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Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Ohio bills further regulating SNAP use, fraud prevention, see activity as cuts loom
A 'SNAP welcomed here' sign is seen at the entrance to a Big Lots store in Portland, Oregon. (Getty Images) As Ohio food assistance recipients await decisions on the federal and state level about whether they will see large cuts to their benefits, some state legislators are trying to iron out other details related to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Congressional budget reconciliation is ongoing in the U.S. Senate, after what anti-hunger advocates say would be a nearly 30% reduction in SNAP benefits was approved by the U.S. House in their draft of budget documents, encouraged by the Trump administration as part of efforts to slash federal spending. Advocates say the cuts will be devastating for low-income families across the country, with rural communities disproportionately impacted, according to the national Food Research & Action Center. The Ohio Association of Foodbanks said the loss of SNAP funding would restrict services 'vital for everyday Ohioans in every Congressional district.' The potential cuts come as legislators work on the state's SNAP program, with bills ranging from supplements to the benefits for older Ohioans to a push to prevent the defrauding of Ohioans who need the funds. Most recently, supporters of House Bill 163 – which would make the electronic benefit cards (EBTs) that hold SNAP benefits chip-enabled, like most mainstream credit and debit cards – spoke on the impacts chip technology would offer to households. The modernization of the EBT cards would help stem fraud through 'skimming,' a method of stealing information from the swipe of a card and capture of PIN numbers at checkouts. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX The Ohio Poverty Law Center said fraud occurs for many individuals 'in the first few days after benefits were loaded, leaving them without benefits until the next month.' Joree Novotny, executive director of the Ohio Association of Foodbanks said there was a congressional 'pathway' for state agencies to reimburse victims of benefit theft, which took nearly $17 million in SNAP benefits from more than 34,000 Ohio households between June 2023 and Dec. 2024. But the pathway ended in December of last year, when Congress decided against extending authorization for replacement of those benefits, Novotny told the Ohio House Agriculture Committee during a recent hearing on H.B. 163. Since then, it's unclear how much has been stolen from Ohioans and other SNAP beneficiaries, because Novotny said 'theft reports are no longer being collected.' Still, she said emergency food distribution representatives say the 'issue remains pervasive.' One of the sponsors of H.B. 163, state Rep. Tristan Rader, D-Lakewood, is working with fellow Democratic Rep. Desiree Tims to create a state program to replace stolen SNAP benefits in a bill that would appropriate $17 million from the state's General Revenue Fund for the task. State-level budget discussions have included maintaining work requirements for SNAP participants, along with other regulations related to waivers for SNAP participants. The state budget approved by the House also included a requirement that the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services seek a waiver from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to exclude 'sugar-sweetened beverages' from items that can be purchased using SNAP benefits. While the provision of the budget doesn't specify types of sugar-sweetened beverages, a bill introduced recently by Republican co-sponsors singles out soft drinks as an item they want to see removed from the SNAP-eligible list of products, along with candy, chips, ice cream and 'prepared desserts such as cakes, pies, cookies or similar products.' If the bill passes, those products would join alcoholic beverages, tobacco, hot foods or 'hot food products prepared for immediate consumption' as SNAP-exempted items. Last week, the sponsors of the bill said exempting 'junk food' from SNAP eligibility is one way of ensuring to taxpayers that their money is being spent for the betterment of Ohioans. 'What this bill's all about is helping focus folks who are using taxpayer money – which we're glad to provide for folks that are having a rough time, don't have resources at home, whatever the case may be – but just helping them realize there are better choices here than the stuff that adds calories … and no nutritional benefits,' Sen. Tim Schaffer, R-Lancaster, told the Senate Health Committee. Bill co-sponsor, Sen. Terry Johnson, R-McDermott, pointed to a change 'demographically in our country' toward obesity and health problems, 'and it's primarily the nutritional things that we consume.' 'We're doing America a great disservice by ignoring the fact that what people actually need is clean air, clean water, clean food, good exercise and a little bit of sunshine,' Johnson said. Committee member Sen. Beth Liston, D-Dublin, wondered whether discouraging sweets and soda consumption should start with a different population for which taxpayers subsidize food assistance, like the military or public universities. 'If you're looking at how to make the best impacts, I think looking at only poor individuals that are struggling to get by may not be, certainly not the largest population,' Liston said to the bill sponsors. 'There are many other tax-funded foods that we purchase, and if you're going to be looking at it holistically, just the SNAP program is a pretty small population.' SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Time of India
25-04-2025
- Business
- Time of India
NMC seeks toll tax exemption for city buses, cites Rs1.27 crore annual burden
Nagpur: The Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) has urged the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) to exempt its city buses from toll tax, citing a heavy financial burden of over Rs1.27 crore per year. A formal request was made to the chief engineer of MSRDC's toll administration department in Bandra, referencing a Dec 2023 govt notification that granted a similar exemption to Maharashtra State Transport (MSRTC) buses. Municipal commissioner Abhijeet Chaudhari, in a letter to the MSRDC's toll tax department, cited that the city's bus service operates within a 20-kilometre radius, covering both urban and peri-urban areas. Within this operational zone, seven toll plazas fall under the daily route of the buses. On weekdays (Monday to Friday), NMC pays around Rs37,163 per day as toll. The daily toll costs on weekends are Rs32,166 on Saturdays and Rs28,116 on Sundays. This translates to a monthly toll expenditure of approximately Rs10.58 lakh and a staggering annual amount of Rs1.27 crore. The appeal comes at a time when public criticism is mounting over the civic body's delayed response to the disruption of bus services on seven mofussil routes. Since Apr 1, over 500 Aapli Bus trips were slashed, affecting nearly 25,000 daily commuters — mainly college students. The problem arose after the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) implemented a FASTag-only toll policy. NMC failed to equip its buses in time, leading to double toll charges and tripled operational costs. Although most students hold valid passes, they were forced to rely on costly and unsafe alternative transport. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Google Brain Co-Founder Andrew Ng, Recommends: Read These 5 Books And Turn Your Life Around Blinkist: Andrew Ng's Reading List Undo To address the issue, NMC is now working with the toll tax department to integrate a FASTag-based monthly pass system. On Thursday, NMC resumed partial operations with 94 buses, paying Rs5,250 per bus per day. The toll tax department has agreed to offer a flat monthly pass of Rs10.58 lakh for unlimited trips of NMC's fleet crossing the seven toll booths. However, officials explained that the toll department follows a strict monthly calendar, not a day-to-day basis. As a result, NMC has decided to fully resume operations only from May 1, to avoid paying the full monthly toll fee for just six remaining days in April. The NMC reiterated that its city buses serve as a crucial lifeline connecting Nagpur to nearby villages and settlements, offering subsidised travel for students, senior citizens, and vulnerable groups. Given the rising operational costs and public inconvenience, the civic body has sought the same toll exemption already granted to state-run MSRTC buses.
