Gov. Katie Hobbs considers declaring a state of emergency in Arizona over delay in SNAP benefits
Gov. Katie Hobbs told Outspoken with Bruce & Gaydos on Thursday she was considering declaring a state of emergency over SNAP benefits.
Watch: Gov. Katie Hobbs calls out President Trump for his handling of SNAP benefits | 17 mins
PHOENIX — Gov. Katie Hobbs may declare a state of emergency in Arizona due to delays in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, which are affecting hundreds of thousands of residents across the state.
“We’re looking at all the options. We’re considering a state of emergency,” Hobbs told KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Outspoken with Bruce & Gaydos on Thursday. “There’s a limited pool of funding that’s available.”
Around 900,000 Arizonans rely on SNAP to feed themselves, so the stakes are high. Although no decision has been made yet, Hobbs stressed the importance of taking the proper legal steps to avoid future challenges if she does declare a state of emergency.
“We want to make sure, if we do that, that we get it legally right so that a challenge would hold up in court,” she added. “But we want to make sure that we’re looking at every tool that’s available.”
Trump administration is ‘cruel’ by causing chaos over SNAP benefits, Hobbs says
Her concerns stem from the complex legal landscape surrounding SNAP.
According to the Associated Press, the administration has shifted its position multiple times — initially stating no payments would be made, then offering partial coverage from emergency funds, later committing to 50% and most recently pledging 65%.
“I am furious about this decision by the Trump administration. At this point, they’re just being cruel,” Hobbs said. “The thing is: They have these funds. They have access to these funds. These funds have been used before during a government shutdown to make sure that people got their SNAP benefits and they didn’t go hungry.”
Earlier Thursday, before Hobbs joined Outspoken with Bruce & Gaydos, a group of nonprofits and cities won a legal victory on Thursday after a federal judge in Rhode Island demanded that the Trump administration fully fund SNAP benefits for November.
However, the Trump administration promptly challenged that order in court.
All of these legal challenges wouldn’t be happening if Trump had taken swift action with SNAP funds, Hobbs said.
“He could have released these funds a long time ago at the beginning of the shutdown and said, ‘If the shutdown lasts a long time, we have these funds. They’re going to go to states. People are going to get their SNAP benefits. They’re not going to go hungry.’ He didn’t do that.”
Gov. Hobbs says Washington chaos delays SNAP benefits for Arizonans
The Trump administration’s inconsistent promises surrounding food assistance have caused chaos across the states, Hobbs said.
“There’s an unbelievable amount of complication for states and having to adjust the amounts that people get because the funding was only partial funding — not full funding,” Hobbs said. “Then they keep changing the guidance, so they keep causing all this chaos and confusion.”
In Arizona alone, about 30,000 veterans depend on SNAP and roughly 40% of the state’s benefits go toward feeding children.
“People who are hungry because they don’t have money for groceries — and were supposed to get their benefits on Nov. 1 — still don’t have them,” Hobbs said. “It is infuriating. … He can fix it and he refuses to and he’s making it worse and harder for people.”
If you are dealing with food insecurity or want to help those who are, the Arizona Food Bank Network website has a list of available resources, including a database of food banks, pantries and soup kitchens that serve people in need and accept donations. Additionally, donations can be made by texting “food” to 620620.
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Comments
12 Comments
Democrats in the Senate, around 93% of them or 44/45 of 47 them. Have voted no on the CR passed by the House, keeping the US Government closed.
On the other hand, over 98% of the Republicans in the Senate, 52 of 53. Have voted to open up the US Government.
So yes, the Democrats continually vote to keep the Government closed.
An emergency like covid was a emergency everyone made a mountain out of a mole hill on that one. Thats what their doing with this snap. 42 million people should be on them obama phones calling their representatives like if they were working for a call center telling them democrats to open the government.
It would be very interesting to see how many of these 900,000 Arizonans who need assistance to feed themselves, have very nice i-phones and other "necessities."