Local news this morning.
Louisiana Governor Edwards (D), threatens cuts to Food Stamp Program.
Louisiana food stamp recipients facing 'gut-wrenching' cuts under current budget plan.
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Louisiana will end the food stamp program that provides aid to nearly one in five state residents by January, unless lawmakers add more money to next year's budget for the social services agency.
The Department of Children and Family Services is slated to take a cut of around $34 million in the budget passed by lawmakers in the final minutes of the just-ended special session. The agency says that will force it to shutter the food stamp program in 2019 because it won't be able to pay for administration of the federally funded benefits.
Nineteen percent of Louisiana residents receive assistance from the food stamp program — known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or SNAP. The Department of Children and Family Services said about half of those recipients are children.
http://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/article_8f1d20aa-6c19-11e8-aae3-97a682fdec24.html