Morrisey ceremoniously signs legislation that increases penalties for domestic violence in WV

by Lori Kersey, West Virginia Watch
May 6, 2026

West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey on Wednesday held a ceremonial signing of legislation increasing the penalties for domestic abuse.

House Bill 5101, the Joanna Phillips Domestic Violence Prevention Act, changes how people convicted of domestic violence-related crimes are punished, including increasing the bail requirement. It also makes strangling a domestic partner a felony with a prison sentence of up to 10 years.

Magistrates could consider a higher penalty in certain domestic violence cases.

“Domestic violence is not just a crime, it’s a betrayal of trust and a threat to the stability of our communities,” Morrisey said.

The bill will “provide greater clarity to law, strengthen accountability for those who commit these heinous acts, and reinforce our responsibility to protect victims and prevent further harm,” the governor said.

The bill was named for a Kanawha County woman who was killed by her husband late last year. At the time, Jason Phillips was free on a personal recognizance bond after turning himself into police for a domestic violence charge, according to reporting by West Virginia MetroNews.

Jason Phillips, of Sissonville, admitted to police he shot Joanna Phillips in the chest because she had pushed him to his limit. He’s charged with first-degree murder.

The bill passed unanimously in the House of Delegates and the Senate.

Some of Joanna Phillips’ family joined the governor and lead bill sponsor Del. Tristan Leavitt, R-Kanawha, for the bill signing ceremony Wednesday afternoon.

“The worst violence is the violence that happens behind closed doors,” Leavitt said during the bill signing. “And when we allow this kind of violence to go unchecked, it only becomes worse. It can have an impact, not just on the individuals in that home, but also on law enforcement and on our communities at large.”

Leavitt said he worked on the bill with Joyce Yedlosky, co-executive director of the West Virginia Coalition Against Domestic Violence.

“(Domestic violence is) an invisible epidemic, and it hurts our entire country and the entire world, but particularly here, this was something that we wanted to focus in on,” Leavitt said. “And we were aided by insights from expert victim advocates in our area. We’re very grateful for their urging, and their encouragement was key to this legislation coming together.”

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