New bill seeks state support to cover possible lapses in federal food assistance [Video]

The following article was originally published in the Ohio Capital Journal and published on News5Cleveland.com under a content-sharing agreement.

Ohio House Democrats have introduced a bill that would use the state’s Rainy Day Fund in the event that a federal government shutdown causes gaps in food assistance programs.

“All these programs provide essential benefits for Ohioans, and we just can not afford to lose them, whatever happens in DC,” state Rep. Adam Miller, D-Columbus, told the Ohio House Families and Aging Committee on Tuesday.

House Bill 288 would use whatever funds are needed from the Budget Stabilization Fund (the official name for the Rainy Day Fund) to shore up the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC), in the event of a government shutdown caused by the failure of U.S. Congress to pass a spending bill on time.

…