Food assistance funding will continue in Wisconsin

Gov. Tony Evers says his administration has reached a deal with the USDA, and Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), to ensure the state will continue receiving more than $70 million in food assistance benefits, for more than 400,000 Wisconsin households.

“I’m proud we were able to work with our federal partners to come to an agreement that will ensure we can keep providing these critical resources to Wisconsinites across our state,” said Evers.

Under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act of 2020, the USDA may provide additional emergency food assistance allotments to requesting states for which an emergency or disaster declaration has been, because of an outbreak of COVID-19. In Wisconsin, these emergency allotment benefits, which are entirely federally funded, now are more than $70 million per month.

In its decision in Fabick v. Evers, the Supreme Court of Wisconsin struck down Evers’ public health emergency and effectively barred the governor from declaring a new public health emergency, relating to the coronavirus pandemic, leaving Wisconsin under no emergency or disaster declaration. The decision therefire rendered the state ineligible to receive these additional funds under the federal requirements.

After the court’s decision, Evers and members of the Evers Administration worked with the USDA/FNS to reach an agreement, ensuring Wisconsin will continue to receive the funds in the absence of the governor being able to declare a public health emergency. Now, the USDA/FNS agreed to accept an Evers Administration declaration that will preserve these critical benefits.

“This action will not only benefit thousands of Wisconsin families with needed money for food,” said said Department of Health Services secretary-designee Karen Timberlake, “but also…from grocery stores to farmers, to truckers, this money will benefit Wisconsin businesses and communities.”