CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Sen. John Unger has reached an agreement with Sen. Majority Leader Mitch Carmichael not to hold floor votes this Sunday.
Unger, a pastor, had planned on filing for an injunction in court to protect his religious freedoms from being infringed upon by the state Senate of West Virginia, for holding major votes while he would be worshiping this Sunday.
No floor votes will be taken in the state Senate on Sunday even though the Senate will be working in committees and meeting on the Senate floor to accept committee reports. As a result, Unger has agreed to drop the lawsuit.
“On this Sunday, this is the last Sunday that the Senate can receive committee reports and have a bill pass before Crossover Day. It’s very important that we have this session on Sunday, Carmichael said.
Sunday, Feb. 28 is Day 47 of the 2016 Regular Legislative Session.
It is the final day bills can come out of committees in their houses of origin to allow for three full days of readings ahead of Wednesday’s deadline for most bills to advance from the chambers where they were first introduced.
Carmichael said he told Unger there would be no floor votes on Sunday prior to Unger’s filing in Kanawha County Circuit Court earlier this week for the injunction.
“Traditionally, we have never met on Sundays during a regular session. Sunday has always been a holy day, the Lord’s day,” Unger said.
In a Wednesday statement, Senate President Bill Cole (R-Mercer, 06) dismissed Unger’s court filing as “a sad attempt at political gamesmanship and obstructionism.” “When Senator Unger was in the majority party, he had absolutely no problem with working on Sundays,” Cole noted.
Unger was glad a compormise had been reached.
“The Majority Leader gave me his word that there will be no floor votes on Sunday; I am glad we were able to come to an agreement to end their political gamesmanship against my faith,” said Unger in a release. “I didn’t want to have to file a lawsuit to get the attention of Senate President Cole; it’s not how I operate, but it worked, and now I can worship on Sunday and fulfill my obligations to my congregation and to God. This is a victory for religious freedom and the people of West Virginia.”
“We’re not heathens for working on Sundays,” Carmichael had said on Thursday.
Both Unger and Carmichael were guests on Thursday’s MetroNews “Talkline” which originated from the State Capitol where the 2016 Regular Legislative Session continues through March 12.