Business, Government Legal News from throughout WV‘Patriot bill’ moves forward in Senate

The Parkersburg South Patriot is one step closer to being permitted to fire his musket at away games.

Current law allows the mascot to fire his weapon at home games, based on the principal's discretion, but several Mid-Ohio Valley lawmakers have pushed a measure this year that would give The Patriot the same exemption from state law that the West Virginia University Mountaineer has.

Parkersburg South High School opened in 1967, and The Patriot has carried a musket ever since. But in the era of safe schools, the ability to fire that weapon was muzzled.

"When I saw the WVU Mountaineer was exempt of those subsections about the dangerous weapons, I felt that our patriot as well should be exempt," Parkersburg South High School Principal Tom Eschbacher told the Senate education committee. "We've always been permitted by legislation to fire the musket at our home games, it's when we travel that we run into issues."

Eschbacher said firing the musket is a source of both school and community pride.

Eschbacher said if the school plays games in Ohio, they will not fire the weapon.

He also said each year the student who serves as the mascot receives training and is the only person who carries the weapon.

"They are trained in safety, they are trained on how to load the musket and how to fire the musket," Eschbacher said.

Eschbacher brought the musket with him to the Capitol to show legislators, and yesterday the student who is The Patriot this year visited the Capitol with his mother.

Legislators passed the measure from the education committee Thursday. Its next stop is in the Senate judiciary committee, and if it passes, it will go to the full Senate for consideration.