{"id":5084403,"date":"2019-08-06T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2019-08-06T04:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ctlatinonews.com\/proposed-changes-to-snap-could-have-a-huge-impact-on-connecticut-including-latinos\/"},"modified":"2019-08-06T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2019-08-06T04:00:00","slug":"proposed-changes-to-snap-could-have-a-huge-impact-on-connecticut-including-latinos","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/latinonewsnetwork.com\/ctln\/2019\/08\/06\/proposed-changes-to-snap-could-have-a-huge-impact-on-connecticut-including-latinos\/","title":{"rendered":"Proposed changes to SNAP could have a huge impact on Connecticut, including Latinos"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A proposal by the Trump Administration to tighten eligibility for food stamps could impact more than 11,000 Connecticut residents, dealing a major blow to the elderly, children and working poor, according to anti-hunger advocates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The proposed changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, (SNAP), would curtail what is commonly known as broad-based categorical eligibility. This has allowed states, including Connecticut, to expand the number of low-income residents who qualify for food stamps.<\/p>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The policy is a \u201cloophole\u201d that needs\nto be closed because it has allowed states to bypass \u201cimportant eligibility\nguidelines,\u201d said U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue.<\/p>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Anti-hunger advocates, however, say its needed, especially in a state like Connecticut with its high-cost of living, and expressed alarm about the proposed changes.<\/p>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIt\u2019s horrible,\u201d said Robin Lamott\nSparks, executive directors of End Hunger Connecticut!. \u201cThere are a lot of\nfamilies who are going to be hurt by this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">According to data from <a href=\"https:\/\/statisticalatlas.com\/state\/Connecticut\/Food-Stamps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">statisticalatlas.com<\/a>, in Connecticut, 33.2 percent of Latinos receive SNAP benefits. <\/h4>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The USDA\u2019s new rule would stop the\nability of states to distribute food stamps to people earning more than 130\npercent of poverty guidelines, which is $33,475 for a family of four.<\/p>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Currently, Connecticut allows those\nearning up to 185 percent of the federal poverty level to enroll in SNAP.<\/p>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The proposed changes would also hurt\nchildren who receive free or reduced-price school meals.<\/p>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThis proposal could cause thousands\nof people in Connecticut \u2014 children, older adults, people with disabilities and\nworking families \u2014 to lose SNAP benefits, and could jeopardize access to school\nlunches for many low-income students,\u201d said Deb Polun, executive director of\nthe Connecticut Association for Community Action.<\/p>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">About 500,000 would lose access to\nschool meals if the rule were implemented, said Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-3<sup>rd<\/sup>\nDistrict.<\/p>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The proposed changes could have severe\nimpacts on Latino students who receive free or reduced-price lunches.<\/p>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">During the 2017-2018 school year,\nLatinos made up 25 percent of students in Connecticut schools.<\/p>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">School districts with the highest percentage of Latino students are New Britain, 64 percent; Hartford, 53 percent; Waterbury, 53 percent; Bridgeport, 48 percent; New Haven, 45 percent; and Stamford, 44 percent.<\/p>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In New Britain, a total of 7,856\nstudents were eligible for <a href=\"http:\/\/data.ctdata.org\/visualization\/student-enrollment-by-meal-eligibility?v=table&amp;f=%7B%22Variable%22:%20%22Student%20Enrollment%22,%20%22Measure%20Type%22:%20%22Number%22,%20%22District%22:%20%5B%22Connecticut%22,%20%22Hartford%20School%20District%25\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">free\nlunch<\/a> during the 2017-2018 school year. In Hartford, 14,062 students\nwere eligible for free lunches during the same period.<\/p>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cPresident Trump and Secretary Perdue are waging a war against the most vulnerable people in our country,\u201d DeLauro said.<\/p>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The \u201cheartless\u201d rule was drafted \u201cin a\ndesperate attempt to implement these cruel provisions because Congress rejected\nthem in last year\u2019s Farm Bill,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Connecticut Attorney General William\nTong is weighing a legal response.<\/p>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThis is another cruel and pointless\npolicy from President Trump,\u201d he said. \u201cThe Trump administration has no problem\nwasting taxpayer dollars on tax breaks for the rich, gratuitous parades and\ngolf outings, but decides to cut corners when it comes to food for families in\nneed?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe will do everything we can to fight\nthis rule on behalf of Connecticut\u2019s most vulnerable families.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Source: ctmirror.org<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u201cThe Trump administration has no problem wasting taxpayer dollars on tax breaks for the rich, gratuitous parades and golf outings, but decides to cut corners when it comes to food for families in need?\u201d<br \/>\n-William Tong, Connecticut Attorney General<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","ghostkit_customizer_options":"","ghostkit_custom_css":"","ghostkit_custom_js_head":"","ghostkit_custom_js_foot":"","ghostkit_typography":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center 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-William Tong, Connecticut Attorney General","authors":[{"term_id":565,"user_id":0,"is_guest":1,"slug":"news-editor","display_name":"News 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