- Podcasts
Podcasts - Videos
Videos - Policy Issues
Policy Issues - About
About
Evers Signs MAHA SNAP Reform Bill
Wisconsin’s governor isn’t talking about the ban on cupcakes and soda on the state’s new food stamp law.
Gov. Tony Evers on Monday signed a new law (Act 116, formerly AB 180) that looks to ban sugary snacks and drinks from Wisconsin’s FoodShare program. The law also guarantees $70 million to administer that program.
Evers focused on that when he signed the law.
"I am glad to be able to sign this bill today so we can continue to provide for the over 700,000 Wisconsinites who rely on FoodShare and depend on the state to support this critical program and keep our error rates low,” Evers said in a statement. “In spite of the chaos at the federal level and the continued attacks on our FoodShare program, I am proud of the work my administration has done over the past year to ensure our kids, families, veterans, and seniors across our state receive the resources they need to access basic food and groceries.”
The law will use $70 million in state dollars to keep Wisconsin’s food stamp error rate below 6%. Under the Big Beautiful Bill, any state that goes above 6% will have to pay millions in fines. Gov. Evers said that price tag could be close to $200 million.
Wisconsin’s last food stamp error rate, however, was under 5%.
But the new law also requires the state to request a waiver to ban FoodShare families from using their food stamps for snacks, soda, and things like cupcakes.
Rep. Clint Moses, R-Menomonie, sponsored the new law.
“I authored [the legislation] to restore the intent of Foodshare and ensure nutrition assistance is being used for nutritious food, not candy and soft drinks. The final version keeps that core policy in place while also giving Wisconsin the resources it needs to respond to federal changes and protect taxpayers,” Moses said.
There is no guarantee that the federal government will grant Wisconsin’s no soda waiver, but the Trump Administration has already approved similar waivers in a number of states.
Interested in the content of this Article?
Reach out to the MacIver Institute to aquire more information
