A federal judge has blocked Iowa’s restrictions on what Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients can buy with food assistance benefits. The ruling overturns a U.S. Department of Agriculture waiver that allowed Iowa to restrict certain SNAP purchases beginning January 1.
Impact on Iowa SNAP Recipients
Anti-hunger advocates say SNAP recipients and retailers are entering another period of uncertainty as they wait for guidance from the state on what products will be eligible for purchase. Kathy Underhill, who leads DMARC, a network of food pantries serving central Iowa, stated that the ruling has left them in a state of limbo.
The restrictions took effect after the USDA approved Iowa’s request to limit what SNAP recipients could purchase with food assistance benefits. Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds defended the policy as a way to encourage healthier eating, but a federal judge found the USDA did not have the authority to approve the waiver.
Confusion and Uncertainty
Underhill explained that implementing the policy proved more complicated than expected. Some products were eligible for purchase while similar items were not, creating confusion for shoppers and retailers. For example, a three-ingredient healthy granola bar might not be eligible, but a Twix candy bar could be purchased because it contains flour, which is exempted.
The lawsuit challenging Iowa’s waiver argued that the federal government did not have the authority to approve restrictions beyond those already allowed under federal law. U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson agreed, stating that states and federal officials may have a genuine desire to improve the health of SNAP households, but cannot violate the law and their own regulations along the way.
Reynolds criticized the decision, calling it short-sighted and saying it does nothing to improve the health of the country. Underhill expects the ruling to be appealed, which could create even more uncertainty for SNAP recipients and retailers.
Original reporting: KCCI Des Moines — read the source article.
