Iowa will not participate in a federal program that gives $40 per month to each child in a low-income family over the summer to help with food costs while school is out.

Iowa will not participate this summer in a federal program that gives $40 per month to each child in a low-income family to help with food costs while school is out, state officials have announced.

The state has notified the U.S. Department of Agriculture that it will not participate in the 2024 Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer for Children — or Summer EBT — program, the state’s Department of Health and Human Services and Department of Education said in a Friday news release.

“Federal COVID-era cash benefit programs are not sustainable and don’t provide long-term solutions for the issues impacting children and families. An EBT card does nothing to promote nutrition at a time when childhood obesity has become an epidemic,” Iowa Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds said in the news release.

…

A bipartisan group of Nebraska lawmakers have urged the state to reconsider, saying Summer EBT would address the needs of vulnerable children and benefit the state economically, the Journal Star reported.

  • Brkdncr@lemmy.world
    181·
    11 months ago

    Wait, did she just say some kids are too fat so they don’t want to feed any of them?

    • Cethin@lemmy.zipEnglish
      54·
      11 months ago

      That’s how I read it too. I really hope not, but I’m also assuming this is a republican so probably.

      • Feirdro@lemmy.world
        50·
        11 months ago

        They literally believe that the gubmint is feeding poor children so much they’ve become obese.

        Gah, i feel dirty when i see things from their pov.

    • prole@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
      8·
      11 months ago

      They should sell it to Republicans in the state as a way to keep their employees fed without having to spend any more money.

      Employees in this case, being the children in case nobody got that