Economy Story Archives - West Virginia Public Broadcasting

AmeriCorps Cuts Devastating For Local Service Projects, Appalachian Leaders Say

Trump’s Department of Governmental Efficiency has cut $400 million federally in funding for AmeriCorps, a volunteer workforce program. Appalachian community leaders are now speaking out.

Each year, AmeriCorps pays young workers across the country to partake in service projects — in West Virginia, ranging from community farming programs to housing support to after-school services.

Last year, the program connected nearly 3,000 service members with opportunities in the state. But organizers across the region say funding cuts to the federal agency place these programs at risk.

In April, the Trump administration placed the vast majority of federal AmeriCorps administrators on leave, and canceled roughly $400 million in grant funding to state and national partners through the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Twenty-five states have sued the presidential administration for what they call illegal gutting of the agency.

Outreach leaders for community service groups across Appalachia gathered for a virtual forum Thursday to discuss the funding cut’s impact, and to highlight their efforts to appeal Congress for a funding restoration.

Representatives from the Appalachian Citizens Law Center, Appalachian Voices, ReImagine Appalachia, West Virginia Rivers and the Town of Pound, Va. said the program cuts would devastate their outreach efforts, and cause them to fall short on addressing ongoing local needs.

On April 28, these groups sent a letter to ranking members of the appropriations committees of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives.

The letter identifies particular areas where organizers say funding must be protected, namely flood resiliency, workforce development and protection, family services, energy infrastructure, coal mine safety and economic development.

“Our work is bipartisan. Every day Appalachian communities work across political differences to find common ground; rebuild our economies; update dangerous, outdated infrastructure and create a stronger foundation for the future,” the letter reads. “These investments should be protected from cuts and freezes, and the agencies implementing these programs must be properly funded and staffed.”

During the virtual forum, Dana Kuhnline, program director for ReImagine Appalachia, said the cuts hit economically disadvantaged regions like Appalachia particularly hard. Her organization focuses on areas like workforce development and clean energy.

“It’s particularly ironic and frustrating that it’s coming from a lot of folks on the federal level who would say that they’re doing it for the coal industry, when you have all these communities that are getting hit now doubly by the downturn of the coal industry and these sort of erratic and illegal funding cancellations,” Kuhnline said.

Kevin Zedack serves as government affairs specialist for Appalachian Voices, a group that focuses on things like clean energy, environmental protection and workforce development in central Appalachia.

On a broad level, Zedack said the congressional response in Appalachia to funding cuts for community service programs like AmeriCorps has been growing.

“Depending on the program, we have heard from members of Congress that there is concern about restoring some of these programs,” he said.

Zedack noted that Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., and Rep. Riley Moore, R-W.Va., have called for a restoration of jobs at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), which researches things like black lung disease in miners. The agency falls outside the scope of AmeriCorps, but Zedack emphasized that NIOSH provides crucial support to the region.

“There are folks who are willing to have those conversations,” Zedack said. “I think as we see the large impacts of some of these decisions more members of Congress will come forward and start advocating for those as we enter the appropriations process.”

Read the letter to Congress in full:

2025_AmeriCorps Letter Download

Revisiting Morgantown’s Camping Ban, Mine Safety Advocates Face Obstacles, This West Virginia Morning

On this West Virginia Morning, we take a closer look at the camping ban Morgantown passed Tuesday, plus why a mine safety agency has mine worker advocates feeling hindered.

On this West Virginia Morning, we take a deeper look at the Tuesday vote to uphold a camping ban on public property in Morgantown, which purports to address homelessness. As Chris Schulz reports, the final vote was viewed as a win for some, but a major loss for others.

Also in this episode, a federal court has blocked the rollout of new coal mine safety requirements. Now, Justin Hicks with Kentucky Public Radio reports that the agency tasked with overseeing mine safety rules is keeping mine worker advocates out of the fight.

West Virginia Morning is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting, which is solely responsible for its content.

Support for our news bureaus comes from Shepherd University and Marshall University School of Journalism and Mass Communications.

Maria Young produced this episode.

Listen to West Virginia Morning weekdays at 7:43 a.m. on WVPB Radio or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. #WVMorning

More Coal To Make Electricity Could Mean Higher Bills In Coal Country

Trump wants the country to increase coal production, save coal-fired power plants from retirement and reopen closed ones.

President Donald Trump wants the country to use more coal, a fuel utilities have turned away from in recent decades. One exception: West Virginia, which produces and consumes a lot of coal. That’s made electricity more expensive there. Some residents have turned to alternative ways to power and heat their homes.

Mary West is an Army veteran who lives in Beckley, in southern West Virginia’s coalfield. She used to work in the mines locally, in about 1980.

West called it hard and dangerous work. An injury put an end to her brief career in mining.

“They released me to go back to work, and I told them I was not going to go back, because the Lord hid it underground for a reason, and didn’t intend for my crazy butt to keep going down there, finding it,” she said.

Her past in coal isn’t obvious when looking at her red-brick home. The roof is lined with solar panels. Most months, she pays nothing for electricity.

For others, it’s a struggle. Tom Moseley is a retired postal worker.

“Most families in Raleigh County are living to pay bills,” he said. “They can’t go out and enjoy life. They can’t go out and spend money at the movies. Every dollar they make is to pay their bills.”

‘They’re Too Expensive’

86% of West Virginia’s power comes from coal. But coal has become one of the most expensive ways to generate electricity. That’s why West Virginia ranks 49th in the country in electricity affordability in a review of 2020 data.

Trump wants the country to increase coal production, save coal-fired power plants from retirement and reopen closed ones.

Chris Hamilton is president of the West Virginia Coal Association. He wants the state to double its coal production to a level it had before natural gas displaced coal.

“We think under this new political leadership and with the industries and government working hand in hand,” he said, “we can get back to that 165 million tons of coal.”

He says with power plants burning more coal, they should become more efficient, which in turn could lower electricity costs.

Other state leaders say coal is needed to power the growth of data centers. West Virginia Republican Sen. Shelley Moore Capito was at the White House when Trump championed coal.

“It also helps us with that baseload energy that we so much need when we hear about energy shortages for AI, data centers and the creation of a more electrified economy,” she said.

So far, West Virginia’s major utilities haven’t committed to using more coal, saying it could raise costs for customers. They say new electricity demand would be met with natural gas or wind and solar.

Dennis Wamsted, an analyst at the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis. He says Trump’s policies, at most, delay the closure of some coal fired power plants.

Utilities plan for the next 40 years, he says, not the next four.

“I do not see a coal plant, a new coal plant ever being built in the United States,” Wamsted said. “They’re too expensive.”

A $500 Bill

The major utility in southern West Virginia, Appalachian Power, is asking regulators to raise rates to make up for inflation and storm repair costs. Residents, meanwhile, are finding ways to save money.

Gary Bolen, a disabled Navy veteran who lives on a fixed income, tries to use power sparingly.

“I keep my thermostat set at 65 so I don’t have a power bill that high,” he said.

And he switched his heating source.

“I had to transfer it over to gas because the electric heat was running way too high,” Bolen said. “At one time, I had a $500 bill.”

West, the former coal miner, says she’d encourage anyone to switch to solar in West Virginia.

“Well, you know, God’s sun is out every day,” she said.

State regulators will consider Appalachian Power’s rate increase this summer.

Mary West has solar panels on her rooftop. Most months, she pays nothing for electricity.

FEMA Denies 7 Counties Individual Aid For Destructive February Flooding

The governor announced Tuesday night that FEMA denied his request for individual disaster aid to residents of Boone, Cabell, Greenbrier, Kanawha, Lincoln, Monroe and Summers counties affected by February’s severe flooding.

When flash flooding struck the region in early February, it claimed at least 27 lives between West Virginia and Kentucky, leaving widespread infrastructure damage in its wake.

Nearly two months later, federal aid dollars have been slow to roll out, even as some of the state’s poorest counties continue to feel the flooding’s effect. Now, some residents affected by the severe weather event have learned they do not qualify for federal financial support.

Gov. Patrick Morrisey announced Tuesday night that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) had denied his request for individualized disaster aid to affected residents of Boone, Cabell, Greenbrier, Kanawha, Lincoln, Monroe and Summers counties.

FEMA’s individual assistance program can cover costs for things like housing repairs and immediate emergency needs.

The governor’s office said FEMA also denied a request for public assistance dollars for Cabell and Kanawha counties. FEMA’s public assistance program helps local governments cover repair costs for things like roadways and public infrastructure.

Morrisey said he “will look at all options” to appeal FEMA’s decision in a press release Tuesday.

After the flooding incident, the governor requested FEMA aid for 14 West Virginia counties. The funding for seven counties had been approved, but Morrisey said in March he still awaited a response on the remaining counties.

“Despite today’s notification, I am grateful to the Trump administration for their strong support for southern West Virginia’s recovery following the February floods,” Morrisey said in the press release. FEMA aid requests must receive final approval from the president’s office.

Before this week, the agency had already approved individual assistance for residents of Logan, McDowell, Mercer, Mingo, Raleigh, Wayne and Wyoming counties.

Additionally, the agency has granted Boone, Greenbrier, Lincoln, Logan, McDowell, Mercer, Mingo, Monroe, Raleigh, Summers, Wayne and Wyoming counties access to public assistance funds.

For residents of these counties, the deadline to apply for individual aid through FEMA is fast approaching. These funds can only be used on costs not already covered by insurance.

Residents of Logan, McDowell, Mercer, Mingo, Raleigh, Wayne and Wyoming counties have less than one week to apply for individual assistance over the February floods. Applications are due April 28, and can be submitted through the FEMA website.

For in-person support, residents can also visit four disaster recovery centers in West Virginia, located in McDowell, Mingo, Raleigh, and Wyoming counties. Visit the FEMA website to learn more.

Tariffs Impact Agriculture And W.Va. Poet Releases Book, This West Virginia Morning

On this West Virginia Morning, we look at the impact trade tariffs could have on farmers, and hear about a recent poetry book released by a Webster County native.

On this West Virginia Morning, some farmers in neighboring Kentucky are worried about the impact tariffs spearheaded by President Donald Trump could have on their earnings. As Lily Burris with member station WKMS reports, that is because trade wars cost the state’s farmers nearly $3 billion in revenue during Trump’s first term.

Plus, Torli Bush is originally from Webster Springs, but his writing has reached well beyond Webster County. The rising voice in the Black Appalachian poetry scene released a new book this winter, “Requiem for a Redbird,” and gave Bill Lynch with Inside Appalachia the details.

West Virginia Morning is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting, which is solely responsible for its content.

Support for our news bureaus comes from Shepherd University and Marshall University School of Journalism and Mass Communications.

Maria Young produced this episode.

Listen to West Virginia Morning weekdays at 7:43 a.m. on WVPB Radio or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. #WVMorning

Morrisey Signs State Budget Into Law, But Cuts Millions Proposed By Legislature

The governor signed off a bill setting the state’s budget for fiscal year 2026, but cut some funding allocations that lawmakers had approved earlier this month.

After extensive review during this year’s legislative session, the state budget for fiscal year 2026 — beginning July 1 — received the governor’s stamp of approval Thursday.

But the version Gov. Patrick Morrisey signed into law strikes several funding allocations that lawmakers agreed upon when passing House Bill 2026. The governor gets a final review on bills before they become law, during which he can sign them into effect, veto them or let them pass into law by default.

Shortly after taking office in January, Morrisey’s office projected the state would experience a roughly $400 million budget deficit for the upcoming fiscal year, a figure they said could rise in future years.

Morrisey has attributed this to his predecessor, former Gov. Jim Justice, using one-time funding sources for ongoing expenses like Medicaid instead of finding long-term funding sources. Justice has denied the existence of a budget shortfall.

In a letter to Secretary of State Kris Warner outlining his objections to the legislature-passed budget, Morrisey repeatedly cited a need for “conservative budget planning” and “fiscal responsibility” in his reasoning for cutting certain areas of funding.

“It is imperative that we take steps to limit new spending,” Morrisey wrote.

In his final version of the state budget for fiscal year 2026, Morrisey changed budget amounts approved by the West Virginia Legislature as follows:

Economic Development Project Fund: eliminated new funding entirely, which would have totaled $75 million.
Road maintenance through the State Road Fund: reduced by $25 million to a final figure of $675.2 million new funds.
Division of Highways surplus fund: reduced by $25 million to a final figure of $100 million new funds.
Water Development Authority: eliminated new funding entirely, which would have totaled $10 million.
West Virginia Department of Health, current expenses: cut by $3 million, more than half its funding provisions.
Ronald McDonald House of Morgantown: cut by $3 million.
A new computer science education program: cut by $1.4 million, removing most of the $2 million allocated to it by lawmakers.
Court-appointed special advocates for youth experiencing alleged abuse or neglect: reduced by $800,000, leaving just $300,000 allocated from the bill next fiscal year.
Public transit federal funds/grant match: reduced by $500,000.
Ongoing library expense funds: reduced by $500,000, or roughly one-third of their allocated dollar amount.
Martinsburg Berkeley Public Library: reduced by $500,000, or one-third of their allocated dollar amount.
Military College Advisory Council Fund, which aimed to take steps toward establishing a military college in West Virginia: eliminated all $293,500 in funding. Morrisey said this should fall under capital projects overseen by the Higher Education Policy Commission.
Safe Schools program: reduced by $200,000, with an additional $200,000 cut for “school mapping services.”
Mountain State Digital Literacy Program: reduced by $300,000.
Tourism industry development: reduced by $300,000.
Green Acres Regional Center in Cabell County: had $300,000 in funding eliminated entirely, as Morrisey said no supporting documentation was included to justify this expense in the legislature’s bill.
Mountwood Park in Wood County: had $300,000 in funding eliminated entirely, as Morrisey said no supporting documentation was included to justify this expense in the legislature’s bill.
Lily’s Place, a residential treatment center for substance use disorder in Cabell County: $250,000 to be provided through the Cabell County Commission eliminated entirely.
West Virginia University College of Law: new funding of $250,000 eliminated entirely.
LPN to BSN nursing program at West Virginia State University: new funding of $250,000 eliminated entirely.
Tuition contract program from the Higher Education Policy Commission: reduced by $208,000.
Nursing homes for veterans under the Department of Veterans’ Assistance: reduced by $187,650.
Trooper classes for West Virginia State Police: reduced by $161,172 after “consultation” with the agency.
In-home family education services funding for the West Virginia Division of Human Services: reduced by $100,000.
Local economic development assistance: reduced by $100,000. Morrisey said this funding source had money left over from previous years, and that executive-branch funding resources should share the weight of budget constraints for the coming fiscal year.
Willow Bend Agricultural Innovation Center in Monroe County: stripped of the entire $100,000 set aside by lawmakers because Morrisey argued this funding was needed by Agriculture Commissioner Kent Leonhardt. Morrisey instructed Leonhardt to help the center identify other funding resources, he said.
Math Counts educational program: had its entire $50,000 allocation eliminated.

These dollar amounts refer to the difference in budget allotments lawmakers had set aside for each program and the final figures Morrisey approved Thursday. They may not indicate an actual loss in money for each program, but rather a reduction in how much new funding each program will receive.

“I am hesitant to add funding to programs when the future challenges of West Virginia’s budget make it imperative that a cautious and prudent approach be taken,” Morrisey wrote in his letter to Warner.

Morrisey also struck language that would have prohibited the West Virginia Department of Human Services from transferring general revenue dollars between certain funding pools within the department.

The governor wrote that he was advised this would be “overly burdensome and restrictive” for the department, and that striking the language would help it more “efficiently allocate resources.”