West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy

06/10/2026

Earlier this year, Governor Morrisey announced plans for the state’s first certified “high impact data center.” Penzance Management’s $4 billion “Bedington Campus” would be located in Berkeley County, housing a data center and potentially other IT-related services. Many questions remain about the benefit to Berkeley County residents, as well as West Virginians more broadly. A private $4 billion investment for corporate profit is not the same as a public investment in our people, particularly given state lawmakers have enacted multiple tax breaks and special tax treatment for data centers that reduce the tax revenue data center developments will bring to the counties they are in. In addition, tax revenue estimates seem to be overstated, with counties and local public services losing out yet again.

The Berkeley County Penzance project would be the first in the state to receive certification under 2025’s HB 2014, which eliminates the legal jurisdiction of counties and municipalities over “High Impact Data Centers” except for narrow, explicitly granted areas including municipal fire and police protection and collection of nominal local fees and taxes. What’s more, the legislation allows the state to seize most of the local property tax revenue generated from them to be redistributed for state priorities.

While citizens and lawmakers in West Virginia have experienced a lack of transparency over data centers and the impacts of HB 2014, Penzance appears to have been given a detailed property tax distribution breakdown of the proposed project according to a flyer they are distributing. According to their flyer citing the West Virginia State Tax Commissioner, the annual property tax revenue generated from the Bedington Campus would total approximately $94 million. Without the seizure and redistribution of property tax revenue under HB 2014, Berkeley County Schools would have collected $30 million from their regular school levy and $43 million from their excess and bond levies, for a total of $73 million. The Berkely County Commission would have received $21 million.

But tnder the Special Rules for the Tax Distribution of High Impact Data Centers under HB 2014 according to the Penzance flyer, Berkeley County Schools will receive none of the $30 million collected from their regular levy, all of which would be seized by the state. Berkeley County Schools keep only their excess and bond levy revenue, losing the $30 million from their regular levy. The Berkeley County Commission loses $5.5 million, receiving just $15.5 million of the $21 million they would have received without HB 2014.

The amount of revenue generated by the Bedington Campus may be overstated for several reasons, but regardless of the size and eventual property tax revenue generated from a data center, the funding seized by the state will take away a key source of local funding that could otherwise have gone toward strengthening our neighborhood schools and other local public services.

Learn more in our new blog post: https://wvpolicy.org/berkeley-county-loses-out-on-tens-of-millions-in-property-tax-revenue-with-data-center-tax-scheme/

06/10/2026

The new ALICE Report is here.

Behind every statistic is a neighbor, coworker, friend, or family member working hard to make ends meet. The latest data provides a powerful look at the financial challenges facing households across our region and why community solutions matter.

Explore the report and learn more: https://unitedforalice.org/West-Virginia

06/09/2026

Nearly 20 years ago, an influential book by economist Russ Sobel claimed that, by re-tooling its economy toward “economic freedom” and “free-market capitalism,” West Virginia could generate stronger economic growth and well-being.

“Fast forward to today, most of the policies [advocated by Sobel] have become law, but the promised prosperity and economic growth have been largely absent,” Ted Boettner writes in an editorial for West Virginia Watch.

The state has doubled down on lowering corporate taxes and hamstringing unions with right-to-work laws and a repeal of prevailing wage law. It’s also cut public services, promoted private schools, and enacted work requirements for Medicaid and SNAP.

But over the last 20 years, West Virginia has not gained a single net new job. In fact, the state has lost 5,000 jobs from 2006 to 2025—the only state to lose jobs over this period. GDP growth has stagnated, and West Virginia continues to rank near the bottom in health, education, household income, and other measures of wellbeing.

“It may be time for the state to pursue a different path—one that makes long-term investments in people and places, providing a foundation upon which genuine economic growth can thrive,” Boettner concludes. “If we invest in the workforce, fix the infrastructure, strengthen the schools, and build a better quality of life, businesses may come because it actually makes sense.”

More: https://westvirginiawatch.com/2026/05/25/unleashing-degrowth-in-west-virginia/

06/09/2026

Medicaid and SNAP are essential to families, jobs, hospitals, and local economies across West Virginia:
- Nearly 1 in 3 West Virginians rely on Medicaid for health coverage.
- More than 273,000 West Virginians participate in SNAP.
- Annually, these programs bring billions of federal dollars into communities across our state.

These investments help:
- Keep hospitals and clinics open
- Support grocery stores and retailers
- Sustain health care jobs
- Help families, seniors, and children stay healthy and fed.

Over the coming weeks, we’ll be sharing county-by-county data showing what these programs mean in communities across the Mountain State. These are federal dollars that flow directly into every county’s health care system, food economy, and workforce.

Learn more: https://tinyurl.com/37ucsc3j

06/08/2026

The 2026 KIDS COUNT® Data Book is out now! Produced in partnership with Annie E. Casey Foundation, this annual report provides trusted data on how children and families are faring in every state across the country.

This year’s enhanced KIDS COUNT index adds scores alongside rankings to better show where progress is happening and where kids need more support.

Download the report to explore the latest child well-being data and trends: https://bit.ly/26DataBook-FB

06/08/2026

In less than one month, programs serving children and families will be forced to pause and possibly cancel services in communities across West Virginia.

The new fiscal year begins July 1. The Department of Human Services has not released contracts for Family Support Centers, child care, clothing vouchers, Legal Aid, and more.

Please join us in telling Governor Morrisey to protect children in West Virginia and to process contracts for local programs as approved in the state budget bill that he signed into law nearly 3 months ago!

✨💙🌱 Every child deserves a safe, stable, nurturing environment.

Programs like Family Support Centers, child care assistance, clothing vouchers, and Legal Aid help make that possible.
They support families and create the stability children need to thrive.

Right now, these supports may be at risk.

👉🏾 Click here to take action and tell the Governor to protect these critical services—it only takes 60 seconds:
https://tinyurl.com/3fhwkbw3

Together, we can protect the resources that help families stay strong. 💪🏽

06/05/2026

"A team at the University of Michigan has created an online tool to track school closures and consolidations in West Virginia as the state is grappling with population decline and widespread school financial issues.

"Since 2011, 139 public schools have closed in West Virginia, and 62% of counties have closed at least one school. Many of the closures impacted elementary schools, and Weiland noted it has created long bus rides for little children across the state.

"The Together for Public Schools WV Coalition, made up of families, educators and community members, recently called for an immediate pause on school closures in West Virginia while lawmakers consider addressing the state’s antiquated school funding formula."

A team at the University of Michigan has created an online tool to track school closures and consolidations in West Virginia.

06/04/2026

"School closures and consolidations have impacted many areas in West Virginia, with nearly 20 schools currently at risk of closing their doors.

"Together for Public Schools West Virginia is a coalition that is now urging state lawmakers to put an immediate pause on school closures to give enough time to make changes to the school aid funding formula after no changes came from the legislative session.

"This year, state lawmakers spent $114,000 on a study regarding the current formula. Researchers recommended the state give more money to districts with higher numbers of students in special education and to put more constraints on the Hope Scholarship. Ultimately they did not use this feedback to push any bills across the finish line."

Together for Public Schools West Virginia is urging lawmakers to pause school closures to allow for changes to the school aid funding formula.

06/04/2026

"As new SNAP work requirements are going into effect across the country, advocates on the ground like Rhonda Rogombè are working to keep beneficiaries informed and avoid qualified recipients from being needlessly dropped from the rolls. Rogombè, health and safety net policy analyst for the West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy, has studied the impact of earlier work requirement increases put in place by the state and found they don’t increase employment."

Research conducted in MIngo and Cabell counties in West Virginia found barriers to employment in low-income communities negated the impact of SNAP work requirements.

06/03/2026

As the school year ends, 10 West Virginia public schools are preparing to close their doors for the last time.

School closures aren’t just about buildings. They mean losing access to meals, health services, extracurricular activities, and the community support that schools provide every day.

While lawmakers continue to expand the Hope Scholarship voucher program, our public schools remain funded through an outdated school funding formula that doesn’t meet the needs of our students, educators, or communities.

School may be out for the summer, but lawmakers’ responsibility to invest in public education is year-round. West Virginia students deserve strong, well-funded public schools in every community.

Learn more: https://wvpolicy.org/the-myth-of-harmless-school-vouchers-and-the-real-impact-on-public-schools/