West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy

An independent research organization advancing policies that increase opportunity for all West Virginians through credible and accessible research and advocacy

[West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy @WVCBP]

"The most likely reason for the larger-than-expected cut is the impact of the 2025 reconciliation law shifting enormous new SNAP costs to states. CBO estimated the cost shift mandate would have no impact until 2028. But it has already led many states to erect barriers to SNAP."

[Center on Budget @CenterOnBudget]

About 5.5 million people, including about 2 million children, have lost SNAP since the 2025 reconciliation law was enacted. As participation losses far exceed CBO’s estimates, Congress should delay the law’s SNAP cost shift to states: https://t.co/qq6deZesWp

[ITEP @iteptweets]

NEW: U.S. corporations are paying the lowest tax rate seen in decades.

706 major corporations collectively paid a federal income tax rate of just 10.4%, less than half the statutory rate.

114 corporations paid zero.
https://t.co/tzRh5LglYz

[Katie Bergh @Katie_Bergh]

About 2 million kids have lost SNAP since deep cuts were enacted last year. The ripple effects: Kids losing SNAP also lose automatic enrollment for free meals at school. And as more kids lose SNAP, their schools may be forced to drop Community Eligibility. https://t.co/8b0Kis5v0Y

[Sean O’Leary @OLearySW]

Now with a chart. West Virginia is adding an average of just 122 jobs per month in 2026

[West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy @WVCBP]

Changes to SNAP as a result of HR 1 are leaving tens of thousands of West Virginians without the food assistance they need.

Check out this video where Rev. Dyson, Executive Director of the WV Council of Churches, and @sethano break down what’s at stake and what we can do.

[West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy @WVCBP]

"Browder said addressing public school funding challenges requires both reforming the state’s funding formula, which has not been updated since 1993, and placing greater limits on the voucher program."

[West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy @WVCBP]

"Tamaya Browder, education policy fellow for the West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy, said the lawsuit reflects longstanding concerns about the program’s effect on public school funding and its lack of transparency." https://t.co/eCzhfJF6rh

[West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy @WVCBP]

"In Mingo County, Browder said, only one school has received voucher funds. New Beginnings Christian School is the county’s only private educational institution."

[Amelia Knisely @ameliaknisely]

A religious microschool in Moundsville has no traditional grading or academic tracking and one teacher. The founder said public schools had liter boxes for kids.
Students can use the Hope Scholarship to attend.
https://t.co/GYOZNKrxGh

[Kelly Allen @kellakelWV]

TANF spending has been a hot topic in West Virginia over the last several months. Our new analysis highlights that the spending spike @wvgovernor calls a structural deficit coincided with the state's deep income tax cuts Read more: https://t.co/8uyZIwB9Fm

[West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy @WVCBP]

Meanwhile, General Revenue funds they could have turned to have been irresponsibly slashed via several rounds of tax cuts. Lawmakers must abandon efforts to cut taxes and focus instead on funding the programs & services that keep children safe & enhance family economic security.

[West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy @WVCBP]

State lawmakers will face mounting budget pressure as the TANF reserve funds they have relied on to fund a significant chunk of child care subsidies, foster care payments, and other priorities will be exhausted in the next year or two.

[West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy @WVCBP]

Between 2023-2025, TANF spending increased by 51%. Over that period, the increased spending meant the state spent down its TANF reserve from $142 million to about $83 million. At this pace, the TANF reserve could be fully exhausted by the end of FY 2027—the current budget year.

[West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy @WVCBP]

For years, WV underspent our annual combined allocation, allowing us to build up a sizeable TANF reserve fund. Between 2016 and 2023, TANF spending was fairly predictable, coming in between $103 & $133 million, all within the combined federal & state MOE annual allocation amount.

[West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy @WVCBP]

That period is also when much of the COVID-era federal stimulus ended. Despite awareness of this, lawmakers did not allocate additional funding for child care in the state budget, instead choosing to park $400M of the FY 24 budget in a “Personal Income Tax Reserve Fund."

[West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy @WVCBP]

WV receives ~$109M in TANF block grant each year & is required to put up matching state funds, called “Maintenance of Effort” totaling just under $35M. The annual TANF funding pot totals ~$134M after accounting for the state’s transfer of $10M to the Social Services Block Grant.

[West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy @WVCBP]

During the 2027 session, lawmakers will have critical budget work to do, including finding alternative revenue sources for vital child well-being & prevention programs currently funded w/ TANF reserve $$$, which are on pace to be exhausted by FY 27's end. https://t.co/mcyBYTnq5G

[West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy @WVCBP]

This includes the use of one-time federal stimulus dollars from the COVID pandemic, dwindling state revenue surpluses that have simultaneously been used to pay for ongoing costs and justify additional tax cuts, and now, dwindling TANF reserve funds.