Colorado lawmakers debate whether Gov. Jared Polis should tap an emergency reserve fund to help with food stamps
State leaders are in crisis mode as the weekend approaches. The ongoing government shutdown means SNAP benefits will be put on hold. That will result in 600,000 Coloradans -- half of them children -- being unable to buy food.
Gov. Jared Polis asked for $10 million to help food banks meet the need and the Joint Budget Committee approved it Thursday but, everyone agrees it's nowhere near enough. The state is losing $120 million in food stamps every month.
"It is effectively us trying to plow a field with a fork," Senior Budget Analyst Tom Dermod told the committee. "This $10 million -- even with the buying power of the food banks -- is only going to maybe get to about $50 million for November and December. It's riddled with holes."
Republican state Sen. Barb Kirkmeyer agreed and said "You're right, this solution is riddled with holes."
She says the state can -- and should -- do more. She says if the governor declared a state of emergency he could tap the Disaster Emergency Fund that she says had a $269 million balance as of Sept. 30.
"We have a responsibility to ensure that we treat this as an emergency and provide for the people in this state. And we have the means to do so," Kirkmeyer said.
Her Democratic colleagues agree more money is needed but worry the food stamp emergency is just the first of many.
"We've also got a disaster on our hands where people's health insurance premiums are about to double," said state Rep. Emily Sirota.
Kirkmeyer said it's ludicrous to sit on the money just in case another disaster happens.
"That's like saying 'Well, you're going to go without food tonight because you may have a fire tomorrow,'" Kirmeyer said.
Because the legislature isn't in session, lawmakers can't approve more than the governor requests. Republican state Rep. Rick Taggert suggested asking him to bump it up.
"This is food. And I'm scared to death because I'm from one of those regions that relies on this," Taggert said.
State Sen. Jeff Bridges, Chair of the Budget Committee, says he's also scared but he cautioned every dollar the state puts toward food stamps will need to be cut from somewhere else. The budget is already in the hole $800 million next year.
"We are making the same kinds of very difficult choices that families across the state are going to have to make because the federal government is shut down and they just can't get their s--t together," Bridges said.
Kirkmeyer says the state should also be putting together an emergency response plan. She says the governor should be meeting with state agencies, faith-based organizations, schools and nonprofits like the Salvation Army and United Way to see how they can help. The governor's office says he's been doing just that for several weeks.