West Virginia

Republicans hold a 32-2 majority in the Senate and 91-9 in the House. Governor Patrick Morrisey, formerly the state’s attorney general, took office in January 2025. He signed $230 million in tax cuts while state employment declined by 3,400 jobs.

West Virginia has the highest per-capita dependence on federal employment and federal healthcare funding of any state in the country. Every major cut in Washington hits here first.

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Federal Job Cuts in West Virginia

Federal DOGE cuts eliminated 2,200 federal jobs in West Virginia between November 2024 and November 2025. Federal employment fell by 700 jobs through September, then dropped another 1,300 in October when deferred resignation cuts took effect.

The agencies hit hardest were the Bureau of the Fiscal Service in Parkersburg, NIOSH in Morgantown, the Job Corps Center in Charleston, and National Park Service staff in the Monongahela National Forest and New River Gorge National Park.

Beyond the jobs, DOGE cuts eliminated nearly $110 million in federal grants that funded workforce training and substance use prevention across the state.

After nine months of organizing by AFGE and labor allies, 328 NIOSH employees who received layoff notices were reinstated. But the Bureau of the Fiscal Service, Job Corps, and National Park Service cuts remain.

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One in Three West Virginians Depends on Medicaid

Roughly 504,000 West Virginians are enrolled in Medicaid, about 28% of the state’s population. Another estimate puts Medicaid and CHIP enrollment at 34.6%, the seventh highest in the country. About 170,200 of those enrollees gained coverage through ACA Medicaid expansion.

69,000 West Virginians projected to lose health coverage under the One Big Beautiful Bill

The congressional budget bill would cut $1 trillion in federal Medicaid spending. In West Virginia, that means an estimated $1 billion per year in lost hospital revenue and 5,800 lost healthcare jobs.

Thirteen rural hospitals are already at risk of closure. Seven are at immediate risk within two to three years, including Logan Regional Medical Center, Welch Community Hospital, Grafton City Hospital, and Montgomery General Hospital. About 75% of West Virginians are covered by government programs that already pay below the cost of care.

West Virginia expanded Medicaid in 2014. That expansion gave adults earning up to 138% of the federal poverty level access to addiction treatment that did not exist at meaningful scale before. The state still has the highest drug overdose death rate in the country, though overdose deaths dropped 46% from 2023 to 2024.

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Coal Jobs and the State Economy

Roughly 700 coal workers lost their jobs in summer 2025 alone. Core Natural Resources laid off 234 employees at Mine #5 and its prep plant in Wyoming County after reporting a $69.3 million net loss. Greenbrier Minerals laid off 61 workers.

Civil LLC cut 279 employees across nine mining sites in southern West Virginia. A mine in McDowell County closed with 32 more layoffs in September.

Governor Morrisey’s response has been to double down on coal. His “50 by 50” initiative aims to expand electrical generating capacity from 16 to 50 gigawatts by 2050, primarily through coal. The Trump administration put forward $175 million to extend the lifetime of coal-fired power plants while stripping away economic transition grants.

Meanwhile, the coordination problem remains. Miners will not leave for training until good jobs exist. Businesses will not bring jobs until trained workers are available. Organizations like Coalfield Development Corporation train workers in sustainable construction, solar installation, and agriculture, but the state’s plan centers on expanding coal.

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School Closures and the Hope Scholarship

Nineteen school closures and consolidations were proposed in the 2025-2026 school year. The state Board of Education approved about a dozen closures across six counties, including schools in Barbour, Logan, Randolph, Upshur, Wetzel, and Roane counties.

$245 million Projected cost of the Hope Scholarship voucher program for 2026-2027, up from $9.2 million in 2023

The Hope Scholarship program provides about $5,000 per student for private school tuition or homeschool expenses. Starting in 2026-2027, all families in the state will be eligible. More than 20,000 students applied after eligibility broadened, including 8,100 new applicants.

Program costs have grown from $9.2 million in 2023 to $48.9 million in 2025 and are projected to double to over $100 million in 2026.

State Board of Education President Paul Hardesty identified the root cause. Every student who leaves takes state funding with them, but the school’s fixed costs remain. The Legislature approved school choice laws but never updated the funding formula to account for schools losing both students and dollars.

West Virginia teachers are the lowest paid in the country. The 2026 legislature passed a 3% pay raise, but state employee salaries remain 25 to 30 percent below surrounding states. The legislature failed to pass any bill fixing the school funding formula before the session ended.

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New Voting Restrictions Took Effect for 2026

The May 2026 primary was the first statewide election without 11 formerly accepted forms of ID. Medicaid cards and utility bills are no longer valid at polling places. Voters must now show a government-issued photo ID.

The West Virginia Republican Executive Committee closed its primary for the first time since the mid-1980s. In a state where Republicans hold 91 of 100 House seats, the Republican primary is the election that decides who holds power.

A new residency challenge law allows election officials to challenge any voter’s registration. If the voter does not provide proof of residency within 30 days, their registration is canceled.

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What You Can Do in West Virginia

1. Check your voter registration and ID. West Virginia now requires a government-issued photo ID to vote. Verify your registration status and confirm you have acceptable ID at GoVoteWV, the Secretary of State’s voter page.

2. Verify your Medicaid coverage. If you or a family member is enrolled in Medicaid, check your coverage status now. Congressional cuts could change eligibility rules. Contact the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources at 304-558-0684.

3. Attend your county school board meeting. School closure decisions are made at the county and state board level. If your county is considering closures or consolidations, show up and speak during public comment.

4. Call Senator Capito’s office. 202-224-6472. Ask where she stands on the Medicaid cuts in the budget bill and what she is doing to protect West Virginia’s 13 at-risk rural hospitals.

5. Know your federal worker rights. If you are a federal employee affected by DOGE cuts, contact AFGE or your union representative. Some layoffs have been reversed through sustained organizing. Document everything.