Ihaven’t been engaged with state and local politics as much as in the past. The constant race to get by is exhausting and leaves room for little else. The energy it takes to sustain a home, kids, bills and school takes everything. I know more people identify with that statement than not.

This is by design. Our lawmakers rely on voter fatigue, the kind of political apathy that causes us to shrink from our responsibilities as citizens. Since 2016, there have been many appalling statements made by extremist lawmakers who now feel free saying the quiet part out loud. It now takes something especially shocking to get our attention.

The Kansas Legislature has done just that with House Bill 2674.

For no apparent reason other than cruelty, Rep. Francis Awerkamp, R-St. Marys, is asking that our state forego federal money that would, all summer, feed the school children who received free and reduced meals during the school year.

In December 2022, Congress made the Summer EBT Program a permanent part of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program budget. Kansas school children were set to begin receiving the benefit this summer. They would have, but Awerkamp, who chairs the House Welfare Reform Committee, said, “No,” and he did so in just 11 lines: “AN ACT concerning public assistance; relating to the secretary for children and families; prohibiting the secretary from participating in the summer electronic benefits transfer for children program.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Kansas: Section 1. The secretary for children and families shall not participate in the United States Department of Agriculture’s summer electronic benefits transfer for children program established pursuant to 42 U.S.C.§ 1762.

Section 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after publication in the statute book.”

That’s it. That’s the request for the introduction of a bill that “prohibits” the Kansas Department for Children and Families from participating in a federally-funded program to make sure that children who qualify for free and reduced lunches can eat over the summer break.

“Wow,” you might ask, “is this a big expense to the State of Kansas?” Nope.

This program, like all SNAP funding, is from the federal government. Specifically, the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Each state is responsible for 50 percent of the administrative cost of the whole program annually. This means the cost of the summer EBT program is part of the overall SNAP budget. USDA economic research shows that every dollar paid to lower-income households generates up to $2 of economic activity in the communities where the benefits are used. So, while this benefit doesn’t cost the Kansas taxpayer, the prohibition of it costs the Kansas economy.

The motivation for this bill isn’t fiscally or ethically responsible. The only possible goal of this bill is to punish the poor by way of hungry children.

If it becomes law, the hypocritical cruelty toward poor and working families in our state will have found a new bottom.

Robin Monroe, Kansas Reflector Robin Monroe is a native Kansan living and working in Wichita. Kansas Reflector is a nonprofit news operation providing in-depth reporting, diverse opinions. More information at https://kansasreflector.com/.