"The governor might not understand why we'd want to veto something that includes a specific provision protecting our genealogical interests. Tedious as legislative documents are, everyone really should read the entire things before forming an opinion. WV legislators hold pretty fast to the state's heritage of individual rights and they've taken a fairly reasoned approach to this issue. §16-5-27. Copies from the system of vital statistics. (a) The state registrar and other custodians of vital records authorized to issue certified copies shall, upon receipt of an application, issue a certified copy of a vital record in his or her custody to the registrant, his or her spouse, his or her adult children, grandchildren or great- grandchildren or their respective authorized representative. Others may be authorized to obtain certified copies when they demonstrate that the record is needed for the determination or protection of his or her personal or property right. The department may promulgate rules to further define others who may obtain copies of vital records filed under this article." ================================================= from the Upshur County WV list

Just to clarify....Does this mean I can no longer go to the West Virginia Archives and History Library in Charleston and look at the microfilms that contain the birth, marriage, and death registers of all the various counties in West Virginia, unless that register is more than 50 years old for marriages and deaths, and 100 years old for births? And what of the Archive's microfilms that are "borderline", that is, one that is partially more than 100 years and the remainder less than 100 (or <50 and >50 for deaths and marriages)? That research is free. Any time I have filed an application and received certified copies from the registrar, it has cost me $$. And having gotten certified copies before, I know how quickly the expense adds up. I don't want or need certified copies of every record. Thanks for any additional light anyone can shed on this. June At 08:07 AM 3/20/2004 -0500, Mandi Cat wrote: >"The governor might not understand why we'd want to veto something that >includes a specific provision protecting our genealogical interests. >Tedious as legislative documents are, everyone really should read the >entire things before forming an opinion. WV legislators hold pretty >fast to the state's heritage of individual rights and they've taken a >fairly reasoned approach to this issue. > >§16-5-27. Copies from the system of vital statistics. >(a) The state registrar and other custodians of vital records authorized >to issue certified copies shall, upon receipt of an application, issue a >certified copy of a vital record in his or her custody to the >registrant, his or her spouse, his or her adult children, grandchildren >or great- grandchildren or their respective authorized representative. >Others may be authorized to obtain certified copies when they >demonstrate that the record is needed for the determination or >protection of his or her personal or property right. The department may >promulgate rules to further define others who may obtain copies of vital >records filed under this article." >================================================= >from the Upshur County WV list > > >============================== >Gain access to over two billion names including the new Immigration >Collection with an Ancestry.com free trial. Click to learn more. >http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=4930&sourceid=1237 > >

You may think that this is a reasoned approach, but I don't. Let me give an example. I had an uncle born in Michigan. He never married and never had any children. Because of Michigan's restrictive law (birth records are not available for 110 years with exceptions similar to those proposed in West Virginia), no one is able to obtain a copy of his birth certificate. Also, I am historian for my family association. As such, I maintain a repository of data on our family history. I research Hudnalls all over the United States. I have helped numerous people with data from my research. This type of law just creates another brick wall, and befits no one. Even the federal government is more lenient. Census records are released after 72 years. Harold Hudnall, Historian ( and a Kanawha County native) Hudnall Family Association Wimberley, TX At 07:07 AM 3/20/2004, Mandi Cat wrote: >"The governor might not understand why we'd want to veto something that >includes a specific provision protecting our genealogical interests. >Tedious as legislative documents are, everyone really should read the >entire things before forming an opinion. WV legislators hold pretty >fast to the state's heritage of individual rights and they've taken a >fairly reasoned approach to this issue. > >§16-5-27. Copies from the system of vital statistics. >(a) The state registrar and other custodians of vital records authorized >to issue certified copies shall, upon receipt of an application, issue a >certified copy of a vital record in his or her custody to the >registrant, his or her spouse, his or her adult children, grandchildren >or great- grandchildren or their respective authorized representative. >Others may be authorized to obtain certified copies when they >demonstrate that the record is needed for the determination or >protection of his or her personal or property right. The department may >promulgate rules to further define others who may obtain copies of vital >records filed under this article." >================================================= >from the Upshur County WV list > > >============================== >Gain access to over two billion names including the new Immigration >Collection with an Ancestry.com free trial. Click to learn more. >http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=4930&sourceid=1237