Governor Patrick Morrisey vetoed a handful of bills meant to help vulnerable West Virginians just days after signing a 5% reduction to the personal income tax.
Between the tax cut and aligning some of the state’s business taxes with cuts made by the Trump Administration, the state will be forgoing $230 million in revenue annually.
However, the governor balked at the expense of providing aid for foster children aging out of the system, home blood pressure monitoring for Medicaid patients, or investments in new drug treatment research.
In total, he vetoed a dozen bills. Bills aimed at helping foster kids transition out of care, and another focused on preventing them from entering care in the first place, were among those vetoed — despite likely saving the state money in the long run.
The foster care transition bill, which passed both the House and Senate with nearly unanimous approval, would have expanded a pilot program helping former foster kids with independent living, job placement, or higher education enrollment.
A Mountain State Spotlight investigation found that West Virginia was failing to utilize federal funds aimed at aiding former foster youth, many of whom were unaware of existing independent living services.
Morrisey’s Department of Human Services estimated the implementation of the vetoed bill would cost about $11 million, claiming the legislation contained uncontrollable cost drivers.
As stated by bill sponsor Del. Adam Burkhammer, R-Lewis, during a committee meeting, the lack of support now could lead to more expensive future consequences for these children.
“If we’re not going to support housing them here, there’s a high probability we’re going to be housing them in one of our jails or prisons,” he commented.
Furthermore, Morrisey also vetoed a bill designed to prevent children from entering foster care in the first place, arguing that economic struggles do not equate to neglect.
Though lacking costs, advocates argue that poverty is often misinterpreted as neglect, leading to unnecessary family separations.
Research suggests that anti-poverty policies are indeed crucial for effective child protection, as noted by sociology professor Kelley Fong.
West Virginia sees over 1,000 children removed from their parents each year solely due to neglect, with another 200 due to inadequate housing.
Additionally, Morrisey vetoed legislation to release funds from the state’s medical marijuana program, which would have provided support for numerous child abuse and neglect cases.
His office suggested that the administration aims to balance the needs of vulnerable populations while reducing taxes. According to spokesman Lars Dalseide, helping families keep more of their earnings is a direct way to assist them amidst rising costs.
The West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy estimates that approximately 80% of the state's citizens will see an income tax cut ranging from $4 to $144.50 annually, while aligning state taxes with federal tax codes is predominantly benefiting businesses.
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This story was originally published by Mountain State Spotlight and shared via a partnership with The Associated Press.
