Sunday, December 04, 2011

Kraus bill would mandate photo ID for every member of families receiving food stamps

Talk about holding down costs in government.

SB.474, prefiled this week, not only asks the state to demand that the federal government issue photo identification for those receiving food stamps, but also wants photo ID for all family members:

Pursuant to 7 C.F.R. section 274.10(b), the department of social services shall request that the Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) mandate the use of photo identification for continued eligibility in the food stamp program administered in Missouri. Upon six months after approval of the request by FNS, the department shall issue a photo identification card to each eligible household as proof of food stamp eligibility. Upon request, a household member, or the household's authorized representative, shall present the photo identification card at issuancepoints, retail food stores, or meal services when exchanging benefits for eligible food.

The department shall promulgate rules for the use of photo identification cards required under this section, including rules for whether the department shall:

Issue separate photo identification cards to other eligible household members or the household's authorized representative; or List such additional persons on the photo identification card issued to the eligible household.

Any rule or portion of a rule, as that term is defined in section 20 536.010 that is created under the authority delegated in this section shall become effective only if it complies with and is subject to all of for all family members:
I suppose the next step is to require drug tests for all members of families receiving any kind of government assistance at all.

Get to work on actually getting people jobs (instead of using our economic situation as an excuse to cut taxes on job providers who don't provide jobs, and destroying unions). The more people we have working, the less reason we have to worry about any food stamp abuse.

Of course, it is election year, and the base always loves laws that crack down on all of the fraud committed by those who have no money or jobs.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Randy,
Just what objections do you have to curbing fraud in public assistance programs? Time after time after time I've witnessed multiple people using a food stamp card a my grocery store.