“Education not indoctrination” was the message behind Governor Patrick Morrisey’s latest ceremonial bill signing, held Thursday at the Veterans of Foreign Wars post in Chester.
The event marked the official recognition of House Bill 3297, which establishes the Washington Center for Civics, Culture and Statesmanship at West Virginia University.
The bill, introduced by House Majority Leader Pat McGeehan (R-Chester), aims to boost civic education in the state.
According to McGeehan, the new center will provide students with a fact-based understanding of American constitutional history and the foundations of Western civilization, while encouraging leadership and informed citizenship.
“We’re going to educate, not indoctrinate,” said Morrisey. “Students should be taught how to think, not what to think.”
The Washington Center will be funded with $1.5 million in state appropriations, and its mission is to deepen the understanding of the American founding and constitutional thought through rigorous academic instruction.
Morrisey was joined by McGeehan, Delegate Jimmy Willis (R-Brooke), and State Senator Laura Wakin-Chapman (R-Ohio), who also voiced strong support for the center. As a constitutional attorney, Wakin-Chapman emphasized the importance of grounding students in America’s founding principles. “The further we get from the Constitution, the more of a mess we get into,” she said.
The bill outlines that the center’s director will be appointed by the governor, in consultation with WVU leadership and with confirmation from the state Senate.
The director must be an expert in the Western tradition, the American founding, and constitutional philosophy, with a proven commitment to the center’s mission. They will also lead a seven-member academic council and oversee everything from curriculum design to hiring, budgeting, and academic decisions.
WVU responded to the bill’s passage with support, highlighting the upcoming 250th anniversary of the United States. “We look forward to enhancing our civics education programs through the Washington Center,” the university said in a statement. “This center gives us an opportunity to build on our history of developing responsible and informed citizens and reinforcing our democratic values.”
With strong backing from state leadership and academic institutions, the Washington Center is set to play a key role in shaping how civics is taught in West Virginia for generations to come.
