2 weeks Ago By by Charles Young SENIOR STAFF WRITER
Various documents comprising the West Virginia House of Delegates’ budget bill are stacked on the table during a meeting of House Finance Committee. CHARLESTON (WV News) — Gov. Patrick Morrisey has signed the Fiscal Year 2026 budget bill into law, but objected to nearly 30 items and cut more than $100 million in funding using his line-item veto power.
House Bill 2026, the budget legislation passed on the penultimate day of this year’s regular session of the West Virginia Legislature, is “designed to provide flexibility to address future uncertainties, such as stock market fluctuations and changes to federal spending,” according to information released by the governor’s office. In a message to West Virginia Secretary of State Kris Warner explaining his 29 line item-vetoes in the bill, Morrisey said the state’s six-year financial outlook calls for “continued conservative budget planning.” The governor predicted “likely fiscal challenges” ahead involving Medicaid, the West Virginia Public Employees Insurance Agency and potential changes to federal codes.
“It’s imperative for West Virginia to maintain fiscal responsibility and flexibility in decision making,” he said. Morrisey The governor entirely eliminated more than $100 million in transfers of surplus funds in the bill and made more than $7 million in other reductions. They include: A $300,000 reduction for “Tourism — Industry Development;” a $100,000 reduction for an appropriation to be used by the Willowbend Agricultural Innovation Center; a $500,000 reduction of funds for the Martinsburg Beckley Public Library; a $200,000 reduction for “Safe Schools;” a $1.
4 million reduction for funding to develop computer science education; a $300,000 reduction to funds for the Mountain State Digital Literacy Program; a $3 million reduction of funds to the Ronald McDonald House of Morgantown; a $161,172 reduction of funds to the West Virginia State Police; a $800,000 reduction of funds for court appointed special advocates; a $187,650 reduction of funds for the State Veterans’ Nursing Home; and a $250,000 reduction of funds to the West Virginia University College of Law. “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. “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,” Morrisey said.
“Much work remains in the next fiscal year to address budget shortfalls, but 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.” The governor’s vetoes drew criticism from the state’s Democratic Party, which issued a statement Friday afternoon condemning the cuts. “On a day meant to reflect compassion and kindness, Gov.
Morrisey instead chose to cut support from those who need it most: children in foster care, families facing serious illnesses, veterans who have honorably served our country, and students who deserve safe and modern learning environments,” said Del. Anitra Hamilton, D-Monongalia. “This is not only unkind — it shows deeply misplaced priorities.
” “Gov. Morrisey could have mitigated these drastic cuts if he had instead eliminated some of the $22 million in HOPE Scholarship funds being spent on out-of-state schools and on extracurricular expenses like horseback riding, jiujitsu and travel soccer,” added Democratic Party Chair Del. Mike Pushkin, D-Kanawha.
“The governor’s actions reveal an administration more committed to ideological agendas than the real, everyday needs of West Virginians.” The governor first discussed a $400 million budget gap shortly after taking office in January. The claim was challenged by lawmakers and later called a “budgeting tool” by officials from Morrisey’s office.
Not long after Morrisey announced the discovery of the budget gap, House Speaker Roger Hanshaw, R-Clay, sent an email to House members commenting on the governor’s findings. “Please know that as of now, we have no idea how he or his team arrived at that figure, and our House Finance staff and our own budget team has no information on how the governor’s team arrived at their projection,” Hanshaw wrote. “As of last month, the executive branch reports to us showed a very different picture, so we need to understand what facts gave the new administration their substantially altered view of the State’s financial condition.
” When the House of Delegates was debating its budget proposal during the session, House Finance Committee Chair Del. Vernon Criss, R-Wood, said Morrisey’s initial budget proposal was “useless.” “The governor’s budget was going to spend every dollar and not have any reserve account,” Criss said.
“He also collapsed all of the line items, which takes away our job of making sure we are watching the dollars. We appropriate the dollars — that’s our job. When we got his budget, based upon his pro forma sheet, it was useless.
” Criss was asked by Del. Kayla Young, D-Kanawha, about Morrisey’s assertion of a $400 million structural budget deficit. “Is that the case in this budget?” she asked.
“(It’s) not,” he said. “Never was.”.
