Wisconsin Republicans really do want people on SNAP to eat gruel.
http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2015/05/01/3653919/wisconsin-food-stamps-shellfish/
But the fact that Brooks doesn’t want to go quite as far as the worst ideas of his colleagues doesn’t mean his proposal would benefit society or make it easier to get out of poverty. Adding more rules to the ones that already constrain food stamps families makes their shopping experiences more stressful and removes their already-limited control over what they put on the dinner table.
The law would restrict access to a whole range of commonplace ingredients. Some of the things that would be harder to buy for poor families who cook include “herbs, spices, or seasonings,” all nuts, red and yellow potatoes, smoothies, spaghetti sauce, “soups, salsas, ketchup,” sauerkraut, pickles, dried beans sold in bulk, and white or albacore tuna. (Cans of “light tuna” are allowed under the rules.)
To demonstrate the perils of food policing at Thursday’s hearing, a Democrat on the committee held up a plate of four different kinds of cheese. Although they are nutritionally indistinguishable, three of the four cheeses would be prohibited. “When you look at something like this cheese plate, there’s no evidence of sharp cheddar fraud. People are not buying sharp cheddar in order to defraud FoodShare, and there’s no nutritional difference. So if those are the stated goals, the bill is not accomplishing either,” Rep. Mark Spreitzer said.
Brooks’ bill is just the latest example of conservatives around the country being loudly concerned about the scourge of poor people making their own decisions. Kansas Republicans recently got a radical, unprecedented list of activities and purchases banned for SNAP and welfare recipients. The Maine GOP is working toward its own version of a “junk food ban,” while a Missouri version of the shellfish idea appears to be going nowhere in the statehouse.
https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/publications/p4/p44578.pdf Some of the things ALREADY restricted.
Not allowed:
NOT ALLOWED:
• Potatoes (except sweet potatoes and orange yams)
• Items from the salad bar, party trays, fruit baskets,
dried fruit, decorative fruits and vegetables
• Nuts, including peanuts, fruit/nut mixtures
• Herbs, spices, or seasonings
Canned food:
Cranberry sauce, pie filling
• With any syrup (heavy, light, naturally light, extra light, etc.)
• With added sugar (sweetened
juice, fruit gel or nectar)
• With artificial sweetener (for example, Splenda or NutraSweet)
NOT ALLOWED:
• Pizza, lasagna or spaghetti sauce
• Soups, salsa, ketchup
• With any oil
Canned fruit/veggies not allowed:
NOT ALLOWED:
• Potatoes, sweet potatoes, orange yams
• Pickles and pickled vegetables (for example, sauerkraut)
• Creamed vegetables (for example, cream-style corn)
• Beans, peas and lentils (for example, black-eye peas, lima,
pinto, kidney, and butter beans) that are allowed on checks
for canned beans/peas/lentils
• Baked beans, pork and beans, refried beans
• Chopped garlic in oil
• Soup, ketchup, relishes, olives
And the list goes on.