$1 = 4 Meals

"SNAP benefits are paid by the federal government. Any reduction in SNAP caseloads due to stricter HB 200 requirements would save federal funds but increase state and county costs to administer the program. Members of the General Assembly need look no further than an analysis by the Ohio Legislative Service Commission to judge whether the questionable benefits of HB 200 — if there are any — are greater than the costs."

"House Bill 200 would create an expensive new bureaucracy that will cost Ohio taxpayers millions. Grocery stores would lose millions in federally funded SNAP benefits, leading to lost jobs, lost local tax revenue and store closures. Taking food away from hungry people living on the brink does not promote work — it just drives more people to our food pantry lines."

Guest columnist Kristin Warzocha, president and CEO of the Greater Cleveland Food Bank, discusses the urgent need for a response to increased demand for help with food from seniors. "The Ohio senior population is expected to increase significantly in the coming years. Many will be low-income seniors in need of food assistance: More than half of Cleveland’s seniors live on incomes of less than $25,000 a year."