LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES & POLICY ISSUES

 

2012 STATE LEGISLATIVE ISSUES

 

The regular session of the 2012 state legislature will be filled with challenging and painful decisions as the state continues to try to close a nearly $2 billion budget deficit.  Anti-hunger programs continue to be at risk, including the State Food Assistance Program (SAP), the Emergency Food Assistance Program (EFAP), school nutrition programs, and the WIC Farmer’s Market Program (FMNP).  Now more than ever we need these critical programs by:  

 

• Preserving the State Food Assistance Program (SAP) The Department of   Social and Health Service’s (DSHS) SAP provides food stamp look-alike benefits to 13,754 legal immigrants who are not eligible for federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. Originally funded at $60 million per biennium, the program was cut by 50% by the legislature in spring 2011.  A subsequent lawsuit was filed and the state appealed, resulting in an injunction prohibiting benefit reductions until the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals reaches a decision. SAP is an efficient program, operating at approximately $15 million annually. 
  
  SAP puts food on the tables of very low-income families hit hard by the recession and stimulates local economies with benefits going directly to community grocery stores. The Governor has proposed further cuts of $13.8 million in the current biennium which would eliminate the program in July 2012. Food Lifeline opposes the elimination of SAP and supports current funding levels of $60 million per biennium.

• Increasing Funding for the Emergency Food Assistance Program (EFAP)  The Washington State Department of Agriculture’s EFAP helps keep the lights on and the shelves stocked at 330 state food banks and distribution centers and to 31 tribes. EFAP is currently funded at $5.03 million per year, and despite the Governor’s recommendation to add $1.5 million in the current biennium, food banks continue to feel the increased strain of the recession.  As other basic safety net programs have been cut or eliminated, more people rely on their local food banks for assistance, and food banks must be able to respond.  In 2010, statewide food banks served 1.5 million people, a 32% increase since 2007. Of this total, 30% were children and 12% were seniors.
  
  Food Lifeline applauds the Governor’s addition of $1.5 million in funding for EFAP, but strongly recommends additional funding above the proposed $6.53 million for the current biennium so food banks can meet increasing need.     

• Maintaining Funding for School Nutrition Programs School nutrition programs  provide healthy meals and snacks to students when nearly one in four Washington families struggle to provide food for their children. In 2010, 1,027,388 low-income children across Washington were enrolled in the public schools free and reduced meal program with over 373,000 students receiving free meals.  For many, this is their one daily nutritious meal.
  
  In spring 2011, the state legislature cut $6 million to child nutrition programs.  Despite these cuts, school districts continue the difficult challenge of providing meals to children, understanding the undeniable impact good nutrition has on a child’s ability to learn, thrive, and maintain a healthy weight. Further reductions to school nutrition will have devastating impacts, including the likely elimination of state co-pays to school districts of $.30 per meal for reduced priced breakfast for K-12 and $.40 per meal for K-3 reduced priced lunches.  This will place a significant burden on school districts to provide healthy meals and continue to meet USDA nutrition standards that are required to receive federal funding.  For these reasons, Food Lifeline strongly opposes any additional cuts to school nutrition programs.

• Protecting the WIC Farmers Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) The Women Infant and Children’s (WIC) FMNP, and the companion Senior’s FMNP, provides vouchers for 76,000 low-income women, children and seniors to access fresh, healthy produce. The program also increases support for local farmers, and expands the sale of Washington grown fruits, vegetables and herbs through the use of famers markets, farm stores and community agriculture programs.  The program funds 115 farmers who employ over 600 people and generates $1.3 million in sales.
  
  The state currently contributes only $100,000 to the program, which is enough to leverage $894,000 in federal support.  Without the state’s contribution, these federal funds will be lost and the state WIC FMNP program, along with the Seniors FMNP, will be eliminated.  The Governor has cut the $100,000 state contribution in her proposed 2012 supplemental budget.  Food Lifeline opposes the elimination and requests the legislature support farmers and local agriculture while providing access to healthy, fresh produce for low-income women, children and seniors.

• Adopting a Balanced Approach to Resolving Budget Deficits Balance the cuts to vital programs now and save services in the future by adopting new sources for revenue and by reviewing and reforming our current tax exemptions and expenditures. 

2012 FEDERAL LEGISLATIVE ISSUES

 

As Congress attempts to resolve our nation’s long-term financial challenges, Food Lifeline joins our national parent organization, Feeding America, in urging our legislators to protect nutrition assistance and other safety net programs by:

• Protecting Nutrition Assistance Programs from funding cuts and harmful policy changes as part of a smart and effective deficit reduction plan that does not balance the budget on the backs of our most vulnerable.

• Adopting a Balanced Approach to Controlling Our Nation’s Financial Future that supports programs that are needed and effective, safeguards programs that protect low-income families, ensures adequate revenues, and eliminates unnecessary or inefficient spending.

• Protecting the Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) which help food banks provide nutritious food to low-income Americans in need of short-term hunger relief in partnership with local pantries, soup kitchens and emergency shelters by providing $260 million for TEFAP food commodities in FY 2012, and providing $48 million for TEFAP storage and distribution grants to meet the infrastructure and distribution capacity.  Redirect USDA funding to increase the availability of food commodities to ensure adequate supplies.

• Expand the Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP) which leverages government buying power to provide nutritious packages to nearly 604,000 low income people each month, 97% of which are very-low income seniors by providing $176.8 million for current caseloads in existing states and an additional $5 million to allow the program to expand to six additional states.

• Oppose Cuts or Restrictions to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) that caps funding, eliminates block grants or redefines work requirements to reduce benefits or restricts participation in a program that is the cornerstone of the nutrition safety net, providing over 44 million low-income participants with monthly benefits via a grocery debit card. 

• Reject a Cap on the Charitable Giving Tax Deduction that would limit food banks ability to raise funds and protect the ability of nonprofits to raise vitally needed funds along with necessary comprehensive tax reforms.

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