Conflict arises during debate on bill to extend SNAP eligibility levels
LINCOLN — A bill that would extend an expanded eligibility threshold for Nebraska food benefits has advanced to its final lawmaking round, but not before a latecomer amendment that some described as hostile was debated and defeated.
Legislative Bill 192, by State Sen. Dan Quick of Grand Island, calls for the elimination of an October expiration on Nebraska's current eligibility levels for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
Right now, a key qualifier for households is if gross income is at or below 165% of the federal poverty level.
If the Quick bill fails, the lower pre-pandemic income eligibility level of 130% of gross income is set to return.
The SNAP program helps qualified recipients buy groceries. The federal government pays 100% of program benefits, and 50% of administrative costs.
The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, which administers the program, estimated that more than 4,000 families that otherwise might be disqualified because of income could remain on SNAP if the eligibility threshold is maintained.
LB 192, which State Sen. John Cavanaugh of Omaha made his priority this session, ultimately advanced Tuesday by a voice vote and now moves on to a third and final reading.
The bulk of debate came after State Sen. Bob Andersen of north-central Sarpy County tried to attach an amendment essentially mirroring his LB 656, which would prohibit DHHS from seeking federal waivers that make exceptions to SNAP work requirements, such as living in areas with high unemployment.
Andersen said his proposal still would retain certain exceptions, including for caregivers of a child with disabilities, students enrolled at least half-time and teens ages 16 to 18 who are in training programs. But generally, he said, he wants able-bodied SNAP recipients to work.
State Sen. Danielle Conrad of Lincoln led opposition to Andersen's amendment, peppering him with questions about rationale and cost.
While a previous fiscal analysis of Andersen's LB 656 came with an estimated price tag of more than $2.2 million next fiscal year, Andersen told colleagues Wednesday that DHHS officials more recently told him expenses could be absorbed into their existing budget.
That's because instead of requiring DHHS officials to help find work for impacted SNAP recipients, the agency 'may' help provide assignments.
State Sen. Ashlei Spivey of Omaha said the Andersen amendment represented an approach she has seen this session of 'demonizing' and 'dehumanizing' the working class.
Some Democratic lawmakers took issue with Andersen's late and 'hostile' amendment to someone else's bill, which Quick also opposed.
State Sen. Wendy DeBoer of Omaha invoked the lyrics of Beyoncé — 'If you like it, then you shoulda put a ring on it' — to drive home her point that he should have 'prioritized' the effort as his own legislation.
While Andersen's LB 656 was advanced out of a legislative committee and onto full debate by the Legislature, it was not prioritized and therefore is unlikely to be debated this session on its own.
Some Republicans, however, defended Andersen's tactic as not extraordinary and said they supported his goal.
State Sen. Rob Clements of Elmwood, chair of the budget-writing Appropriations Committee, said that if Andersen's amendment would add no state cost, he was supportive.
State Sen. Ben Hansen of Blair said he saw Andersen's effort to ratchet up work requirements for the SNAP program as compatible and a 'good compromise' to Quick's effort to extend current eligibility levels. Hansen has brought similar legislation in the past.
Hansen noted he was the only member of the Health and Human Services Committee who voted against pushing Quick's LB 192 out of the committee stage and onto the legislative floor.
'I think that's good governance,' Hansen said of the Andersen amendment, which ultimately failed 22-14, three votes short. 'To say that it's not, maybe I'm missing the point.'
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They are a chance for states to conduct the research that's been missing — if they want to find out. Barry Popkin, a professor of nutrition at the University of North Carolina School of Global Public Health, said he thinks waivers are toothless ways for states to show their MAHA bonafides. 'None of these states are doing more than pleasing MAHA, doing what's easy. They can do this internally. They don't have to go to the politicians [and pass laws],' Popkin said, 'Waivers do nothing except allow a state to say you can't buy junk food.' Experts said historically, Republicans who have wanted to ban soda from SNAP also viewed it as a way to trim spending on the program. Some advocates continue to view the latest push with skepticism. One of the groups pushing hard for state SNAP waivers is the Foundation for Government Accountability, a conservative think tank based in Florida that's been working for over a decade to reshape the nation's public assistance programs and significantly cut spending. Johnson said she is worried about a slippery slope. If fewer items are eligible for SNAP, she's concerned GOP leaders will use that as an excuse to cut back on people's monthly benefits. Priya Fielding-Singh, director of policy and programs at the George Washington University's Global Food Institute, said there could be benefits in trying to focus SNAP purchases on healthy food. But it's hard to look at a soda-and-candy ban in isolation, she said. The Agriculture Department slashed about $1 billion in funding that let schools and food banks buy food directly from local farms and ranchers. The White House is proposing deep cuts to fruit and vegetable benefits under the WIC program (Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children). The GOP's new tax cut law is projected to cut $186 billion from SNAP in the next decade and disqualify millions from eligibility. 'It's hard to separate the soda ban from the larger political efforts to shrink SNAP overall. So are these bans about promoting health or are they about shrinking SNAP? And I think the distinction really matters,' Fielding-Singh said. She added that any moves to restrict what people can buy with SNAP should be paired with efforts to give people the 'means and access and resources to eat more healthfully.' But so far, none of the red state waivers does that. Gov. Jared Polis (D) in a statement on Colorado's waiver, called it 'a big step towards improving the health of Coloradans, and reducing obesity rates, diabetes, and tooth decay' that 'will help to ensure that more Coloradans participating in SNAP have access to healthy foods.' The Trump administration has not yet given them the green light on a separate waiver to cover hot foods from grocery stores like rotisserie chicken or soup. Democratic Govs. Laura Kelly (Kan.) and Katie Hobbs (Ariz.) each vetoed bills that called for their states to submit waivers to ban candy and soda. 'I support the idea that Kansans should eat healthier. However, changes to the SNAP food assistance program should be made at the federal level, not on a patchwork, state-by-state basis,' Kelly wrote in her veto message. She also noted the language in the bill would have mandated businesses to stop accepting food assistance benefits for 'healthy' items like protein bars and trail mix while continuing to allow Twix, Kit Kat, and Twizzlers. Kennedy this week said he expects more blue states to be filing waivers. 'I was at the governors' conference in Colorado last week, and I met with a whole string of Democratic governors and they all committed to filing SNAP waivers,' Kennedy said. Kennedy also said those governors also committed to put forward other 'MAHA legislation' but he acknowledged they may not want to be associated with the term because it's become 'kind of a partisan brand.' As she signed Colorado's waiver, Rollins said healthy eating should be bipartisan. 'This is not red or blue, Republican or Democrat,' Rollins said. 'We are discussing and working with every state, so really excited to continue to work with Gov. Polis.'
