A NEW PROPOSAL BY THE TRUMP
ADMINISTRATION COULD AFFECT
FAMILIES THAT QUALIFY FOR FOOD
STAMPS. AND AS NEWS 4 TUCSON'S
ERIC FINK EXPLAINS... IT COULD
DROP SOME KIDS WHO CURRENTLY
QUALIFY FOR FREE OR REDUCED
SCHOOL LUNCH. 0 - 27 28 - 36
37 - 55 1:38 - 1:49
RIGHT NOW THE GOVERNMENT FUNDED
SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION
ASSISTANCE PROGRAM OR*SNAP
QUALIFIES 265-THOUSAND KIDS
NATIONWIDE FOR FREE LUNCHES.
Any changes to benefits that
families are going to receive
is something that shouldn't be
taken lightly. LINDSAY AGUILAR
IS TUCSON UNIFIED SCHOOL
DISTRICT'S FOOD SERVICES
COORDINATOR. our percentage is
just under 70 percent of our
students qualify for free
reduced lunch. Of that, 43
percent are directly certified
meaning they automatically
qualify for snap benefits or
TANF benefits so it
automatically qualifies them
for free meals. AGUILAR SAYS
TUSD SERVES LUNCH AT LEAST ONE
MEAL EVERYDAY TO ABOUT 35,000
KIDS THROUGHOUT THE DISTRICT.
It's important for our
community and people in the
country to remember what the
national school lunch program
and why it was founded. We do
reach lots of children across
the country. THE U-S
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE SAYS
3 MILLION AMERICANS COULD LOSE
FOOD ASSISTANCE AS A RESULT OF
THE WHITE HOUSE LOOKING TO
CLOSE A POTENTIAL LOOPHOLE
THAT ALLOWS STATES TO GIVE
BENEFITS TO CERTAIN PEOPLE WHO
OTHERWISE WOULDN'T BE
ELIGIBLE. SECRETARY OF
AGRICULTURE SONNY PURDUE SAID
IN A STATEMENT QUOTE... "FOR
TOO LONG, THIS LOOPHOLE HAS
BEEN USED TO EFFECTIVELY
BYPASS IMPORTANT ELIGIBILITY
GUIDELINES. TOO OFTEN, STATES
HAVE MISUSED THIS FLEXIBILITY
WITHOUT RESTRAINT, THE
AMERICAN PEOPLE EXPECT THEIR
GOVERNMENT TO BE FAIR,
EFFICIENT, AND TO HAVE
INTEGRITY - JUST AS THEY DO IN
THEIR OWN HOMES, BUSINESSES,
AND COMMUNITIES. THAT IS WHY
WE ARE CHANGING THE RULES,
PREVENTING ABUSE OF A CRITICAL
SAFETY NET SYSTEM, SO THOSE
WHO NEED FOOD ASSISTANCE THE
MOST ARE THE ONLY ONES WHO
RECEIVE IT." AGUILAR SAYS SOME
T-U-S-D FAMILIES COULD BE
DIRECTLY IMPACTED. We could
potentially lose some meal
participation because a lot of
times if families are
automatically qualified
because they know their
children are getting a meal
and they don't have to worry
about it. TAG ------ THE
PUBLIC HAS 60 DAYS TO COMMENT
ON THIS PROPOSAL.
POLICE SAY THEY HAVE FOU
