As federal SNAP benefits face uncertainty due to recent federal rulings, Louisiana is stepping forward to bridge the gap for some of its residents.
JUANA SUMMERS, HOST:
The situation surrounding federal food assistance benefits is precarious for over 40 million Americans, following a couple of federal rulings issued last Friday. Louisiana, alongside Oregon, ranks second highest in the nation for per capita SNAP recipients. In response to potential disruptions in SNAP benefits, the Republican-led legislature in Louisiana has initiated its own food assistance program utilizing its rainy day fund. However, as Brooke Thorington from Baton Rouge’s WRKF reports, not all recipients will benefit from this initiative next month.
BROOKE THORINGTON, BYLINE: Louisiana’s Republican governor, Jeff Landry, emphasizes the state’s commitment to its residents in light of federal funding issues for SNAP.
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JEFF LANDRY: When you’re not fiscally responsible, when you don’t understand how to ensure that you have money for a rainy day, then you can’t act when it rains.
THORINGTON: While other states are channeling funds to food banks, Louisiana has allocated $150 million from its $2.7 billion rainy day fund to support SNAP for November. Beneficiaries will have these funds added to their benefit cards. Governor Landry did not miss the chance to highlight his criticism of Democrats in Washington as he announced this measure.
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LANDRY: Understand that what we’re doing is historic. It has never been done. We’ve never had to be – placed in this situation. And any mistake that we make is Chuck Schumer’s fault.
THORINGTON: Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer has indicated his support for bipartisan short-term funding bills for SNAP. However, Louisiana’s temporary measure includes a stipulation: only elderly, disabled, or households with children will receive November funds. Governor Landry explained this exclusion in a local TV station interview.
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LANDRY: But there’s going to be about 53,000 people who won’t have their cards loaded. Those are able-bodied people that we need to send to food banks.
THORINGTON: While this approach leaves some without benefits, Louisiana remains one of the few Southern states, including Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, and Mississippi, to offer such assistance. These states currently lack government food aid. Many food banks, including those in Louisiana, have been called upon by the governor to assist, despite facing shortages themselves.
JAYNE WRIGHT-VELEZ: The food banks are critically low on inventory. We’ve already been assisting lots of federal workers who are working without pay.
THORINGTON: Jayne Wright-Velez, the executive director of the Food Bank of Central Louisiana, highlights the disparity in assistance scale.
WRIGHT-VELEZ: For every meal that we provide, SNAP provides nine. And so that’s just an illustration of scale for you.
THORINGTON: This week, lawmakers nearly unanimously approved the emergency funding. State Senate President Cameron Henry believes the cross-party support underscores the broad demographic reliance on SNAP in the state.
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CAMERON HENRY: So that our friends in D.C. can appreciate what we’re doing. Those individuals are not all white or Black, and they’re not all Republican or Democrat. And how do I know that? ‘Cause look at who they elected. Regina Barrow has 29,000 beneficiaries…
THORINGTON: Henry pointed out bipartisan state lawmakers representing districts with significant SNAP recipient numbers.
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HENRY: So you’re – try not to put Ds and Rs on this. It ain’t going work ’cause their representatives show you that.
THORINGTON: Despite the ongoing federal shutdown, Henry assures that Louisiana will continue to support its most vulnerable SNAP beneficiaries.
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HENRY: Until D.C. gets organized, straight, sane, whatever you want to call it, their problems have now become ours. That’s fine. That’s why we’re elected, and we’ll fix them.
THORINGTON: Reporting for NPR, I’m Brooke Thorington in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
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