Not so Fast: Bill to stagger food stamps goes back to committee
BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Legislation that would spread food stamp distribution across 10 days each month has been pulled from the Senate and is headed back to committee for reconsideration.
Republican Sen. Lee Heider of Twin Falls asked fellow senators to return the bill late last week — just days in fact after the Senate Health and Welfare Committee approved it on a 6-3 vote.
Heider says the review will focus on making sure the fiscal costs are accurate.
The legislation — similar to a bill that failed last year — has the support of big grocers. Supporters say issuing food stamps just one day each months creates chaos, long lines and inventory problems at stores across the state.
The bill would spread the issuance of food stamps across the first 10 days.
Republican Sen. Lee Heider of Twin Falls asked fellow senators to return the bill late last week — just days in fact after the Senate Health and Welfare Committee approved it on a 6-3 vote.
Heider says the review will focus on making sure the fiscal costs are accurate.
The legislation — similar to a bill that failed last year — has the support of big grocers. Supporters say issuing food stamps just one day each months creates chaos, long lines and inventory problems at stores across the state.
The bill would spread the issuance of food stamps across the first 10 days.
I do not understand why our legislators are being influenced by the leading grocery retailers of this state. The bigger question should be why are there in excess of 230,000 Idahoans that actually need and or are qualified for food assistance in our State.  I do not believe that the Dept. of Health and Welfare should have to incur a cost of $600,000 to stagger the SNAP assistance when they are processing 10,000 new applications for food insecure citizens on a monthly basis. I know for a fact that one of the largest retailers in our State, that being Walmart, does not pay the majority of their employees a liveable wage, and in fact a large percentage of their employees are eligible for assistance..