Gov. Katie Hobbs (D-AZ) vetoed a bill Tuesday that would have removed soda from the list of items eligible for purchase under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
The bill from the Republican-controlled Arizona state legislature would have requested a waiver from the Department of Agriculture to exclude soda from SNAP, prohibiting recipients from purchasing soda products with their benefits.
Hobbs, who said she once received food stamps, said state lawmakers should focus on “more productive efforts to expand opportunities for participants to purchase fresh foods.”
“This legislation unnecessarily deprives Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program participants of their purchasing power and relegates them to a new underclass of grocery shoppers,” Hobbs said.
In March, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced that the Trump administration would allow states to stop covering unhealthy foods and beverages, including soft drinks, under SNAP. Removing soda from the list of foods eligible to buy on food stamps and eliminating artificial dyes from food are pillars of the “Make America Healthy Again” movement.
In Arizona, the push for the waiver became partisan, with Republicans supporting it and Democrats united in opposition.
“I think we can all agree that soda has zero nutritional value. I would make this everything from candy to chips to you name it, but I understand that you have to start somewhere,” Republican state Rep. Leo Biasiucci said.
SODA COMPANIES PUSH BACK AGAINST MAHA EFFORTS TO CUT THEM OUT OF FOOD STAMPS
Hobbs did sign into law a measure banning artificial dye and other additives from food served in the state’s public schools. Red Dye No. 40, titanium dioxide, potassium bromate, and other food dyes will be banned.
Gov. Laura Kelly (D-KS) vetoed similar legislation removing soda from SNAP eligibility in Kansas last week. Arkansas and Indiana have both signed measures into law that exempt soda from SNAP benefits.