Nebraska governor stands firm on rejection of federal money to feed food-insecure children

OMAHA, Neb. — Nebraska’s Republican governor on Friday reiterated his rejection of $18 million in federal funding to help feed children who would otherwise go hungry while school is out.

Nebraska will not participate in the Summer 2024 Electronic Child Benefit Transfer, or Summer EBT, program, Gov. Jim Pillen said in a written statement. That statement came as advocates for low-income children and families held a news conference outside the Governor’s Mansion in Lincoln to ask Pillen to change her mind before the Jan. 1 deadline to sign up for the program. .

The program, part of the federal assistance available during the COVID-19 pandemic, would provide preloaded EBT cards to families whose children are eligible for free or reduced-price school lunches. Those families would receive $40 per eligible child per month during the summer. The cards can be used to purchase food, similar to how SNAP benefits are used.

“COVID-19 is over and Nebraska taxpayers expect pandemic-era government relief programs to end as well,” Pillen said in his statement. Pillen announced on December 19 that Nebraska would not participate in the program. He comes under fire for later defending that position at a press conference, saying, “I don’t believe in well-being.”

Neighboring Iowa is also opting out of the program, with Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds announcing that decision last week, saying, “An EBT card does nothing to promote nutrition at a time when childhood obesity is on the rise.” “It has become an epidemic.”

States participating in the federal program must cover half of the administrative costs, which would cost Nebraska an estimated $300,000. Proponents of the program point out that the administrative cost is far outweighed by the $18 million benefit, which the U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates would benefit 175,000 Nebraska children who would otherwise go hungry some days of the year. summer.

The advocacy group Nebraska Appleseed on Friday delivered a petition with more than 6,100 signatures from 230 Nebraska communities asking the state to use the federal Summer EBT program. Many of those who signed the petition also included comments expressing how necessary the program is, especially in light of multi-year inflation that has exceeded the incomes of many households.

“Everything is expensive,” wrote a mother from Bruno, a small rural town in eastern Nebraska. “I am a single mother who works full time and my budget is already very small. My son plays sports, and as a growing son, “Wow, I could practically punch a hole in the wall; it feels like it never stops. The extra money for food would free up money for things like bills, savings, and car maintenance.”

Pillen insisted Friday that the state would continue to help food-insecure children through the Summer Food Service Program, which provides meals and snacks at various sites when school is out. Providing on-site services also allows providers to detect and report problems such as malnutrition, neglect and abuse in children, she said.

But critics say not all families have access to on-site programs, particularly in Nebraska’s vast rural areas, where sites can be many miles away from a struggling family.

“No child ever said, ‘I want to be born into a family that struggles,’” said Jenni Benson, president of the Nebraska State Education Association, the state’s largest teachers union. “Why should we even question that people and children deserve food?”

Preston Love Jr, a longtime community advocate in Omaha, questioned Friday whether Pillen was bowing to political pressure by rejecting federal funding.

“I know the governor a little and he seems to be a reasonable man. He is a compassionate man in conversation,” Love said. “This is out of line. So obviously he’s not following his heart. He is following his policy. He is being a victim of political posturing and there is no excuse for that when it comes to children.”

As of Friday, 28 other states and six other U.S. territories and Native American tribes had confirmed their participation, according to the USDA.