West Virginia sports stars have signed a letter and addressed it to Sen. Joe Manchin regarding a bill by the House of Representatives on voting rights.
NBA legend Jerry West, football coach Nick Saban, College Football Hall of Famer and former Mountaineers Darryl Talley, and College Football Hall of Farmer and WVU Mountaineers quarterback Oliver Luck are among those that signed the letter.
Although he has no ties to West Virginia, Former NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue also signed the letter.
This all comes as a debate was initiated on Tuesday in the U.S Senate to discuss the voting rights bill passed in the House of Representatives a week ago.
As the debate continues in the Senate, a critical factor in voting the bill is Sen. Joe Manchin. The main message of the letter is “secure our democracy by protecting election integrity, principled Presidential transitions, and our national security during transitions.”
The letter indicated that many people have no roots in West Virginia, but they are certain about the best democratic voting money, which should be open to all levels.
The group addressed the matter by making it clear that elections should be open to all Americans and following impartial conduct as well as score-keeping. The letter was also copied by Sens. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minnesota, Tim Kaine, D-Virginia, and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-New York.
Political Science professor at West Virginia University John Kilwein noted that Manchin and Saban had been friends for long, dating back to a community in Marion County.
The professor also stated that Nick Saban and Joe Manchin’s old days in school history would affect their interaction and, to some extent, determine what will happen next.
Professor John Kilwein believes that Tally, Saban, Luck, and West have great weight in the state, affecting the outcome.
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