U.S. Rep. Jill Tokuda introduced new legislation Tuesday to address the inaccurate calculation of the state’s food-cost data used to determine Supplemental Nutrition Program benefits for local families.
According to Tokuda, Hawaii’s SNAP benefits are based on food-cost data from Honolulu and do not take into account the higher cost of food for those living on neighbor islands.
The Feeding Rural Families Act would modify the Hawaii Thrifty Food Plan adjustment to include separate adjustments for urban and rural parts of the state.
“It is absolutely unacceptable that SNAP benefits for Hawaii have been calculated in a way that ignores that we are an island state,” Tokuda said. “Any calculation that only considers Oahu is disregarding our neighbor island communities.”
More than 37,000 households in Tokuda’s Congressional District 2 rely on SNAP benefits to feed themselves and their families.
When I fly throughout my district, I walk through grocery stores and see the higher prices and often the empty shelves,” Tokuda said. It's outrageous that while even Alaska has provisions to calculate for both urban (and) rural and remote areas, Hawaii has been left out. My bill calls for fairness for our rural and remote communities and asks for the same considerations provided to Alaska. Our ohana in the Second District deserve better than this arbitrary data collection area for the Thrifty Food Plan that would result in a significant reduction in SNAP food money for my constituents who need it most.”
Michael Tsai covers local and state politics for Spectrum News Hawaii. He can be reached at michael.tsai@charter.com.