West Virginia
Jim Justice says he turned West Virginia's budget from cow dung to gold. Gov. Morrisey disagrees
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — U.S. Sen. Jim Justice said he transformed West Virginia’s financial policy from cow dung into gold during his time as governor.
But one man’s gold is another man’s … something else. Newly inaugurated Gov. Patrick Morrisey has taken a closer look under the lid of the state’s coffers, and he said what he has found isn’t so shiny — and it stinks.
Despite the now-U.S. senator’s assurances that he was leaving the state in glowing financial condition, Morrisey announced a week into his term that he had “inherited” from the Justice administration a projected $400 million budget deficit for the fiscal year starting in July — one expected to grow to $600 million the following year. Contradicting Justice, he said the former governor didn’t find the money to pay for his record $1 billion-a-year cuts to the personal income tax, collections on which make up half of the state’s general revenue fund and 10% of all state expenditures.
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Morrisey is scheduled to present his budget accounting for the deficits on Wednesday during his State of the State address. He will be recommending the Legislature consolidate several state agencies, along with other cost-saving measures.
“When they were cutting the taxes, I said, ‘Please continue to cut the taxes, but we must pay for them,’ ” the governor said at a news briefing after taking office. “The taxes have not been paid for.”
West Virginia is one of at least nine states to cut personal income taxes
With budgets bolstered by federal COVID-19 dollars, at least nine states including West Virginia have passed a personal income tax cut since 2021. Supporters say the cuts will boost states’ economies, making them more attractive to business. Others tell a different story.
The progressive-leaning Center on Budget and Policy Priorities has warned that expiring federal aid, along with costly new school voucher programs in many states, could lead to challenges funding baseline services like public education, health care and transportation.
“It’s kind of the perfect storm,” said Kelly Allen, executive director of the West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy, part of the center’s national network. “All of the spending and tax cuts are starting to hit the budget at the same time that those temporary revenue factors helped us make the case for the tax cuts have subsided.”
Justice — a coal baron and former billionaire who faced a slew of court challenges because of unpaid debts, fines and threats of foreclosure on his dozens of businesses while governor — was repeatedly criticized during his administration for purposefully underfunding agencies and low-balling revenue estimates to create false surpluses.
Meanwhile, he signed laws that are projected to increase in cost over the years: the $1 billion-a-year tax cuts and the Hope Scholarship. One of the country’s most open-ended school savings account programs, the Hope Scholarship has no income requirements.
Justice calls governor’s budget statement ‘crazy talk’
Justice, who recently started work in Washington after being elected to the seat of now-retired Independent U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin, dismissed Morrisey’s comments as “crazy-talk” in an interview with WCHS-TV, saying he didn’t believe it.
“If I thought we were going to have a $400 million deficit, my hair would be on fire,” Justice told the television station.
Justice and other leaders have pointed to $400 million set aside in a special reserve fund specifically designed to operate a safety net to cover shortfalls caused by the tax cuts. Justice is also leaving office with $1.3 billion in the rainy day fund, which contained less than half a million dollars went he came into office, also during a time of projected deficits.
His statements were backed up by state Treasurer Larry Pack and the House and Senate presidents, who said they were all surprised by Morrisey’s announcement. House Speaker Roger Hanshaw told reporters last week he isn’t sure West Virginia is facing a budgetary crisis.
“We don’t share the belief that we’re in quite the same budgetary situation that others have suggested we are,” Hanshaw said.
Justice claims credit for turning state’s finances around
Justice repeated a rags-to-riches tale often during his eight years as governor, which began in 2017 when he famously vetoed West Virginia’s budget — facing a $500 million deficit when he took office — by comparing it to literal bovine feces he brought to the state Capitol. Signing the final tax cut out of more than $1 billion over his two terms, he touted years of flat budgets and record billion-dollar surpluses by unveiling the same platter he used in 2017, now topped with gold.
“Look what we got here today,” he said. “The cow dung went away, and today we’ve got gold bars.”
Justice said cutting taxes would spur business growth and economic revitalization in one of the nation’s poorest states, which has been hit hard by the opioid epidemic and lost coal industry jobs. He signed a 21.25% personal income tax cut in 2023, followed by an additional 6% in cuts finalized this past summer.
Justice was accused repeatedly during his administration of underfunding state agencies to maintain flat budgets and create false surpluses, then calling lawmakers back to the Capitol for special sessions to pass supplemental appropriations bills.
Morrisey, who served as the state’s Attorney General before he was elected governor in November, said his projected deficit is the product of years of relying on federal dollars and using one-time money to fund ongoing expenses. Part of the $400 million hole includes the state having to come up with $153 million to cover Medicaid, a program that insures nearly one-third of all West Virginians, Morrisey said. Other costs include funding or state employees’ health insurance and education.
The governor said rainy-day funding should be kept on hold for emergencies, not used to pay for baseline expenses. Justice’s “flat budgets” never existed, he said.
“We can’t rob Peter to pay Paul and push all the bills to future generations,” Morrisey said.
West Virginia
West Virginia health system plans to acquire 5 Pa. hospitals | Chief Healthcare Executive
The Independence Health System in western Pennsylvania has decided it’s better to join forces with a partner.
The West Virginia University Health System has announced plans to acquire Independence, which operates five hospitals in western Pennsylvania.
The WVU Health System also says it will invest $800 million over the next five years to improve Independence’s hospitals and expand clinical services. Regulators must approve the deal, but officials say they hope to complete the transaction in the fall of 2026.
Albert L. Wright, Jr., president and CEO of the West Virginia University Health System, said in a statement that he’s looking forward to adding Independence’s five hospitals to the system.
“Today marks the beginning of what I’m confident will be an exciting and rewarding journey, one grounded in our shared commitment to our mission, our patients, and the communities we serve,” Wright said.
Independence serves more than 750,000 residents across 10 counties in western Pennsylvania, just outside the city of Pittsburgh. Its service area isn’t far from the Pennsylvania-West Virginia border.
The system operates Butler Memorial Hospital, Clarion Hospital, Frick Hospital, Latrobe Hospital and Westmoreland Hospital. The five hospitals have a combined total of 925 beds, with Westmoreland (349 beds) and Butler (249 beds) being the largest. Independence employs more than 7,000 workers.
Independence leaders touted the benefits of joining a strong academic health system. Ken DeFurio, president and CEO of Independence Health System, said joining the WVU Health System helps ensure the system’s long-term viability.
“This is a transformational moment for our organization as we take this first, critical step toward building a new future with a nearby health system that shares our values and is community focused,” DeFurio said in a statement.
He praised the WVU Health System as “a progressive and innovative health system that has a proven track record in making deep investments in its people, clinical programs, and infrastructure.”
For his part, Wright said he appreciated Independence’s leaders “for the trust they are placing in us to ensure their five hospitals continue to serve as community pillars and beacons of hope for generations to come.”
Independence Health System faces two large competitors in western Pennsylvania: UPMC and the Allegheny Health Network. And both systems have been growing.
Independence was created in 2023 with the merger of the Butler Health System and Excela Health, forming a system with $1 billion in revenue.
The WVU Health System
The system is also in the midst of building
West Virginia men’s basketball takes on Xavier in the third-place game of the Shriners Children’s Charleston Classic on Sunday afternoon.
The Mountaineers will be looking to bounce back after suffering their first loss of the season in the opening round of the event against Clemson.
Here is everything you need to know for the game:
WVU basketball vs. Xavier game information
WVU basketball vs. Xavier matchup preview
Xavier fell to undefeated Georgia in its first game of the event by just one point, 78-77. A three-pointer with 11 seconds left gave the Bulldogs the lead and Xavier’s All Wright missed a last-second jump shot.
Tre Carroll and Jovan Milicevic led Xavier in that game with 19 points each. Carroll made it a double-double with 10 rebounds. Wright scored 17 and Filip Borovicanin had a 12-point, 12-rebound double-double. Milicevic made five three-pointers, while Wright added four.
Carroll has been the team’s leading scorer, averaging 15.7 points per game, with Roddie Anderson III coming off the bench to add 13 points per game. Anderson was held to four points in 19 minutes against Georgia.
West Virginia suffered a similar fate in its first-round game, falling at the very end to Clemson. The Tigers took the lead with 30 seconds left and led by three when Brenen Lorient opted for a wide-open dunk rather than try to tie the game with 11 seconds left.
Honor Huff led the Mountaineers with 17 points, while Jasper Floyd added 17. Chance Moore scored 16 with five rebounds, two blocks and two steals in his season debut after sitting out the first five games due to eligibility requirements.
Huff leads WVU in scoring, averaging 17.2 points per game. Lorient averaged 11.3 points and seven rebounds, while Floyd averaged 10.5 points and 4.2 assists.
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West Virginia
Trump Administration’s approval of West Virginia’s broadband development plan announced by Governor Morrisey
CHARLESTON, WV (WVNS) — Governor Patrick Morrisey announced that West Virginia’s broadband development plan was approved by the Trump Administration.
According to a press release, the Trump Administration’s approval of West Virginia’s broadband development plan, which will help the Mountain State connect more than 73,000 additional locations to reliable high speed internet services, was announced by Governor Morrisey on Friday, November 21, 2025.
This technological upgrade will connect every corner of West Virginia and facilitate the jobs and opportunities needed to move forward. We’ve worked closely with the Trump administration to secure this historic investment and are proud to provide these possibilities to the people of West Virginia.
The press release stated that the investment will help strengthen rural communities, support long-term economic growth, and expand opportunities throughout the Mountain State.
Congratulations to West Virginia on the approval of its BEAD Final Proposal—an important milestone in the state’s path toward universal connectivity. Under the Benefit of the Bargain reforms, West Virginia generated a savings of 43 percent, bringing costs down from $959 million under the last administration to $545 million today.
I appreciate the work of Governor Morrisey, West Virginia’s Office of Broadband, and the providers across the state for truly sharpening their pencils and delivering for their state.
- Arielle Roth | Assistant Secretary for Communications and Information and NTIA Administrator
According to the press release, the broadband initiative is part of West Virginia’s planned investment, overseen by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), in the state’s energy sector, rural health transformation, and manufacturing growth. The plan aims to help offer stronger and more reliable internet to students, families, healthcare providers, and businesses.
We’re going to continue working closely with the Trump administration and NTIA to ensure that this is just the beginning. With additional investments in energy, health care, and technology, West Virginia is positioned to use this new broadband access to make major strides in our standard of living and economic strength.
This is going to help so many West Virginians – making lives easier and services more accessible in their everyday lives. We’re talking about expanded telehealth opportunities in rural areas, online tutoring and education courses for students, and streaming with the family all together on movie night.
This investment is a remarkable development for our business community. Now, more businesses will have the ability to take mobile payments, connect with customers online, and find the talent they need to grow. Any business exploring a move to West Virginia will expect and appreciate such a critical investment in our infrastructure.
The press release stated that the approved plan for the Mountain State included almost $546 million for 142 deployment projects, which will help connect 73,044 unserved and underserved locations across West Virginia. Other allowed uses for the funds is being reviewed by the NTIA, and updated guidance will be released at a later date.
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