Forty groups that are part of the Iowa Hunger Coalition are urging Governor Reynolds to veto a bill that establishes an asset test for the food stamp program. The state would do more frequent income checks to see if Iowans remain eligibility for government assistance. E.J. Wallace is the regional advisor for the Save the Children Action Network.
Iowa Farmers Union president Aaron Lehman says SNAP benefits — also known as food stamps — are important in rural Iowa.
Matt Unger is C-E-O of the Des Moines Area Religious Council which operates 15 food pantries and a mobile pantry. Unger and the maagers of other feeding programs say they’ll have to expand to feed more Iowans who are eligible for food stamps, but may lose benefits due to paperwork delays and mistakes.
Governor Reynolds has not indicated whether she’ll sign the bill. The new asset test would make any household with more than 15-thousand dollars in assets that can quickly be turned into cash ineligible. A home, a vehicle and a second vehicle worth less than 10-thousand dollars would not be included in that calculation.
