The Advocate. May 5, 2024.
Editorial: With summer EBT deal, state shows united front to feed kids
Sometimes common sense prevails.
We are beyond pleased to hear the state has reversed course and will participate in a federal program that will provide $71 million to help feed nearly 600,000 Louisiana children over the summer. What’s even more praiseworthy is how a broad coalition from all parts of the state came together to make this happen.
It says something about Louisiana — and about how we look out for our struggling families — that when it matters, we can unite to find solutions.
In February, the state rejected funds for the Electronic Benefits Transfer program, which helps families that qualify for free and reduced lunch during the school year pay for groceries when school is out.
Gov. Jeff Landry’s administration argued that other programs were sufficient to feed kids. There were rumblings that the $3.6 million it would cost the state Department of Children and Family Services to administer the program was somehow overly burdensome. There was also some vague ideological claptrap from DCFS Secretary David Matlock about the aid making families dependent, and not providing them “a pathway to self-sufficiency.”
Back then, we and others spilled manywords refuting these arguments. But as the Legislature moved to put EBT back on the table for Louisiana, Rep. Jack McFarland, R-Jonesboro, only needed one.
“ Hogwash! ” the House Appropriations Committee chair thundered on the House floor, in response to administration officials saying that they couldn’t possibly make the program work in time for summer.
By Wednesday, after a meeting between legislative leaders and DCFS officials, it appeared that they could after all. Last week, Louisiana gave notice to the feds that it would be joining the 35 other states in the program.
Senate President Cameron Henry, R-Metairie, and state House Speaker Phillip Devillier, R-Eunice, worked together to make the necessary appropriation happen, but other key Democratic and Republican players deserve credit for helping lawmakers realize its importance. Food banks and chefs around the state raised their voices to find ways to feed kids. Educators and activists rallied to the cause. Local officials in urban and rural areas expressed support. Devillier said he even heard from grocery store owners in his district who were eager to have that money go to their customers. The mothers and fathers of Louisiana who need the aid also advocated for themselves and spoke up about what it would mean.
Make no mistake, this aid matters to many low-income parents. The EBT program provides $120 per eligible child for three months. While that might not seem like much, it could make the difference in whether a child goes to bed hungry or not. In Louisiana, where about one in four children live in poverty, that’s what we should be focused on.
It’s encouraging that our lawmakers did not lose sight of that this time.
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