West Virginia governor vetoes help for neglected and foster kids after approving tax cuts

West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey has vetoed twelve bills aimed at helping vulnerable populations, just days after signing legislation to reduce personal income tax by 5%. The tax cut, combined with business tax adjustments aligned with Trump-era federal cuts, will result in $230 million in lost annual revenue for the state.

Among the vetoed legislation was a broadly supported bill to assist foster children aging out of the system. The measure, which passed both legislative chambers nearly unanimously, would have expanded a pilot program providing former foster youth with independent living assistance, employment support, and higher education guidance.

According to Morrisey’s Department of Human Services, the foster care transition bill would have cost approximately $11 million when fully implemented. In his veto letter, the governor cited “uncontrollable cost drivers” as the primary concern.

“The bill requires the Department of Human Services to expand services that are already being offered through its Independent Living and Transitional Living programs, and this expansion will cost at least $5,000,000 in the first year,” Morrisey wrote.

Bill sponsor Delegate Adam Burkhammer, a Lewis County Republican, previously argued that failing to support these young adults now would lead to more significant expenses in the future. “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,” Burkhammer stated during a February committee meeting.

Morrisey also rejected legislation aimed at preventing children from entering foster care in the first place. Although he didn’t cite cost as the reason for this veto, he expressed concern about linking economic need to child neglect.

“An economic need does not translate to abuse and neglect, and it is disconcerting to see that kind of linkage here. The insertion of the state into the family should only occur when children are truly at risk,” the governor wrote.

However, research indicates that impoverished families are more likely to have their children removed, as poverty is frequently misinterpreted as neglect. This has led many researchers to advocate for anti-poverty measures as effective child welfare policy.

“I think anti-poverty policy is child protection policy,” UC-Irvine sociology professor Kelley Fong told Mountain State Spotlight earlier this year.

Federal data shows that more than 1,000 West Virginia children are removed from their parents annually solely due to neglect, with another 200 removed because of inadequate housing.

Additional vetoed legislation included a bill mandating the release of funds collected by the state’s medical marijuana program. This would have allocated $5 million to a commission supporting thousands of child abuse and neglect court cases.

The governor’s office defended the decisions, stating that the administration is attempting to balance the needs of vulnerable populations with tax reduction goals. Spokesman Lars Dalseide explained that several vetoes resulted from concerns about open-ended program costs or lack of clear focus.

“Families are dealing with higher costs across the board and letting them keep more of what they earn is one of the most direct ways we can help,” Dalseide wrote in an email.

However, analysis from the West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy suggests the income tax reduction will provide minimal relief to most residents. The Center estimates that 80% of West Virginians will receive between just $4 and $144.50 annually from the tax cut. While the tax alignment with federal standards would increase child care tax credits, businesses appear to be the primary beneficiaries of the relief measures.

The contrasting fiscal decisions highlight the ongoing tension between tax reduction policies and social service funding in the state, particularly as they affect West Virginia’s most vulnerable residents. Critics argue that the vetoed programs could have provided essential support for at-risk populations while potentially reducing long-term costs to the state through prevention and early intervention.