Idaho Senate Republicans shot down the state’s welfare budget Thursday morning, saying taxpayers should not cover extra food benefits for children from low-income families during the summer months.
Families whose children qualify for federal free or reduced cost lunch programs would’ve gotten about $40 a month under the program.
It would’ve cost the state roughly $545,000 to pay for half the administrative costs. Federal funds would've covered the vast majority of the $16.3 million initiative, which state officials anticipated to cover about 136,000 Idaho children.
Items eligible for purchase would’ve followed SNAP, or food stamps, guidelines. Recipients would’ve been able to use these funds through a similar debit card system.
“This looks like ration cards to me,” said Sen. Ben Adams (R-Nampa), who grew up in former Soviet Union countries as the son of a missionary.
“The state will feed you, clothe you and shelter you, but there’s something in exchange,” Adams said.
The budget failed on a 10-25 vote.
“I don’t think we’re going to make them self-reliant. I think we’re going to make them government reliant,” said Sen. Glenneda Zuiderveld (R-Twin Falls).
Sen. Cindy Carlson (R-Riggins) echoed those feelings, saying they’re not requiring children receiving the benefits to work.
“I know we have some hungry kids and I would hope our communities would take care of those hungry kids,” Carlson said.
Senate Minority Leader Melissa Wintrow (D-Boise) said she’s disappointed by the narrative portrayed by GOP lawmakers during the debate.
“There are a lot of our kids, at no fault of their own, don’t have enough to eat and their nutrition lacks and we’re splitting hairs here on kids to eat over the summer,” Wintrow said.
Hunger advocates, including the Idaho Foodbank, have lobbied for the program since last year. In a letter to Gov. Brad Little, the Idaho Foodbank urged him to include the funding in his proposed budget to lawmakers.
While schools currently offer federal summer food programs on-site, the organization argues it mostly favors urban students who live nearby.
“Implementing these summer food programs is particularly challenging in rural areas because it requires families to travel to a specific location that is not always near their home,” Idaho Food Bank’s leadership wrote to Little last August.
Members of the Joint Finance and Appropriations Committee completely eliminated funding for the proposed program Thursday afternoon after Democrats and a handful of Republicans unsuccessfully tried to increase the program's budget to roughly $868,000.
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