Representative Pebblin Warren asked about the impacts of the bill on children whose families wouldn’t be able to buy Easter candy.
By Chance Phillips
Recently, the state House passed Senate Bill 57, a bill that will require the Alabama Department of Human Resources to apply for a waiver excluding candy and soda from the list of foods that SNAP benefits can be spent on.
“To tell you that we’re one of the most unhealthier states in the union is an understatement,” Representative Reed Ingram, R-Montgomery, said at the start of the discussion. “We’re the third worst healthiest state in the country, with obesity, diabetes, and heart disease, and the federal government has instructed all the states to come up with a better plan on healthier food and to look at our SNAP program.”
After Ingram introduced the bill and requested the budget isolation resolution, Representative Thomas Jackson, D-Thomasville, asked if Ingram knew how much people on public assistance receive. Ingram said he did not.
“So you’re not sure and you don’t know, or maybe you don’t care,” Jackson said.
“No, I do care,” Ingram said.
“Do you know they don’t get enough to go to Publix and buy groceries but one time? Do you know that? And they can’t get a full meal on that particular check that they get,” Jackson continued.
In Alabama, the average monthly benefits per household member in 2023 was around $184, per a recent USDA report. That translates to roughly $2 per meal.
“I’m kind of worried about the mom who does the same thing, but you know those checkout aisles are filled with candy and all that stuff,” Datcher said. “Maybe that kid has made straight A’s, or maybe that kid has had a great day, and they ask for a Hershey bar or something, and that mom can’t get it in that moment.”
“Right, not that that candy’s been sustenance but just kind of a treat for them in that moment,” he continued. “And that parent can’t make that decision, we’re making that decision for them. That gives me pause.”
In an interview with APR earlier this year, Alabama Arise Senior Policy Analyst Carol Gundlach warned that removing soft drinks and candy from the list of foods approved for SNAP would be “really, really, really complicated and is going to be a pain for everybody.” She said instead the state should invest in programs to help SNAP recipients purchase produce and access information about nutrition and healthy habits.
Recently, the Senate concurred with the floor amendments the House approved the day prior. SB57 has been sent to Governor Kay Ivey’s desk for her signature.