Ally Layman for West Virginia

09/14/2026

Friends, I have watched the debate over Flock unfold, and as someone who recently served on Huntington City Council, I want to be clear about where I stand. I oppose it. I do not want guardrails or a slightly different version of it. I do not believe people should be watched and tracked simply because they live, work or drive through Huntington.

What bothers me almost as much as the technology itself is how people have been treated throughout this process. Residents have shown up, asked questions and explained their concerns, only to be dismissed as a “vocal minority.” I do not buy that.

I have Republican friends and Democratic friends. We disagree about plenty of things, but I do not have a single friend who supports Flock.

When the Farrell administration took over, communication became much harder. Even as a council member, I struggled to get information and receive answers to my questions. Watching residents experience that same silence and disregard now is upsetting, but it is not surprising.

In my view, the Farrell administration has been an absolute and total failure. It has failed at transparency, failed at communication and failed to listen to the people it is supposed to serve. The way it has handled Flock is another example of that failure.

What has encouraged me is seeing just how many different people have come together over this. Flock may be one of the most bipartisan issues Huntington has seen in a long time. People who rarely agree politically are standing beside one another because they agree that privacy matters and government surveillance can go too far.

As a board member of People’s Unity Project, I am happy that we have taken a clear position against Flock. The photo shared with this post shows the billboard we recently placed in Huntington. It will remain up for the next 60 days, making our position clear and reminding people that these concerns cannot simply be dismissed.

Huntington, you inspire me, and I applaud you. Even though I now live just outside the city limits, I will always be working, speaking up and doing whatever I can to support the people who call Huntington home.

09/09/2026

08/24/2026

Don't miss this great opportunity to learn more about the Violence Against Women Act's housing protections for victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking and human trafficking. This training will serve as the Frontline subcommittee meeting on August 27th at 10am, please register if you plan to attend: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/r/tT6X3LW9vT

08/20/2026

I wish I could say I’m surprised.

What is happening right now in Huntington, West Virginia should be a warning to communities everywhere.

The majority of Huntington City Council, led by Republican Mayor Patrick Farrell, pushed through a multimillion-dollar contract to put Flock surveillance cameras across the city. People are furious. A lawsuit has been filed. A community effort is underway to put this on the ballot. And even Republican leaders in the West Virginia Legislature are now saying something needs to be done to protect people’s privacy and Fourth Amendment rights.

But Huntington went ahead anyway.

Now, after approving the contract and committing millions of dollars, they’re working on an ordinance to put “guardrails” around the surveillance system they already approved.

And somehow, a local social media page got a copy of that ordinance before members of City Council did.

Think about that.

A sitting City Council member publicly posted that she was reading about the ordinance on social media before she had even received a copy herself.

This is what a breakdown in governance looks like.

But there is a lesson here that goes far beyond Huntington, and it’s one we need to remember.

When Patrick Farrell ran for mayor, he wanted people to believe he was a moderate. But we kept telling people to look at who he supported.

He supported hardline MAGA candidates. He supported candidates who vilified homeless people. He supported people who were openly homophobic and transphobic. He supported a candidate who organized buses to Washington around January 6.

Those were not little details people should have ignored. They told us who he was.

You cannot tell the LGBTQ community you support them, walk through Pride taking pictures, and then support politicians who attack LGBTQ people.

You cannot say you care about homeless people while supporting politicians who vilify them.

And you cannot tell people you respect democracy while supporting people involved in January 6.

This is the lesson.

When someone running for office tells you one thing, but their actions and the people they support tell you something completely different, believe their actions.

Believe who they surround themselves with. Believe who they support.

Because eventually, that’s how they’re going to govern.

Huntington is learning that lesson right now. The rest of the country shouldn’t have to learn it the hard way.

08/05/2026

Instead of listening, our elected officials chose mass surveillance over the voices of the community. When government stops listening, people organize. That’s exactly what’s happening here. Privacy isn’t a privilege. It’s a constitutional right. I stand with the people and will help fight to protect our freedoms.

Read, sign, share!!

08/04/2026

I don’t know about you, but I’m not willing to stand by while our freedoms are stolen from us. The governor is on an alleged listening to tour, but the only folks in attendance are the elected and well connected folks who follow their lead. Our constitutional rights aren’t up for debate. The Fourth Amendment isn’t optional. Our right to privacy shouldn’t be traded away because someone in government thinks they know what’s best for us.

The people have spoken! These elected officials continue not to listen!! When hundreds of community members show up, speak out, write emails, make phone calls, and ask their elected officials to listen, ignoring them isn’t leadership. It’s arrogance.

Public office isn’t about telling people what they’re should accept. It’s about listening to the people who put you there and respecting the rights you swore to uphold.

I’ve always believed that if the community is willing to stand up and fight for their rights, I’ll be right there beside them. That’s who I am. Whether it’s speaking at meetings, organizing, advocating, or simply making sure people’s voices are heard, I’ll continue standing shoulder to shoulder with my neighbors.

This isn’t just about cameras. It’s about whether we’re willing to accept a future where law abiding people are treated like suspects simply for living their lives. We shouldn’t have to choose between safety and freedom. We deserve both.

Our constitutional rights aren’t obstacles to overcome. They’re protections that generations before us fought to secure.

Freedom isn’t something we compromise on! The people have spoken. Now it’s time for elected officials to do what they were elected to do, listen!!