Amy Grady
{{short description|American politician}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2019}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Amy Grady
| state_senate = West Virginia
| district = 4th
| alongside = Eric Tarr
| term_start = December 1, 2020
| term_end =
| predecessor = Mitch Carmichael
| successor =
| birth_name = Amy Nichole Doss
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1979|10|15}}
| birth_place =
| death_date =
| death_place =
| party = Republican
| spouse = Jack L. Grady
| education = Marietta College B.Ed,
| image =
}}
Amy Nichole Grady ({{nee|Doss}}; born October 15, 1979{{cite web |title=Amy Grady |url=https://www.whitepages.com/checkout/summary?wpId=P53W5NDWg9G&wp_medium=PersonContactInfoUpsell&wp_source=PersonResults&wp_term=serp_sb1&funnel_type=person_onepages_1&wp_content=card |website=Whitepages |access-date=23 March 2021 |ref=7}}) is an American teacher and politician who has served as the junior West Virginia State Senator from the 4th district since 2020. Grady is a Republican. Grady has served as the chair of the West Virginia Senate Education Committee since 2022.{{Cite web |date=September 1, 2022 |title=Senator Amy Nichole Grady Named Chairman of Education Committee |url=https://www.wvlegislature.gov/News_release/pressrelease.cfm?release=3000 |website=West Virginia Legislature}}
Early life, education, and career
Grady is the daughter of Addie Roberts. She received her Bachelor of Education degree from Marietta College and West Virginia University and served as a teacher before running for office.{{cite web |title=West Virginia Senate Biography: Senator Grady |url=http://www.wvlegislature.gov/Senate1/biography.cfm?member=Senator%20Grady |website=West Virginia Legislature |access-date=23 March 2021 |ref=1}}
Elections
Grady, a teacher, was inspired to run for office after participating in the 2018 West Virginia teachers' strike. Her later opponent in the primary, Lt. Governor and President of the West Virginia Senate, Mitch Carmichael, had opposed pay raises for teachers and supported charter schools. Her role in the strike led her to seek the office.{{cite web |last1=Waldron |first1=Travis |title=Teacher Ousts West Virginia State Senate Leader In GOP Primary |url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/west-virginia-teacher-strikes-senate-primary_n_5ee0f238c5b6147d60259085 |website=Huffington Post |access-date=23 March 2021 |ref=2}}
On her website, Grady described herself as a "Pro-life, Pro-2nd Amendment conservative teacher who is fed up with self-serving elected officials." Her campaign was self-funded and Carmichael outraised her by more than 50:1 in the primary.{{cite web |title=Teacher beats West Virginia Senate president after protests |url=https://www.wsls.com/news/politics/2020/06/10/teacher-beats-west-virginia-senate-president-after-protests/ |website=10 News |access-date=23 March 2021 |ref=3}}
Grady won the three-way primary election with 39.12% of the vote, defeating Carmichael by a margin of fewer than 1000 votes.{{cite web |title=2020 Primary Election: 4th Senatorial District |url=https://results.enr.clarityelections.com/WV/103231/web.259135/#/detail/260 |website=West Virginia Board of Elections |access-date=23 March 2021 |ref=4}} Carmichael conceded the evening of the election and agreed to support Grady in the general.
Grady defeated Democrat Bruce Ashworth in the 2020 general election with 70.69% of the vote.{{cite web |title=2020 General Election: 4th Senatorial District |url=https://results.enr.clarityelections.com/WV/106210/web.264614/#/summary |website=West Virginia Board of Elections |access-date=23 March 2021 |ref=5}}
Tenure
=Committee assignments=
- Education (chair)
- Health and Human Resources (Vice Chair){{cite web |title=Member Profiles: Senator Grady |url=http://www.wvlegislature.gov/Senate1/lawmaker.cfm?member=Senator%20Grady |website=West Virginia Legislature |access-date=23 March 2021 |ref=6}}
- Agriculture and Rural Development
- Judiciary
- Military
- Natural Resources
=Education=
Grady spoke in support of and voted for House Bill 2013, a bill that would allow more public funds to be used by parents sending their children to private schools.{{cite web |last1=Adams |first1=Steven Allen |title=Education savings account bill gets OK from West Virginia Senate |url=https://www.newsandsentinel.com/news/local-news/2021/03/education-savings-account-bill-gets-ok-from-west-virginia-senate/ |website=News and Sentinel |access-date=23 March 2021 |ref=8}}{{cite web |last1=Raby |first1=John |title=WVa private school savings accounts bill heads to governor |url=https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/wva-private-school-savings-accounts-bill-heads-to-governor/ar-BB1eHthI?ocid=BingNewsSearch |website=Associated Press |access-date=23 March 2021 |ref=9}}
Grady voted for Senate Bill 680, a bill that would make it harder for school staff to be given raises.{{cite web |last1=Quinn |first1=Ryan |title=WV Legislature sends governor bill that could eliminate school workers' raises |url=https://www.wvgazettemail.com/news/education/wv-legislature-sends-governor-bill-that-could-eliminate-school-workers-raises/article_37ab4d16-c541-5ffe-ac8e-96a8d63e3134.html |website=West Virginia Gazette-Mail |access-date=9 April 2021 |ref=10}}
=Transgender rights=
As a member of the education committee, Grady was the lead sponsor of Senate Bill 341, a bill that would require transgender athletes to compete in sports associated with their biological sex.{{cite web |title=Senate Bill 341 |url=http://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Status/Bills_history.cfm?input=341&year=2021&sessiontype=RS&btype=bill |website=West Virginia Legislature |access-date=23 March 2021 |ref=10}}{{cite web |last1=Adams |first1=Steven Allen |title=Bill blocking transgender students from certain sports passes West Virginia House |url=https://www.newsandsentinel.com/news/local-news/2021/03/bill-blocking-transgender-students-from-certain-sports-passes-west-virginia-house/ |website=Parkersburg News and Sentinel |access-date=26 March 2021 |ref=11}}
=DC statehood=
With many of her fellow Senators, Grady signed onto a resolution requesting West Virginia Senators and Congresspeople to oppose bills that would allow statehood for the District of Columbia.{{cite web |title=WV GOP Letter (2021) |url=http://studentsfordcstatehood.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/WV-GOP-letter-2021.pdf |website=Students for DC Statehood |access-date=24 March 2021 |ref=9 |archive-date=April 29, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210429111004/http://studentsfordcstatehood.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/WV-GOP-letter-2021.pdf |url-status=dead }}
Personal life
References
{{reflist}}
{{West Virginia State Senators}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Grady, Amy}}
Category:Republican Party West Virginia state senators
Category:Marietta College alumni
Category:21st-century members of the West Virginia Legislature