Governor Reeves requests waivers to encourage healthier purchases while using SNAP benefits

JACKSON, Miss. (VDN) — Governor Tate Reeves today announced that he has requested a waiver from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service to ban the purchase of unhealthy processed foods and beverages using Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. Additionally, Governor Reeves requested a waiver allowing the purchase of hot prepared chicken using SNAP benefits.

“Welfare benefits are a hand-up for those in desperate, temporary need,” said Governor Tate Reeves. “When taxpayers fund these things, they do so strategically. They’re trying to help their neighbors into a better life – a more fulfilling one. That means a job you can be proud of, and a lifestyle that is healthy: on a physical and spiritual level. 

“In a nation that is printing money daily just to make our debt payments, it doesn’t make sense to throw your tax money at anything other than the true necessities. So it makes no sense at all to fund sugar instead of hearty nutritious meals. That’s why we’re amending our food stamp rules to allow good sustaining food like rotisserie chickens and disallow sugary candy and drinks. If the first ingredient is sugar or corn syrup, it won’t be available with taxpayer money any more. This has been approved by the Trump administration in 12 states, and I expect Mississippi to be the next. It’s just common sense.”

Once Governor Reeves’ request is approved by the USDA, processed foods that list sugar, cane sugar, corn syrup or high fructose corn syrup as the first ingredient will be prohibited for purchase using SNAP benefits. This excludes granulated sugar, raw sugar, and other single-ingredient sugars used for cooking and baking.

Beverages that list carbonated water and sugar, cane sugar, corn syrup or high fructose corn syrup as the first two ingredients will also be prohibited for purchase using SNAP benefits. Beverages that list aspartame or other low- or noncaloric sweeteners as the first two ingredients will remain eligible for purchase.

Hot prepared chicken will now also be eligible for purchase using SNAP benefits. This includes items like rotisserie and non-fried, non-breaded chicken. Mississippi will also collaborate with the Double Up Food Bucks Program to encourage and increase the purchase of fresh fruits and vegetables when hot prepared chicken is purchased.

Governor Reeves’ waiver requests are in line with the Trump administration and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s mission to Make America Healthy Again.