By Madison Bickley
Published: Mar. 26, 2025 at 7:04 PM EDT
TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) – Kansas lawmakers are sending Governor Laura Kelly a bill, directing the state to ask for a waiver so people couldn’t use SNAP benefits to buy items such as candy and soft drinks.
“One of the things you most often lose first is the lack of choice in your life when you become under-resourced. People feel like because you don’t have as much money, that must mean that you’re not wise enough to make different decisions in your life and that’s not true. You having less money just means that you have less money,” said Founder and Executive Director for SENT Inc., Johnathan Sublet.
Through SENT’S work with its Southside Filling Station, Sublet said he’s seen first-hand that most families aren’t abusing the system.
“With those 600 families – a lot of them we have relationships with and so we know they’re not misusing funds – they are doing the absolute best,” said Sublet.
Sublet said the government can show real concern by allocating any savings to other ways of helping Kansans.
“Given the projected savings for this program, in the way they’re proposing it, let’s take those earnings and let’s fully fund special education – which is underfunded right now in the state, or let’s partially fund Medicaid expansion because if we truly believe making this cut is about saving dollars in our state and in our federal government then we should be able to re-target and re-appropriate those savings,” said Sublet.
13 NEWS contacted several legislators in support of the bill. Representative Brian Bergkamp provided the statement below.
This bill is designed to promote better health outcomes, not to restrict or penalize individuals. The N in SNAP stands for nutrition, so it is logical that some constraints are appropriate for the program. Given that soda ranks as one of the largest expenditures for SNAP recipients (prepared desserts not far behind), it makes sense to align the program more closely with established nutritional guidelines, such as those championed by First Lady Michelle Obama’s MyPlate initiative. This focuses on eating more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and protein. First Lady Obama and the USDA recognized it is imperative we shift our mindset on what we eat. Since SNAP is funded by federal tax dollars, it is our responsibility to ensure these resources are spent wisely, prioritizing nutritious options. With rising healthcare costs, encouraging better nutrition not only improves individual well-being, but also helps reduce the financial burden on Medicaid and other taxpayer-funded programs. Without addressing better health outcomes at all levels, Kansas’ Medicaid expenditures will continue to grow and compete for other programs such as school funding etc.
(R) Representative Brian Bergkamp