NEW ORLEANS (WVUE/Louisiana Illuminator) – New legislation authored by Louisiana Representative Jason Hughes (D) would force the state to participate in a summer food program for low-income households.
Louisiana had until Thursday, Feb. 15, to make a final decision on whether it would accept the Summer Electronics Benefits Transfer (EBT) program assistance. Governor Jeff Landry turned down the assistance and Louisiana opted out.
The program provides $40 in both June and July for children who qualify for free schools in the 36 states that are participating. Louisiana is one of 14 that are not.
House Bill 18 would make it mandatory for Louisiana to accept the funds and participate in the program.
“Certainly, there is a direct correlation between juvenile crime and poverty,” Hughes told FOX 8. “This is not ‘free money.’ These are dollars that Louisiana citizens pay to the federal government. So, we are declining to accept a return on what our taxpayers have already paid.
“It’s pro-children, pro-family. It’s also pro-business, because every dollar that is spent from this program will be infused into our local economy.”
New Orleans Council President Helena Moreno called the proposal necessary.
“Forcing the state with legislation to enter the Summer EBT Program is a necessary move and shows tremendous leadership by Rep. Jason Hughes,” she said in a statement. “Food insecurity is one of the root causes of crime in our community. This a tremendous crime prevention measure that is critical for the city of New Orleans and the state as a whole.”
Summer EBT began as a COVID-19 pandemic initiative that the U.S. Department of Agriculture decided to make permanent beginning this summer. The funds are placed on debit cards that can be used at grocery stores that accept EBT.
According to the Louisiana Illuminator, the program would have cost the state less than $6 per eligible child to administer.
The USDA calculated that some 594,000 Louisiana children would have received a combined $71 million in food aid had it taken part. The federal agency would have covered half of the state’s $7 million cost to run the program, leaving the Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) to cover the remaining $3.5 million.
“The vast majority of the projected cost of running a Summer EBT program would be the cost of card services through our EBT vendor for the addition,” DCFS spokesperson Heidi Kinchen said in an email.
The $3.5 million cost, which breaks down to $5.89 per child enrolled, would have been less than 1% of the $902 million DCFS budget for the current fiscal year.
DCFS Secretary David Matlock cited “self-sufficiency” in a Feb. 10 statement in which he explained why Louisiana would not take part in the Summer EBT program.
“Existing feeding programs remain in effect, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which provides about $166 million in benefits on average each month to over 880,000 Louisianans, including about 390,000 children,” Matlock said in his statement. “In addition, DCFS offers employment and training programs to provide off-ramps from poverty and help families become self-sufficient.”
The Landry administration’s decision to ultimately reject the USDA assistance hasn’t sat well with some officials, especially those who represent low-income areas.
State Sen. Cleo Fields, D-Baton Rouge, sent a letter to Matlock and Brumley asking them to reconsider a day before the USDA deadline.
“By rejecting this program, we are essentially turning our backs on these children and jeopardizing their health and well-being by denying them access to the nutrition they need to grow, learn, and succeed,” Fields wrote.
An appeal from U.S. Rep. Troy Carter, D-New Orleans, also went unanswered.
The Louisiana Legislative Black Caucus issued a statement condemning the Landry administration for not accepting the assistance.
“This callous refusal to accept federal assistance perpetuates a cycle of poverty and food insecurity that should be unacceptable in a modern and compassionate society,” the statement said.
Greg Larose of the Louisiana Illuminator contributed to this report.
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