Nebraska Parent Advisory Council Addresses Food Security

Representatives of the Nebraska Parent Advisory Council (NPAC) spoke at the annual Legislative Days event in Lincoln on Monday, 13, 2023. They addressed Governor Jim Pillen as well as some senators on the subject of food security.The council spoke in support of three bills under consideration by the legislature.LB84One bill would change provisions relating to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).If passed, LB84 would change the gross income eligibility limit and reporting requirement. More specifically, the bill would make the pandemic-related extension of SNAP benefits permanent, at 165 percent of the poverty level. That extension is currently set to sunset on September 31, 2023. Once that happens, income eligibility would drop to 130 percent of the poverty level.According to one NPAC speaker, “If the eligibility limit reverts back to 130 percent of the poverty level, a multitude of families across the state, including my own, will not be able to thrive. With the limit being so low, SNAP barely even comes close to reaching all the families that are in need. If it drops even lower, it will be impossible to responsibly serve Nebraska's children in poverty. Further, a domino effect will surely ensue. Food being a cornerstone in stability, it is truly interconnected to every other part of a family's welfare. Without proper nutrition/basic food security there are more health issues in our children, thus, burdening the state in healthcare costs. Families right on the edge of eligibility (cliff effect) will be forced to use rent monies on food leading to more evictions/displacements statewide. This will lead to families seeing more of the children removed from unstable homes and more children placed in foster care; once more burdening our tax dollars unnecessarily. The desperation at pivotal moments like these for mothers and fathers lead to a rise in crime across the state. These conditions lend to a higher recidivism rate for jails and addictions alike. When people cannot thrive, they are forced to survive, often by any means necessary. This holds true for the opposite, when people are not forced to merely survive, they thrive. Being able to focus on thriving instead of striving leads to them growing to reach the ability to come off of benefits/government assistance altogether. They need sustained support to be able to grow to that place, much like a plant needs air, soil, and light to grow strong. When the families grow strong, they can come off assistance flourishing. When we neglect basic needs being sustained, we cut them down back to the starting point of growth and it becomes a vicious circle. It is a huge relief on our system, monetarily, to use preventative measure to resist the domino effect from ever spiraling Nebraska families into such a circle and financial burden on our tax dollars; and it is a huge relief to families at large, to use prevention tactics like LB84 to support families to thrive before the crisis.”LB99LB99 creates the Hunger-Free Schools Act, which would provide every public school student access to an eligible breakfast and eligible lunch during the school day at no cost to that student.NPAC noted, “Families are facing rising food costs which have outpaced wages. This has made school meals hard to manage for some families, particularly those who are in the gap between qualifying for the traditional free and reduced-price federal meal program. LB99 has the ability to reduce child hunger and food insecurity, end school food stigma, terminate 'lunch shaming,' and end school debt. It should not be quickly overlooked.”NPAC also pointed to studies that show that ensuring children are fed enhances overall academic achievement.LB661If passed, LB661 would appropriate funds to the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) from the General Fund, with the intent of creating a program to award grants to non-profit organizations for regional or local capacity and food security. It is intended to decrease Nebraska's reliance on national supply chains, as well as support local businesses.According to the NCAP, “There is no better way for Nebraska to thrive as a whole and for Nebraskans to flourish as individual families, than to learn again how to be more self sufficient in regard to locally grown/raised food. If correctly handled, this fund could bring Nebraska more independence and food security statewide. Assisting producers in providing for more of their locality and reconnecting the people to the source for programs like 'Farm to School' could expand the economy full circle. Nebraska spends over $5 billion annually on food and 90 percent of that money leaves the state. There exists, however, an opportunity and a need to create comprehensive regional food systems in Nebraska that include farming and community gardening, processing, storage, distribution and transportation, and food access.”

Search Warrant in Wymore Results in Drug Charges

Several Bills Supported by Youth Leaders for Legislative Days

Related Articles

Governor’s Tax Package Defeated (For Now)

Wind and a Squirrel Wreak Havoc with City’s Power

Fairbury High School Student Awarded Farm Bureau Scholarship

FCC Investigating 911 Outage