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.

    • CethinEnglish
      54•6 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
        52•6 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.

        • @grue@lemmy.worldEnglish
          34•6 months ago

          That’s the charitable interpretation! The other way of reading it is that in reality some children are obese while others go hungry, but they can’t be bothered to give a shit which are which.

          • Billiam
            15•6 months ago

            Republicans not giving a shit about children. Quelle surprise.

          • @kautau@lemmy.world
            11•6 months ago

            Nothing they say is about children. Regardless of the topic, anything they say can be translated to “this isn’t making the rich richer, perhaps it’s even making the rich less rich, and therefore I will vote against it”

    • proleEnglish
      8•6 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