Friday, April 13, 2018

Advocacy Updates


Farm Bill proposal released – House Agriculture Committee Chairman Michael Conaway’s (R-TX) released a draft farm bill on April 12. The bill contains many proposals that would further restrict eligibility for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and subject additional people to harsh time limits. The proposals in this bill would lead to greater hunger and poverty among all types of beneficiary families, including the working poor, as well as reduced economic activity in communities across the country. The Committee plans to mark up the bill on April 18. You can learn more here.

State legislative session draws to a close – State legislators are finishing work on the 128th legislative session. Good Shepherd Food Bank has been working on LD 173, An Act to Reduce Food Insecurity, which is currently on the Special Appropriations Table. We will continue to try to find funding for our collective statewide hunger relief work and will have an update on the fate of this bill after the legislature adjourns.

For more information about our advocacy efforts, please contact Clara McConnell, Director of Public Affairs, at cmcconnell@gsfb.org.

GSFB Network is a blog for partner agencies of Good Shepherd Food Bank focused on feeding Maine's hungry.