Los legisladores de Nebraska están considerando un proyecto de ley que pondría fin a la prohibición permanente de la asistencia alimentaria federal para las personas condenadas por delitos federales de drogas. Los defensores dicen que la LB 121 ayudaría a Nebraska a superar las leyes de la era de la década de 1990 aprobadas durante la llamada guerra contra las drogas, leyes que llevaron al encarcelamiento masivo en todo Estados Unidos. Jasmine Harris, del grupo RISE, dice que la prohibición de los beneficios de SNAP, el programa antes conocido como cupones de alimentos, realmente no beneficia a nadie.

"No hace más que poner otra barrera, esposas invisibles si se quiere, para las personas que ya cumplieron su condena. Entonces, ¿por qué ahora les estamos imponiendo otra sanción, cuando hicieron lo que el tribunal les ordenó hacer?", comentó también Harris.

La ley federal impone una prohibición permanente de los beneficios de Programa de Asistencia Nutricional Suplementaria (SNAP) para las personas condenadas por delitos relacionados con las drogas, pero los estados pueden optar por no participar. Nebraska permite algunas excepciones, según los antecedentes penales y el completamiento de los programas de abuso de sustancias. Se mantiene una prohibición total para cualquier persona que cumplió condena por un delito grave de distribución de drogas.

La senadora estatal Megan Hunt de Omaha ha hecho de LB 121 una prioridad. Ella dice que los habitantes de Nebraska que salen de prisión deben poder satisfacer sus necesidades básicas para reintegrarse con éxito en sus comunidades. Ella además argumenta que la asistencia alimentaria no solo es importante para la persona que califica.

Según la senadora Hunt, "también estamos hablando, por lo general, de niños en el hogar. Esta es otra salvaguarda que podemos tener para evitar que muchos niños que viven en la pobreza extrema pierdan el acceso a los beneficios de SNAP. Y la pobreza y la inseguridad alimentaria también tienen un costo considerable para el estado."

Cuando las personas no pueden acceder a los alimentos, Harris dice que es más probable que vuelvan a las actividades delictivas para mantenerse. Cuesta $46,000 por año mantener a alguien tras las rejas. Harris dice que la LB 121 ahorraría dinero a los contribuyentes al reducir la cantidad de personas que reingresan a la prisión y brindaría alivio a las instalaciones que actualmente funcionan al 146% de su capacidad.

"Esto ayuda a paliar esa situación de hacinamiento. Si podemos sacar a la gente, ayudarlos con sus necesidades básicas, llevarlos por el camino correcto, es menos probable que regresen a nuestro sistema correccional", añadió Harris.

Alabama is one of 14 states opting out of the 2024 summer electronic benefit program.

As summer rolls around, there will be no programs in place to help low-income families with grocery costs.

LaTrell Clifford Wood, hunger policy advocate for the group Alabama Arise, said as a result, more than 500,000 children who usually receive free or reduced lunch could go without meals. She noted while summer feeding programs will be available, they will not reach everyone in need.

"Ninety-four percent of Alabama children who rely on free and reduced-price meals won't have access to them over the summer," Clifford Wood reported. "That means that only 6% of the children who rely on those meals during the school year are going to be fed through summer feeding programs."

Clifford Wood warned limited hours, transportation and strict program rules will hinder many families from benefiting from such vital programs. The Alabama Legislature did not allocate the necessary $15 million for the program by the end of the last session. However, Clifford Wood noted there is a chance the program will be funded in the summer of 2025.

As legislators focus on next year's budgets, Clifford Wood stressed the need for funding next summer's EBT program. She pointed out Alabama Arise is calling for lawmakers to allocate funds from the Education Trust Fund to combat child hunger, affecting one in four children in the state.

"This is a program that's been tested for 13 years," Clifford Wood emphasized. "It's had three rigorous evaluation periods, and it was shown to improve the diet of children and decrease children's food hardship by a third."

Clifford Wood believes prioritizing children's needs and addressing food insecurity is a form of preventive care and serves as an early investment in the state's overall wellness.

The Food Research and Action Center said funding the e-benefits program would also benefit the economy - adding anywhere from $98 million to $117 million. The Alabama Senate Finance and Taxation Education Committee is expected to vote on the budget next week.

California's program helping low-income families buy fresh fruit and vegetables is on the chopping block and health care advocates are asking legislators to save the Market Match program.

Gov. Gavin Newsom has proposed cutting most of the program's $35 million budget to help close the state's budget shortfall.

Sophia Vaccaro, a participant in Market Match from Echo Park, said she depends on Market Match in more ways than one.

"It helps people being able to stretch their budget further," Vaccaro explained. "Then, I think it helps the community, in that it creates a sense of camaraderie at the farmers' market and makes people more invested in the community itself."

The program matches every dollar CalFresh customers spend on fresh fruits and vegetables at a farmer's market up to between $10 and $20 per day. It is active at 294 sites across the state and is partially paid for through federal matching funds.

Dr. John Maa, surgeon at Marin Health Medical Center and board member of the San Francisco Bay Area chapter of the American Heart Association, said Market Match promotes healthy eating and boosts the local farm economy.

"An improved diet really will have long-term meaningful impacts on health, and also reduce health care costs," Maa explained. "It really helps to sustain the growers and the merchants. I guess it's a win-win-win."

Siu Han Cheung, outreach coordinator for the Tenderloin Neighborhood Development Corporation and board member of the Heart of the City Farmers' Market, argued the program is vital to residents across the state.

"If the Market Match will be cut, that is terrible," Cheung stressed. "That means they have less money to buy their food. So, Market Match is very important for the low-income families and the seniors."

Legislators and the governor are working toward the May budget revisions, and must pass a balanced budget by June 15.

South Dakotans face high prices at the grocery store and some are working to ease the burden.

A new report from the Federal Trade Commission finds some grocery retailers used the supply-chain disruptions of the pandemic to raise prices and collect bigger profits, even after supply chains regulated.

One South Dakota group is trying to reduce sticker shock by targeting the state sales tax on groceries. Dakotans for Health is sponsoring a citizens ballot initiative to repeal the 4.2 % tax.

Rick Weiland, co-founder of the group, said lower food bills would make a meaningful difference for some.

"People of modest means, or low income hardworking families, disproportionately spend upwards of 30% on food," Weiland pointed out. "This is going to be helpful."

South Dakota is one of only two states in the country to apply its full state sales tax rate to groceries with no exemptions, Mississippi being the other. More than 9% of South Dakotans are considered food insecure, meaning they do not always have access to enough healthy food.

The grocery tax has been a popular topic among state legislators in recent years. Republican Gov. Kristi Noem even campaigned on the promise to repeal it. Critics have said proposing a tax cut without a way to finance it is irresponsible.

Weiland pointed out Gov. Noem had a formula spelled out when she brought forward her bill in 2023, which was voted down.

"She had no problem defending her position in front of the Legislature, in terms of how much revenue the state was going to lose and where they could make it up," Weiland recounted.

The initiative needs about 17,500 signatures by next month to appear on the November ballot.