Ohio lawmaker encourages action as SNAP benefits set to expire
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- About 1.4 million Ohioans receive federal SNAP benefits -- benefits that are expected to expire at the end of this week as the government shutdown grinds toward its second month.
One state lawmaker is encouraging the legislature and the governor to take immediate action as needy Ohioans agonize about what is to come.
“Folks are constantly messaging me on TikTok, Instagram, wherever they can,” Rep. Latyna Humphrey (D-Columbus) said. “They want to know what's going to happen, what folks are saying, who's saying what in power. People want information because they want to know how to prepare, but they're also afraid.”
On Monday, Humphrey released an open letter urging Gov. Mike DeWine to take certain administrative steps that she believes would relieve some of the burden on people and families who depend on SNAP. DeWine spokesperson Dan Tierney warned that since SNAP is a federal program, there is no mechanism in place for the state to pay out benefits.
“Of course I would like to see direct payments to people, but I’m not oblivious to the fact that that might not be feasible right now,” Humphrey said. “So maybe we support the food banks that are doing the good work in our communities every day. I have multiple food banks in my community, they would love the support.”
In addition to supporting food banks, Humphrey argues the governor could use the Office of Budget and Management Controlling Board to redirect necessary funds in the event of an emergency.
“All the Governor would need to do is say, ‘hey, I’m recognizing this may be an issue, let’s pull from X, Y, and Z, go to the Controlling Board and then make that happen, because there are funds available to do so,” Humphrey said.
Humphrey has also introduced House Bill 502, which would provide interim relief for SNAP beneficiaries, to be reimbursed after the government shutdown ends. That bill has not yet received a hearing, and would also rely on tapping into the state’s “Rainy Day” fund -- something the Governor’s office has already rejected.
“The ‘Rainy Day Fund’ is a colloquial name for the Budget Stabilization Fund,” Tierney said in an email. “The sole purpose of the Budget Stabilization Fund is to support a previously enacted budget if state revenue decreases in an economic downturn. The fund may be accessed only [if] the Ohio General Assembly enacts legislation to do so. It is very common for activists and special interests to take the nickname of the Budget Stabilization Fund literally and suggest it be used for spending during circumstances that they believe constitute a ‘Rainy Day.’ However, almost none of those ‘Rainy Days’ are in line with the statutorily established purpose of the fund.”
Humphrey acknowledged there are constraints on how the "Rainy Day" fund can be used, saying, "Maybe House Bill 502 is not the vehicle that we need to drive right now but there are some things that can be done as it relates to the Controlling Board.”
On Tuesday, Tierney said the Governor’s office was reviewing options, “but to be clear there is no avenue to backfill SNAP at a state level.”
“Any state aid would simply be a bandage to the bigger problem,” Tierney said. “The solution needed is for Congress, especially the U.S. Senate, to pass a permanent budget or continuing resolution to fund SNAP. This should be everyone’s priority.”
Humphrey said the Governor’s office is not wrong.
“This is a federal issue," Humphrey said. "Bottom line, full stop. But at the end of the day, the people we say we love are struggling. If we have the ability to do something right now for our people then we should do it. If we say we care about our constituents, if we say we love our constituents then we have got to understand that both of those words are action words.”