Latest news with #Zokaie
Yahoo
26-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Which states allow SNAP benefits to purchase hot meals?
DENVER (KDVR) — Colorado could soon join a small list of states in the nation that allow Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients to get a hot prepared meal using their benefits. State lawmakers want Colorado SNAP beneficiaries to have access to food that is already made and does not need to be heated. Pastor calls for 'full Target boycott' over DEI rollback 'This is a program that exists for individuals who are older or living with a disability or going through homelessness. It's incredibly important that these individuals can still have access to hot, prepared food. That is currently something that SNAP benefits do not cover,' said Rep. Yara Zokaie. Right now, SNAP benefits in Colorado only cover cold foods and ingredients. Zokaie is the House sponsor of a bipartisan bill looking to change that. The SNAP Restaurant Meals Program is a federal plan operated through the U.S. Department of Agriculture. In order for people who use SNAP benefits to have access to the program, the state would need to opt in. If the bill at the Capitol becomes law, Colorado would become the 10th state in the nation to take part in it, during a time when Colorado Blueprint to End Hunger's Executive Director of Systems, Joël McClurg, said the need is great. 'Due to persistent inflation over the last couple of years, there has been persistent hunger. What we've seen since the pandemic is that participation in these programs that alleviate hunger has been ongoing. We're seeing the lines at food banks and food pantries that are still pretty high,' McClurg explained. Why the Ice Bucket Challenge is back after more than a decade Any restaurant can choose to participate, but with the average SNAP benefit being about $6 a day per person and ineligible to cover tips, in other states, mostly fast food and quick service restaurants like Burger King and Subway have signed up to be a part of it. The bill not only has bipartisan sponsorship but also has bipartisan support, with only one state lawmaker voting against the bill in the Senate. Zokaie says this 'isn't a Republican or Democrat issue' but something that everyone should get behind to help those in need. As previously mentioned, currently only nine U.S. states participate in the Restaurant Meals Program. States where SNAP benefits can purchase hot, prepared meals are Arizona, California, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New York, Rhode Island and Virginia. As explained by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food and Nutrition Service, the program also does not force participating restaurants to decide who is and isn't eligible to purchase food from them with their benefits. Instead, SNAP beneficiaries will receive special electronic benefit transfer (EBT) cards that are coded to be accepted at participating eateries. If a client is not eligible, their EBT card will simply be declined. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Colorado bill looks to allow hot food SNAP purchases
DENVER (KDVR) — Colorado could join a small list of states in the nation that allow Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program recipients to get a hot prepared meal using their benefits. Lawmakers at the state capitol want Colorado SNAP beneficiaries to have access to food that is already made and does not need to be heated. Bill protecting immigration civil rights passes Colorado Senate 'This is a program that exists for individuals who are older or living with a disability or going through homelessness. It's incredibly important that these individuals can still have access to hot, prepared food. That is currently something that SNAP benefits do not cover,' said Representative Yara Zokaie. Right now, SNAP benefits in Colorado only cover cold foods and ingredients. Representative Zokaie is the House sponsor of a bipartisan bill looking to change that. 'There are people who are struggling who currently cannot use benefits to get a prepared meal. That is something that the state needs to step up and fill that gap,' Zokaie said. The SNAP Restaurant Meals Program is a federal plan operated through the U.S. Department of Agriculture. In order for people who use SNAP benefits to have access to the program, the state would need to opt in. If the bill at the Capitol becomes law, Colorado would become the 10th state in the nation to take part in it, during a time when Colorado Blueprint to End Hunger's Executive Director of Systems Joël McClurg said the need is great. 'Due to persistent inflation over the last couple of years, there has been persistent hunger. What we've seen since the pandemic is that participation in these programs that alleviate hunger has been ongoing. We're seeing the lines at food banks and food pantries that are still pretty high,' McClurg explained. Any restaurant can choose to participate, but with the average SNAP benefit being about $6 a day per person and ineligible to cover tips, in other states, mostly fast food and quick service restaurants like Burger King and Subway have signed up to be a part of this. McClurg said Colorado could be different. In 2026, Coloradans will need a retailer's help to access ammunition in stores 'We're really trying to think hard about how we make sure there is an element of local production, and local procurement in the sort of retailers that are authorized, how we are casting a wide net to support as many people as possible and how we are thinking about these entities that would really benefit from these benefits and kind of moving away from that model that's been done in a few other states, not all of them, that isn't really just heavily focused on fast food outlets,' McClurg said. The bill not only has bipartisan sponsorship but also has bipartisan support, with only one state lawmaker voting against the bill in the Senate. Representatives on the House Health and Human Services committee passed the bill by a vote of 10 to 3. 'Access to a prepared meal is so crucial to a family's wellbeing. And when you have older adults, people struggling with a disability someone going through homelessness, they are not going to have access to a kitchen, they are not necessarily going to be able to prepare food for themselves. That's something that isn't a Republican or Democrat issue, it's something we can all get behind and say this is a priority for our state,' Zokaie said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
CBS News
08-04-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Bill to address misconduct at Colorado crime lab may be in trouble
With just four weeks left in the legislative session, one of the biggest criminal justice bills hangs in the balance. The bill is in response to a scandal at the Colorado Bureau of Investigation involving DNA analyst Yvonne "Missy" Woods. She's charged with more than 100 felonies related to tampering with or falsifying evidence. The Colorado Division of Criminal Justice claims it needs $3 million to handle all the additional work that could result from the scandal . The state fiscal analyst disagrees, estimating the cost at about $165,000 initially. Either way, there's no extra money in the budget, and that could doom the bill. "This bill is on hold until we can figure this out with the judicial department," said state Rep. Yara Zokaie, sponsor of the bill. She says she was surprised by the judicial department's request for money, saying no one knows how many cases will result in new trials. "There are so many unknowns with this entire scandal," Zokaie said. The CBI says Missy Woods handled 10,000 cases over her 30 years as a DNA analyst, and it found anomalies in 1,000 cases. But it hasn't said if any of those anomalies would change the outcome of the case. Zokaie's bill calls for the lab to notify district attorneys of all misconduct by September. The DAs then must notify defendants, public defenders and victims. "The initial work is going to fall on defense lawyers dig into cases to review these cases and talk to clients and find out if they want to challenge their convictions. And if they do, then look at whether it's viable," says James Karbach with the Public Defender's Office. He says with 10,000 it will take time to determine whether misconduct played a material role in any one conviction. "Predicting how many cases would reach a courtroom for a judge to rule on is very difficult," Karbach said. But waiting another year, he says, is unacceptable. If the judiciary doesn't drop its request for money, Zokaie says the bill could die. "There are so many departments that have extra work because of the scandal and they are finding ways to make that work. So I think the judicial department can as well," Zokaie said. State Rep. Matt Soper, who is co-sponsoring the bill with Zokaie, also questions the judiciary's request for money, saying it's speculative at best to say how many cases will end up back in court. The bill also addresses future misconduct -- requiring lab employees to report wrongdoing, the lab director to investigate it, and DAs to notify those impacted. It has support from Democrats and Republicans and defense attorneys and prosecutors. It is stalled right now in the House Appropriations Committee, and it still needs to go through the senate. "It's not a bill that's lost, it's justice for people. It's truth, it's the integrity of the system. It's repairing the harm. It's having a system that makes sense on laboratory misconduct," said Karbach. "As a state we can't do that."
CBS News
05-04-2025
- Business
- CBS News
Colorado businesses worry about a bill that would eliminate millions of dollars in tax breaks
Business groups in Colorado have lined up in opposition to a bill that makes sweeping changes to the tax code. The measure impacts a dozen tax credits, exemptions and deductions. Insurance companies are among the employers that would be impacted. Right now they qualify for a tax credit if two-and-a-half percent of their workforce is based in Colorado. The bill would raise the threshold to 7%. The Office of the State Auditor says 15 of the 18 insurers who qualified for the credit last year decreased their workforce in Colorado. Democratic state Rep. Yara Zokaie says the current law rewards them for moving jobs out of state. "We should not be giving special interest groups tax breaks while we have working families struggling to put food on the table. So this is taking a look at our tax code and seeing where do we have inefficiencies, where do we have loopholes. And we are cleaning that up so that we can better fund schools and Medicaid providers and food pantries," Zokaie said. Republican state Rep. Chris Richardson, who opposes the bill, says it is the second time in as many years that lawmakers want to change the rules. "It leads to instability. It makes it hard for businesses to plan. In this environment, I wouldn't look at expanding my business. And this may be why over the last 12 months in Colorado we had a zero percent net job growth," Richardson said. The bill would eliminate about $249 million in tax breaks for businesses over the next four years while increasing tax breaks for low-income seniors and child care centers by $176 million. The House Finance Committee debate the bill but postponed a vote to consider amendments.
Yahoo
04-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Concerned parents of trans kids compared to 'hate groups' by Colorado Dem: Wouldn't 'ask the KKK' for opinion
A Colorado Democrat likened parent groups to "the KKK" during an hours-long committee hearing for a controversial bill that could see parents accused of "coercive control" in custody fights for using a trans child's "deadname." "I really am curious about how much stakeholdering went on both sides of the issue, and not just one side," Republican state Rep. Jarvis Caldwell said during the hearing, which began Monday night and ran into early Tuesday. "I'm curious with if the businesses in the community were included in these and if parent groups that are not part of the LGBT community if they were involved." Later during the House Judiciary hearing, Democrat state Rep. Yara Zokaie said the committee that night had "heard a lot about stakeholding and who was left out of stakeholding" and that "this process is important for us to understand the implications of the bills that we are passing." "But a well-stakeholdered bill does not need to be discussed with hate groups," Zokaie said. "And we don't ask someone passing civil rights legislation to go ask the KKK their opinion," she added as several in the committee room applauded. Hawley Officially A Yes On Dr Oz After Securing Commitments On Transgender, Abortion Issues The bill in question, Hb25-1312, An Act Concerning Legal Protections for Transgender Individuals, requires courts to consider "deadnaming, misgendering, or threatening to publish material related to an individual's gender-affirming health-care services as types of coercive control" when making child custody decisions. It passed in a 7-4 vote out of the committee, clearing the first major hurdle to becoming law. It now goes to the Assembly for a second reading. Read On The Fox News App If the bill passes, it would make Colorado the first state to pass such legislation. In California, similar legislation was passed in 2023 requiring courts to consider a parent's affirmation of a child's chosen gender identity in custody battles. However, liberal Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed the bill. The Colorado bill, which would create the Kelly Loving Act, named after a transgender man who was killed in the 2022 Colorado nightclub shooting by a nonbinary gunman, also prohibits Colorado courts from enforcing laws from other states that remove children from parents who allow transgender treatments for minors. Trans Inmate In Prison For Killing Baby Must Get Gender Surgery At 'Earliest Opportunity': Judge If a child in school wants to go by a different name other than their legal one, the bill says educators must be "inclusive of all reasons that a student might adopt a chosen name." "If the individual provides a chosen name that is different from the individual's legal name, the chosen name must be used on all subsequent forms administered by the public entity," the bill text summary says. After the hearing, Caldwell told Fox News Digital in a statement that Zokaie's reference to certain stakeholders was "deeply concerning" and "reckless." "Particularly when it involves labeling parents – the people who care the most about the future of their children – as hate groups," he said. "Parents who stand up for their children's education and rights should be respected, not vilified." Scotus Rulings This Term Could Strengthen Religious Rights Protections, Expert Says Zokaie also said during the hearing, "There was a lot of discussion of folks losing their children, and I just want us to note that these are parameters for a judge to consider." "The word 'consider' is used repeatedly. There are no mandates in this bill," she said. Fox News Digital reached out to Zokaie for comment but did not receive a response by publication article source: Concerned parents of trans kids compared to 'hate groups' by Colorado Dem: Wouldn't 'ask the KKK' for opinion
