West Virginia asks for waiver to remove soda from SNAP
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WBOY) — West Virginia has officially submitted a request for a waiver to remove soft drinks from its Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) offerings.
SNAP, commonly known as food stamps, currently only restricts the purchase of alcohol, tobacco and hot foods. Gov. Patrick Morrisey has said that he is moving for reforms in SNAP as part of his 'Four Pillars of a Healthy West Virginia,' but he officially announced on Tuesday that he has formally submitted the waiver request to remove soft drinks.
This comes just hours after the first such waiver was granted in to the State of Nebraska.
Governors in Iowa, Arkansas, Indiana, Kansas and Colorado are considering requesting similar waivers, according to The Hill.
Correctional officers union pays for billboards calling out West Virginia politicians
Morrisey said in a press release that he also plans to make other SNAP changes in the future, including updating the program's working requirement and making healthy food more affordable.
In a press conference with U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. back in March, Morrisey said that he wants to 'to expand work, training and educational requirements for SNAP benefits' and provide what he called 'healthy bundles' of more affordable healthy foods.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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