News + Press
News + Press
News + Press
Gov. Morrisey Refuses to Release Report Showing Trump Bill Will Devastate West Virginia
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 22, 2025
Charleston, WV — The West Virginia Democratic Party today sharply criticized Governor Patrick Morrisey for his refusal to release a taxpayer-funded report prepared by the West Virginia Department of Revenue that analyzes the impact of President Donald Trump’s so-called “One Big Beautiful Bill” on West Virginia’s finances. With nearly 50 percent of West Virginia’s operating budget derived from federal funds, the state is uniquely vulnerable to deep federal spending cuts like those contained in Trump’s bill — cuts that threaten health care, food assistance, and core services for West Virginians.
State officials acknowledge the analysis exists, but have refused to make it public, invoking an internal-documents exemption in state law — even though the state Supreme Court has made clear that agencies may release such information to the public. Estimates from the West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy show West Virginia could be forced to spend an additional $7.5 million to administer SNAP, while a freeze on healthcare provider tax increases could cost the state at least $40 million for Medicaid, with the Kaiser Family Foundation warning the state stands to lose billions in federal Medicaid funding over time.
“Your tax dollars paid for the study, but Governor Morrisey doesn’t want you to see what you paid for,” said West Virginia Democratic Party Chair Mike Pushkin. “If the analysis showed that Trump’s bill helped West Virginia, you can bet Governor Morrisey would have released it. But instead of transparency — which Governor Morrisey and President Trump have both repeatedly promised — we get excuses and obfuscation. Just as the Epstein files have been redacted, the results of this study are likewise hidden. When it comes to transparency, Republicans are all talk.”
Pushkin also slammed actions by West Virginia Republicans that weakened independent oversight in state government — saying those changes paved the way for this kind of secrecy. “Democrats warned what would happen when Republicans passed legislation that basically abolishes the independence of the Legislative Auditor’s office and turned the watchdog office into a lapdog,” Pushkin said, referencing the 2024 legislative action moving control of the auditing office under the authority of the House Speaker and Senate President rather than preserving its independent role.
“West Virginians deserve honesty and accountability from their government,” Pushkin continued. “Not only did Republicans strip independence from the very offices meant to hold the government accountable, now Governor Morrisey is hiding a study that shows just how hard his allies in Washington want to hit our state. Transparency isn’t optional — it’s fundamental to a functioning democracy.”
The West Virginia Democratic Party again calls on Governor Morrisey to immediately release the full Department of Revenue analysis so the people of West Virginia can see the facts — and understand the real impact of reckless federal spending cuts on their families, communities, and state economy.
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