Ohio House Minority Leader Dani Isaacsohn said on March 19 that the Republican-backed House Bill 730 would change how Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) administrative funds are distributed in Ohio, leaving thousands of veterans, children, and community members at risk of hunger.
Isaacsohn said the proposed changes would allocate enough state funding to feed people in smaller, Republican-leaning counties but not those living in larger, Democratic-leaning counties. “This Republican-passed legislation means children, disabled Ohioans, and veterans will go hungry. Republicans have intentionally chosen to allocate sufficient state funding to feed Ohioans in smaller, red counties while failing to fund Democrats and Republicans alike who live in larger, blue counties,” Isaacsohn said.
According to Isaacsohn, more than 60 percent of SNAP recipients live in Ohio’s largest counties. However, under the new proposal these areas would receive only about 20 percent of the allocated state funding. He also noted that over half a million children and 45,000 veterans rely on SNAP benefits across the state.
Isaacsohn warned that underfunding caseworkers could result in costly errors that might jeopardize federal SNAP dollars and make groceries less affordable for families. He added that moving away from a needs-based formula could lead to higher local taxes, service cuts, and layoffs.
House Democrats are calling for a return to a fair funding approach that supports all 88 counties and helps families manage rising costs. “We know what it takes to provide the necessary services to our hungriest, poorest, and most vulnerable Ohioans. We should not champion Trump’s big cuts to Ohioans while their electric bills double and gas prices skyrocket. An unaffordable grocery bill is just another burden that Ohio Republicans have added to household budgets,” Isaacsohn said.
