WV Governor Patrick Morrisey seeks waiver request to remove soda from SNAP
BECKLEY, WV (WVNS) – The opening of a soda bottle is a sound many Americans are familiar with.
The bottles are also recognizable and drinking one is a common occurrence.
Removing these from the SNAP program is also Governor Patrick Morrisey's latest move in Charleston.
Governor Morrisey announced last week, Tuesday May 20th, that he submitted a SNAP waiver request. The request is to remove soda and add healthy food under the program.
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This waiver could impact the nearly two hundred and eighty thousand West Virginians under SNAP.
'More SNAP money is spent on sugary drinks than any other food commodity in the program. Given that sugary beverages have little or no nutritional value, they are not improving the diet of individuals in the SNAP program.'
Mark Schoeberl, Executive Vice President of Advocacy, American Heart Association
This waiver is part of Governor Morrisey's 'Four Pillars of a Healthy West Virginia.'
Mark Schoeberl is the executive vice president for advocacy of the American Heart Association.
He said the fight for reducing the consumption of sugary beverages has been going on for the past few decades.
'The excess consumption of sugar in our diet is contributing to weight gain, to the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, and type 2 diabetes.'
Mark Schoeberl, Executive Vice President of Advocacy, American Heart Association
This waiver comes after changes in several other states.
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This includes Nebraska, who last week banned SNAP recipients from getting soda and energy drinks.
'We believe other states will follow. We would ultimately encourage the Department of Agriculture and Secretary Rollins to consider making it a policy nationwide.'
Mark Schoeberl, Executive Vice President of Advocacy, American Heart Association
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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Though it might be too early to assess the ultimate impact of the L.A. unrest, Schnur suggested that all of the most prominent politicians in the drama might have accomplished their messaging goals: Trump motivated his base and diverted attention from his nasty feud with his former top advisor, Elon Musk, and the lack of progress on peace talks with Russia and Ukraine. Newsom 'effectively unified the state and elevated his national profile' by taking on Trump. And Bass, under tough scrutiny for her handling of the city's wildfire disaster, has also gotten a chance to use Trump as a foil. What was not disputed was that Trump's rapid deployment of the National Guard, without the approval of Newsom, had little precedent. And sending the Marines to L.A. was an even more extreme approach, with experts saying challenges to the deployment would test the limits of Trump's power. 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