Dusty Johnson to seek ban on soda, candy from South Dakota SNAP program if elected governor
Trump administration, USDA approving waivers to remove junk food from nation's largest nutrition assistance program
Rep. Dusty Johnson said Monday that he would move to ban the use of food stamps to buy soda and candy if he gets elected governor next year.
Johnson, who is running for the Republican nomination for governor, said he would also expand access to local meat in schools and streamline rules to make it easier for small vegetable and meat producers to sell directly to consumers and groceries.
Johnson noted that his plan to restrict soda and candy from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, would not result in a benefit cut to SNAP recipients. What it would do, however, is direct that spending to healthier foods.
“If we’re buying candy bars with that money, I don’t think their dietary needs are being met,” he told The Dakota Scout. More than 75,000 people are on the program in South Dakota.
SCOUTING REPORT | Investigating a beef monopoly, Covid holdouts, deploying South Dakota troops
Cattle ranchers have long griped that the nation’s beef packers collude to drive down the value of their stock, while hiking up the price that consumers pay for beef. Amid record-high beef prices, those complaints have grown. The beef packing industry in the United States is dominated by four large packers, prompting complaints of monopolistic behavior.
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to The Dakota Scout to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.