Morrisey formally requests WV’s food stamp program no longer pay for soda

West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey has formally asked the federal government to disallow the state’s food assistance program from paying for soda. Morrisey submitted a request for a waiver to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program to make the change, the governor announced in a video message Tuesday.

“For a long time I’ve talked about the fact that SNAP — the N should stand for nutrition,” Morrisey said. “Well, now it’s going to, even more than you’ve seen in the past. We’re promoting healthy bundles. That’s fresh produce and lean meat, and good opportunities for some hot foods for West Virginians for some products that you’ve never been able to have before.”

Morrisey first announced the SNAP proposal during an event in March with federal Health and Human Services secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has promoted the idea of states prohibiting SNAP from covering soda. 

In addition to prohibiting the purchase of soda, the waiver would allow recipients to use SNAP to purchase some hot foods served from grocery store delis,  a spokesman for Morrisey said. Those foods do not include those that are breaded, deep-fried, or “smothered in cream sauces,” deputy press secretary Drew Galang said. Eligible food items would include rotisserie chicken, meatloaf, barbeque ribs, pulled pork or BBQ brisket, shepherd’s pie, and pot roast, among others.

The SNAP changes are part of a statewide health initiative Morrisey called the “Four Pillars of a Healthy West Virginia.” Other pillars included prohibiting the sale of certain food dyes in the state, and the “Mountaineer Mile,” challenge to walk at least a mile a day.

Legislation similar to the SNAP change was introduced during the 2025 regular session, but went nowhere. House Bill 2350 would have required the state to submit a SNAP waiver so that the program could disallow coverage of soda and candy. Opponents of the bill expressed concerns it would hurt local grocery stores, particularly near the state border, by causing SNAP recipients to use their assistance to buy the sweets in stores across state lines.

One in six West Virginians, or approximately 277,000 residents, rely on the SNAP program for food assistance, according to the West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy. The program is paid for by the federal government’s Department of Agriculture and administered through the state.