Copyright Arkansas Online
Your browser does not support the audio element. Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders announced Saturday the state will provide a second installment of $500,000 to be split among six food bank networks in response to the federal government shutdown. Her announcement comes less than 24 hours after a U.S. Supreme Court justice granted an emergency request from President Donald Trump's administration to temporarily block a court order that would have fully funded the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program for November. Following emergency action approval from the chairs of the Arkansas Legislative Council, the Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance will receive the restricted reserve funds Monday, according to a news release from the governor's office. That money will be distributed among Springdale's Northwest Arkansas Food Bank, Norfork's Food Bank of North Central Arkansas, Jonesboro's Food Bank of Northeast Arkansas, Fort Smith's River Valley Regional Food Bank, Little Rock's Arkansas Foodbank and Texarkana's Harvest Regional Food Bank. The "highest SNAP recipient regions" will be prioritized, according to the governor's office. Sanders announced the first $500,000 payment to the state's food bank networks just over a week earlier. The shutdown, which entered its record 39th day Saturday, has persisted after Senate Republicans rejected the Democrats' offer to reopen the government in exchange for extending enhanced subsidies for Affordable Care Act health plans by one year. "I handed out food at a food pantry earlier this week and saw this crisis with my own eyes: struggling Arkansans are hurting every day the Schumer Shutdown continues," Sanders said in the release, referring to Senate Democratic Leader Charles Schumer of New York. "We need Senate Democrats to step up, reopen the government, and fully fund programs like SNAP, but as the shutdown continues, my administration will stand with our partners in the legislature, at churches, and in food banks to help Arkansans stay fed." Sanders said the HelpArkansas.com website would provide information about food assistance resources, volunteering and donations, and she promised updates as the shutdown continues. This story will be updated.
