MADISON - A Wisconsin lawmaker would like to make the
state??s food stamp program a healthier one by prohibiting the purchase of junk
food, the Associated Press reports.
State Rep. Dean Kaufert said people on the state??s FoodShare
program, the nutrition assistance initiative, should not be able to purchase
chips, soft drinks or cakes, and should instead be limited to purchase "staple
foods and beverages that have nutritional value."
"The system is being abused," he said. "Some
people are not spending their benefits wisely."
Kaufert??s bill doesn??t stipulate which products would be
affected by his proposal, and the state can??t change what FoodShare covers
without a federal waiver.
That??s because the program relies on federal money, which
allows the purchase of nearly any food other than restaurant meals (as well as
alcohol, cigarettes and non-food items).
Last year, the food stamp program came under criticism when
there were reports of recipients selling their benefit cards to others and applying
for replacements.
A spokesperson for Governor Scott Walker has declined to
comment on the bill, saying only that the governor would review it should it
pass.
Cassandra Vanderwall, public policy coordinator for the
Madison Dietetic Association, said restrictions on food stamp users' food
purchases are unfair because of the lack of universal access to grocery stores.
Instead, she said the state should invest more in nutrition education.