OGDEN, Utah – Utah is one of only a few states to tax food, but lawmakers say food taxation should be a thing of the past.
The state currently has a 1.75% tax on groceries, while some counties and cities across Utah may increase it up to a total of 3%. But State MP Rosemary Lesser, D-Ogden, said she believed the state needed to find other sources of income. She said food tax is particularly burdensome for low-income families and fixed income retirees.
“For people who live from paycheck to paycheck, the demand for food doesn’t change,” she said, “and people sometimes have to choose between a roof over their head and looking for food from all kinds of sources.”
Approximately one in ten households in Utah are considered food insecure because they do not have constant access to enough nutritious food. Lesser said she plans to pass a law in January to take the food tax back. Proponents of the tax say it is a tool to lower the state’s income tax.
Research by the USDA has shown that low-income families spend 36% of their income on groceries, while higher-income families only spend 8%. Lesser said that with food prices rising, working families need all the help they can get.
“People still need food regardless of inflation,” she said, “and I think we as a state must do everything we can to reduce the risk of food insecurity.”
Lesser was part of a bipartisan coalition in 2019 that blocked a plan to raise food taxes to nearly 5%. she said
Polls show that 67% of Utahners are opposed to the food tax, and she sees overwhelming support to end it.
“So this really crosses a number of political lines in my opinion, and it’s a point of consensus – that the people of Utah recognize that taxing a basic necessity is not a good way to go.”
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COLUMBUS, Ohio – A new survey of Ohioans confirms relief programs have been a lifeline for families affected by the effects of the pandemic.
Results from the Center for Community Solutions showed that almost all forms of public assistance and services increased during the pandemic, with 45% of households in Ohio reporting a loss of their income from work and 78% struggling to afford the cost of living.
The study’s lead author, Alex Dorman, said most of the respondents said they also suffered from food insecurity.
“What absolutely shocked me,” he said, “was the high number of low- and middle-income households in Ohio who were not only concerned about running out of food, but running out of food at some point during the pandemic. “
In the survey, 40% of households said they turned to blackboards during the pandemic, compared to around 20% who did so before. In addition, unemployment benefits increased by 12% and the number of people receiving SNAP benefits increased by 7%.
Lisa Hamler-Fugitt, executive director of the Ohio Association of Foodbanks, said it was clear that pandemic relief programs had improved the lives of the hardest hit. The concern now is what happens when the temporary support ends.
“We learned very valuable lessons during this crisis,” he said, “and we need to make sure we understand that there is a correlation between the health and safety and the general well-being of our hungry friends and neighbors.”
Hamler-Fugitt said she is also seeing a new awareness of the role pantries and charities play in responding to community needs.
“It’s a combination of public and private,” she said, “but we need to make sure we have a strong safety net and support basic needs – like food, personal hygiene, the capacity of blackboards and pantries to be able to be effective and efficient to serve their communities as a whole. “
She claimed that this meant passing public policies like the “Build Back Better” plan in Congress. She said she believes this would empower communities through investments like the refundable child tax loan that has helped many Ohio families meet their basic needs.
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RICHMOND, Virginia – Demand from Virginia food banks has skyrocketed during the pandemic, and a new effort aims to fully feed these community lifelines with healthier items.
Before the Richmond Heart Walk, the American Heart Association gathers nutritious, non-perishable foods for delivery to local pantries in the Tri-Cities area. Research has shown that food insecurity can lead to high blood pressure and diabetes, risk factors for heart disease.
Xiomara Encarnacion, Latinx outreach coordinator at Chesterfield Food Bank, said finding healthy, affordable food for the region’s growing Hispanic and Latin American populations can be difficult.
“It is very difficult to find food that is in line with our culture, but the prices are also very high,” she said. “If you want to buy something organic, it is twice as expensive. We offer that on the board. People wait for hours because this is currently the best choice for them.”
The Richmond Heart Walk begins on Saturday, October 23rd at 9:00 am at the Libbie Mill. The American Heart Association is already accepting donations that can be made at the group’s office in Glen Allen. Collective collections can also be arranged.
Zakia McKensey is the executive director of the Nationz Foundation, a nonprofit health organization serving the LGBTQ community in Virginia. The foundation offers a pantry in its Richmond office as well as pantries in its mobile HIV testing units. McKensey said since the pandemic, the foundation has been busy making sure people who need their services have access to fresh food.
“They have already faced oppression, unemployment and housing instability, and the pandemic only makes things worse,” she said. “We have taken very careful care to keep our doors open, to provide safe interactions for our employees to continue serving the needs of the communities we serve.”
Heart Walk participants can also make last minute donations at the event. The donations the AHA is asking for include canned beans and fruits, whole wheat pasta, and more.
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TALLAHASSEE, Florida – After weeks of pressure on Governor Ron DeSantis to apply for a one-time pandemic food stamping program, Florida this week became the last state to apply for more than $ 1 billion for the pandemic electronic benefit and approve transfers (P- EBT) Federal funding.
The program was launched by the US Department of Agriculture in April to help children who depend on school meals distributed over the summer. More than 30 democratic lawmakers and 80 advocacy groups urged the governor to apply for the program.
Florida commissioner for agriculture, Niki Fried, said it was shameful that the state was taking so long to apply.
“I don’t know if it was politically motivated, I don’t know if DCF dropped the ball, and when we called for it, they had to come up with an excuse,” said Fried. “But still, at the end of the day, the money goes to our families across the state.”
A governor’s spokesman once said Flroidains didn’t need the program because the kids were back in school. The program is estimated to help an estimated 2.7 million children in Florida. Families with children in poverty will receive an additional $ 375 in benefits over a 30-day period beginning November 15.
Fried said every penny counts for those who are not sure.
“$ 375 may not sound like much to some people, but for many Floridians it will make all the difference in the world,” Fried said. “Provide money to buy groceries so this week’s paychecks can cover rent or car payments.”
Children under the age of six who have attended childcare and whose families have already participated in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) can also apply for the additional benefit.
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