News from the South - West Virginia News Feed
Morrisey’s line-item budget vetoes slash funds for vulnerable children during foster care crisis
by Amelia Ferrell Knisely, West Virginia Watch
April 18, 2025
Gov. Patrick Morrisey signed the budget bill Thursday night, but not before slashing millions of dollars in funding through his line-item veto power. The Republican governor’s cuts were wide sweeping across state programs, and services for vulnerable children were among those surprisingly hit.
“When I took office, I inherited a $400 million structural budget gap in the upcoming fiscal year, which would grow to nearly $600 million in the years ahead if it was not immediately addressed,” Morrisey said in a statement released by his office. “The fiscally conservative budget I signed tonight makes progress tackling structural gaps and begins to place us on a pathway toward financial stability in the future.”
The 29 separate line-item vetoes included slashes in funding for roads, school safety and tourism projects. There were also millions of dollars in cuts to programs that serve foster kids, families impacted by substance abuse and sick children.
Morrisey cut $250,000 in funding for Lily’s Place, a nonprofit organization in Cabell County that provides treatment for newborns with neonatal abstinence syndrome and support for families dealing with substance use disorder. West Virginia has the highest rate nationally of infants born with neonatal abstinence syndrome amid the state’s ongoing substance abuse crisis.
House Finance Chairman Vernon Criss, R-Wood, called it “the most insulting” of Morrisey’s line-item vetoes.
“This one should be right at the top — to be able to take newborns that are drug-afflicted and be able to help them,” Criss said. “[It] seems to have a very high success rate of helping newborns getting off the drug situation.”
Morrisey also decreased funding for the Ronald McDonald House in Morgantown and In-Home Family Education, a parent and child support program in West Virginia.
“It’s almost like you’re picking on kids who can’t speak up for themselves,” said House Minority Leader Sean Hornbuckle, D-Cabell.
The legislative session adjourned with little action on the state’s abundant foster care issues despite bills introduced to address a myriad of problems, including too many foster children living in hotels.
Lawmakers wanted to give $1.1 million in state funding to West Virginia’s Court Appointed Special Advocates, or CASA, a program that helps foster children in the court system.
Morrisey cut 75% of that funding in his line-item veto. His office did not respond to an email from West Virginia Watch seeking information about the funding decrease. In his veto message, the governor said the program relies on grants and could seek additional grant funding.
Shanna Gray, executive director of West Virginia CASA, said she was grateful to the Legislature for creating a dedicated line item for the program.
“We could not be more appreciative of our state lawmakers for prioritizing support for children in foster care,” she said. “Albeit significantly reduced, the governor‘s final allocation of $300,000 establishes a crucial foundation of state support. We remain optimistic about this initial investment and thankful for the state’s recognition of CASA’s essential role in ensuring children’s best interests are represented and heard.”
In total, Morrisey cut $800,000 in foster care funding.
“The fear is that we’ve got programs out there right now that we do not know if they’ll be able to continue because the federal dollars are going to dry up,” Criss said. “[Morrisey] needs to be able to take a very hard look at all the programs.”
In a news release on Friday, the West Virginia Democratic Party called on the governor to “reconsider these harmful decisions and focus state resources on supporting vulnerable citizens and vital community programs.”
Disagreement among GOP supermajority about budget
The Republican-led House and Senate passed their $5.3 billion general revenue budget bill last week.
Morrisey’s line-item veto messages used similar language often, saying, “it is imperative that a cautious and prudent approach be taken” while citing concerns about future uncertainties, like the federal stock market fluctuations and federal uncertainty. He also said that there are “ongoing budget challenges.”
The spending vetoes also included $500,000 reduction to Mountwood Park in Wood County for Jeep trails, and a $187,000 reduction to the more than $11 million allocation to the state Veterans Nursing home, and a $250,000 cut for a nursing education program.
“He decided nursing programs are not where he wants to spend money,” Criss said.
There was a $25 million reduction to the State Road Fund; Criss said that funding cuts may damage the state Division of Highways’ ability to draw down federal funds for projects.
Morrisey eliminated $250,000 allocated for the West Virginia University College of Law but did not touch the $1.5 million lawmakers gave the university to build a civics learning center overseen by a political appointee. Lawmakers passed a bill mandating the center, but it hasn’t yet been signed by the governor.
He slashed more than $110 million approved in three surplus funds, which included the funding for Lily’s Place. Morrisey said those funds may be needed for anticipated gaps in Medicaid, Public Employees Insurance Agency and federal changes.
Morrisey is a staunch supporter of President Donald Trump; Hornbuckle said the governor’s decision to slash state spending because concerns about Medicaid and federal changes showed, “Even the governor doesn’t believe his good friend is going to be able to help West Virginians.”
“We might have to fill back in dollars to Medicaid or PEIA,” Hornbuckle continued. “People need to be really paying attention to what’s going on there, and he doesn’t trust the Trump administration.”
Hornbuckle added that Morrisey’s line-item vetoes showed disagreement among the state’s GOP-supermajority in power.
Criss continues to refute Morrisey’s projected $400 million structural deficit.
“I am the last finance chairman still in place from the previous administration, I take that a personal cut,” he said. “[Morrisey] doesn’t understand how we have been budgeting and doing the budget process for the last seven years when we’ve tried to keep our ‘operating portion’ of our budget.” The House wanted the state to have surplus money in the back of the budget that could be used for one-time projects.
Senate Finance Chairman Jason Barrett, R-Berkeley, wasn’t available for comment.
Funds slashed for safe schools, educational programs
Morrisey’s line-item vetoes included several education-related projects, including funding decreasing to the Mountain State Digital Literacy Program, a math education program and computer science education. In a veto of $200,000 in funding for Safe Schools, Morrisey said it is, “imperative that we limit new spending.”
West Virginia’s public schools can’t afford to implement millions of dollars in safety upgrades, including secure front entries and weapon detection systems. There are more than $200 million in school safety requests in need of funding.
“How can we in good faith cut money to safe schools and that is something that goes to all of our public education when we are pumping millions of dollars into the Hope voucher program?” Hornbuckle said.
The budget passed by the Republican-led Legislature opted to put away about $33.6 million from general revenue to the state Personal Income Tax Reserve Fund. That money, Criss said, can be allocated by the Legislature at any time. The fund has more than $500 million in it, drawing frustration from Del. Kayla Young, D-Kanawha, during budget debate since other programs had gone unfunded.
The budget didn’t include $100,000 for clean drinking water in Wyoming County. Funding was cut for the state’s Jobs and Hope Program.
Hornbuckle voted against the budget when it passed the House, citing concerns about a lack of funding for child care.
“I didn’t think it had a lot of fiscal logic and appropriate the dollars that we do have to public education or child care,” he said. “I’m also confused why we went further down the hole right now in making the current cuts that we did.”
In a statement on Thursday, Morrisey said that “much work remains in the next fiscal year to address budget shortfalls.”
“ … I applaud the Legislature for sending me a budget that closely resembles my original proposal and begins to address long term issues while funding West Virginia priorities,” he said.
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West Virginia Watch is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. West Virginia Watch maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Leann Ray for questions: info@westvirginiawatch.com.
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News from the South - West Virginia News Feed
FEMA’s refusal to help some West Virginia counties just a taste of what’s to come
by Leann Ray, West Virginia Watch
April 29, 2025
Last week, West Virginia Watch reporter Amelia Ferrell Knisely traveled to McDowell County to talk to residents about recovery efforts after the mid-February floods.
She found that many people still have soggy carpets and wet basements after more than two months. Houses are filled with mold. Trash is piled up outside. Some residents say they haven’t seen anyone from the state or federal government in their small towns offering help.
And McDowell is one of the few counties that actually received federal funding for flood response.
In late February, the federal government approved Gov. Patrick Morrisey’s request for federal aid. The Federal Emergency Management Agency has so far approved nearly 3,500 applications for individual assistance, and more than $25 million has been awarded to residents in Logan, McDowell, Mercer, Mingo, Raleigh, Wayne and Wyoming counties.
Residents who receive that money can use it to cover the costs of temporary housing and home repairs.
About 94% of West Virginia communities are considered “Special Flood Hazard Areas,” which means the more than 84,000 structures in those areas are at a high risk of flooding, according to a 2023 report by researchers at West Virginia University.
However, President Donald Trump has suggested that FEMA, which is the only agency currently that administers disaster relief funds, might “go away.”
Last week it was announced that Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency would cut 1,000 employees — or 20% of the workforce — from FEMA, just ahead of hurricane season.
On Wednesday, Morrisey announced that FEMA denied individual assistance grants to Boone, Cabell, Greenbrier, Kanawha, Lincoln, Monroe and Summers counties, and public assistance grants in Cabell and Kanawha counties for the February floods.
“Despite today’s notification, I am grateful to the Trump Administration for their strong support for Southern West Virginia’s recovery following the February floods,” Morrisey said in a statement.
We know you’re not a native West Virginian, governor, but please stand up for your adopted state.
Alex Brown from Stateline, one of West Virginia Watch’s sister newsrooms, reached out to the White House about states being denied FEMA funding, and received a statement that said the agency is focused on “truly catastrophic disasters,” and that states need to have a better “appetite to own the problem.”
West Virginia has no appetite, as shown during the legislative session.
On April 4, about three weeks after the devastating February floods, Del. Sean Hornbuckle, D-Cabell, proposed adding $50 million to the state budget for flood prevention.
“We have the ability to do something earthly,” Hornbuckle said. “The power that we have — not just the divine power — but with a button and a pen that we all have to help out neighbors in the great state of West Virginia.”
The amendment was rejected 75-19.
Remember the 2016 floods — the deadliest in the state’s history? Former Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin, a Democrat born in Logan County, declared a state of emergency for 44 of the state’s 55 counties.
Since November 2019, FEMA has given West Virginia more than $424 million in funding in response to the 2016 floods. More than $42 million was given to 4,949 individuals and families, and more than $172.8 million was given to local and state governments and some nonprofits. FEMA also provided more than $209.8 million to replace Herbert Hoover High, Richwood Middle, Richwood High, Summersville Middle and to relocate Clendenin Elementary.
Herbert Hoover High School was destroyed, and students were taught in portable classrooms until their new school was completed in fall 2023. Clendenin Elementary School didn’t reopen until fall 2024. Construction hasn’t started on the schools destroyed in Nicholas County.
In response to that flood, the West Virginia Legislature created the State Resiliency Office. Its purpose is to “Minimize the loss of life and property, maintain economic stability, and improve recovery time by coordinating with stakeholders to implement disaster resilient strategies.
The state Legislature created the West Virginia Disaster Recovery Trust Fund in 2023 with Senate Bill 677. The fund sits empty. No money was allocated to that fund during the 2024 legislative session. The FY 2026 budget, which Morrisey has signed, doesn’t include any money for the fund either.
There were only three bills related to flooding during the session — House Bill 2858 and Senate Bill 502 were the same bill, meant to allow counties to regulate floodplains under National Flood Insurance Program guidelines. They both died. House Bill 3502, sponsored by Hornbuckle, would have allowed a one-time allocation of $100 million from the state revenue shortfall fund and $150 million from the state’s income tax revenue fund for the West Virginia Flood Resiliency Trust Fund. It died in the House Government Organization.
West Virginia needs FEMA, but with FEMA potentially out of the picture, it’s time the state whet its appetite and take a bite out of the problem.
Morrisey has already said he plans to call a special session this summer to deal with the Public Employees Insurance Agency and education funding. Sounds like the perfect time and a good use of tax payer money to move some funding over to the West Virginia Disaster Recovery Trust Fund.
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West Virginia Watch is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. West Virginia Watch maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Leann Ray for questions: info@westvirginiawatch.com.
The post FEMA’s refusal to help some West Virginia counties just a taste of what’s to come appeared first on westvirginiawatch.com
Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.
Political Bias Rating: Center-Left
This content reflects a center-left political bias as it highlights government and federal aid shortcomings in disaster response and recovery, particularly criticizing Republican leadership and policies, such as those associated with former President Trump and West Virginia Governor Morrisey. It underscores the need for more proactive state intervention and funding to support vulnerable communities, especially in the context of disaster resilience. The critique of budget decisions and FEMA staff cuts aligns with a perspective that supports stronger public sector involvement and social responsibility, typical of center-left viewpoints, without veering into extreme or partisan language.
News from the South - West Virginia News Feed
Couple sentenced in historic human trafficking case intend to appeal convictions
SUMMARY: Jeannie White Feather and Donald Lance, sentenced to over 100 years for human trafficking and related charges, are set to appeal their convictions. During a recent court hearing, their defense attorneys indicated intentions to seek a higher court review due to possible legal errors. While the appeal process is underway, two minor misdemeanor charges for false swearing were dismissed since their sentences are already severe. The case, notable for being the first successful human trafficking prosecution in the state, originated from the discovery of their adopted children living in deplorable conditions.
Jeanne Whitefeather and Donald Lantz appeared virtually from prison in their first hearing since they were each sentenced to more than 100 years in prison, but as it was pointed out in court, the clock is ticking for them to appeal their case.
FULL STORY: https://wchstv.com/news/local/couple-sentenced-in-historic-human-trafficking-case-intend-to-appeal-convictions
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SUMMARY: Pope Francis, the first Latin American pontiff, left a significant legacy, marked by his unorthodox approach to leadership and his focus on humility. He was known for his calls for peace, particularly in war-torn Gaza, where he forged a strong bond with local priests. Throughout his papacy, he emphasized simplicity, evident in his choice of a simple wooden coffin and unadorned burial tomb. Francis also took a strong stance on social justice, criticizing rising anti-Semitism and advocating for the release of Israeli hostages. His death has left a lasting impact on the Catholic Church and the global community.
VATICAN CITY (TNND) — The Vatican kept its doors open all night Wednesday due to the tens of thousands of mourners lined up to see Pope Francis lying in state inside St. Peter’s Basilica.
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