountain. "First, I will continue to keep my promises to fight for American energy, lower taxes and better education.
"I successfully fought back against absurd 'green' energy projects being pushed on our state by the federal government and special interest groups, took part in passing the largest tax cut in state history, supported every opportunity to expand school choice, and cosponsored HB 2007, West Virginia's transgender surgery ban for minors. I will continue to champion these and other conservative initiatives."
The delegate said he will work to support legislation authored by other conservatives.
"Much of my time will be spent advancing bills written by other conservative champions who have worked hard researching and crafting policy that will help our state," Coop-Gonzalez said. "These objectives will include further Second Amendment protections, vaccine freedom, welfare reform, and election integrity, to name a few.
"However, I will author and lead a few initiatives myself. First, I am extremely concerned about the chemical abortion pills illegally being mailed into our state by bloodthirsty, profiteering companies who ignore our laws. Reports published in the National Library of Medicine have found that these chemical abortions have a complication rate of 20%. So aside from killing a preborn baby, one in five women are also expected to be hurt in the process. I will introduce heavy criminal penalties and civil liability to go after these dealers across state lines.
"I will also introduce legislation to further educate West Virginia students on fetal development. Every child, whether born or unborn, is entitled to life under God and our Constitution," he said.
As he has stated before, Coop-Gonzalez also wants to bring back the Ten Commandments to public schools.
"The West Virginia Constitution's preamble reads: 'Since through Divine Providence we enjoy the blessings of civil, political and religious liberty, we, the people of West Virginia, in and through the provisions of this Constitution, reaffirm our faith in and constant reliance upon God,'" the delegate said. "For this reason, I will introduce a bill to put the Ten Commandments back in schools, which I believe is a necessary step in going back toward America and West Virginia's strong Christian roots.
"Lastly, I will be exploring legislative options to protect our community and state from surveillance funded by the Biden Department of Justice. Enforcing the law and pursuing justice is of utmost importance, but those endeavors must never interfere with the privacy and autonomy of law-abiding citizens, which is guaranteed by the Fourth Amendment.
"It is also not a legitimate role of the federal government under Article I, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution, and Article I, Section 2 of the West Virginia State Constitution. I swore an oath to our founding documents and will stand by them. Thank you and God bless!" he said.
Coop-Gonzalez, 21, is the youngest member of the state Legislature. He was elected in the 2022 election. He is a student at Liberty University.