West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy

10/08/2026

Reduced SNAP benefits as a result of HR 1 (One Big Beautiful Bill) are creating real consequences for thousands of West Virginia children and families. When families receive less food assistance, not only may they go hungry, but financial hardship often bleeds into other areas of their lives, impacting things like ability to afford rent or health care expenses.

10/08/2026

TONIGHT AT 6PM!

Join WVCBP staff and Together for Public Schools WV coalition partners from around West Virginia as we discuss public school funding, dispel myths in favor of facts, and provide updates from folks on the ground fighting for community schools that serve all children in the Mountain State.

Register for the free webinar here: https://tinyurl.com/3824ca5c

10/08/2026

ICYMI: Our 19th edition of State of Working West Virginia provides an overall picture of the state economy and centers on the growth of the health care and social assistance sector, which is increasingly becoming the state’s primary source of jobs and economic growth.

This year’s report presents two pictures of the economy. While overall job growth stagnated in 2025, the health care and social assistance industry experienced a noticeable increase in jobs. The sector now employs over 138,000 workers, making it the state’s second-largest industry. Industry growth projections also show a health care future in West Virginia. While all health care jobs are projected to grow, many will come from the lower paying social assistance subsector, making addressing low wages a priority.

Read our full report here: https://tinyurl.com/mvh7dsyp

10/07/2026

West Virginia continues to struggle with a slow economy and ended the first quarter of FY 2027 last month with jobs losses and revenue collections falling behind the pace of inflation. This should raise concerns for lawmakers given the many new budgetary expenses on the horizon. These upcoming budget pressures include ongoing program costs that lawmakers have failed to fit into the base budget in recent years (e.g., Hope Scholarship), federal cost shifts in SNAP and Medicaid as a result of Congress’ HR 1, and campaign promises and priorities from a new, incoming state legislature.

For lawmakers to have the revenue necessary to be able to invest in programs and services that truly grow our economy and serve our people (e.g., hospitals, public schools, roads, flooding infrastructure) they need to abandon efforts to cut taxes and instead raise new revenue to pay for state priorities.

Learn more in our new blog post:

West Virginia continues to struggle with a slow economy and ended the first quarter of FY 2027 last month with revenue collections falling behind the pace of inflation. This trend should raise concerns for lawmakers given the many new budgetary expenses on the horizon. Revenue Growth Not Keeping Up....

10/07/2026

A summary of SNAP eligibility and benefit calculation rules that are in effect for federal fiscal year 2026, which began in October 2025.

10/06/2026

What happens to a school affects an entire community.

More than 10 West Virginia public schools have already been proposed for closure just months into the school year—this comes on top of nearly 140 school closures that have occurred across the state over the past 15 years.

School closures have real consequences for students, families, educators, and the communities they call home. Schools aren’t merely buildings on a map. They’re places where children learn, families connect, and communities come together.

Decisions about the future of public education deserve our attention.

We’re tracking school closure proposals across West Virginia and breaking down what’s happening, why it matters, and what policymakers can do.

Visit our page to see the latest school closure decisions across WV and learn more about how you can help protect our public schools: https://tinyurl.com/bdzj93cb

10/05/2026

"Starting Thursday, thousands of West Virginians faced impacts on their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, signed into law on June 4, 2025.

"Under Section 10106 of the bill, the federal government’s share of annual SNAP administrative costs decreased from 50% to 25%, a reduction in federal spending of approximately $3.4 billion annually.

"Individual states will now have to pay 75% of the program's operational costs, resulting in a decline in enrollment of over 5 million people from July 2025 to June 2026, according to the Center for Budget and Priorities' SNAP tracker and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

"West Virginia's SNAP enrollment dropped from 270,722 in July 2025 to 250,742 in June 2026, a 7.38% reduction."

MORGANTOWN – Starting Thursday, thousands of West Virginians faced impacts on their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, signed into law on June 4, 2025. Under Section 10106 of the bill, the federal government’s share of annual SNAP admi...

10/05/2026

Join WVCBP staff and Together for Public Schools WV coalition partners from around the state as we discuss public school funding, dispel myths in favor of facts, and provide updates from folks on the ground fighting for community schools that serve all children in the Mountain State.

This is a free, virtual webinar with pre-registration required. Please register here: https://tinyurl.com/3824ca5c

10/02/2026

Health care shouldn’t leave you wondering how you’re going to pay the bill.

Maybe you’ve received a hospital bill you didn’t anticipate. Maybe you’ve been charged a separate facility fee at a doctor’s office. Maybe you've gotten an unexpectedly high bill from a provider you thought was in-network, or maybe you’re still paying off medical debt from care you needed months or years ago.

We want to hear what you’ve experienced.

We’re asking West Virginians to take a few minutes to share how high or unexpected health care costs have affected you, your family, or your community.

Your story can help us show lawmakers what people across the Mountain State are experiencing and why we need a health care system that puts people before profits.

You can take the survey here: https://bit.ly/highcarecosts