Nothing says "pro-life" like denying food benefits to children. Earlier this year Governor Stitt rejected millions in federal funding for students to eat lunch over the summer who might otherwise go hungry. Hunger Free Oklahoma reports that at least one in five children are food insecure in our state, and yet Stitt insisted that no one will go hungry because of his decision. In an interview about it, Stitt told reporters that between SNAP benefits and food banks, he's satisfied with his decision.
The USDA estimates that 403,000 Oklahoma children would be eligible for food assistance through the Summer EBT Program (roughly the entire population of Tulsa). Let that number sink in. In a perfect world, no one would go hungry and everyone would have enough food for their family. Oklahoma is far from perfect. In fact, our state ranked 50th in education in 2023. That means the worst! After coming in at 40th for child well-being in 2022, we dipped to 46th last year. Oklahoma also clocked in at 43rd in family and community standings. As Stitt decided Oklahoma would not be participating in the federal program that would provide food assistance to low-income children, three of our largest Native American tribes said they would administer the program, with several other tribes following suit.
The Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Muscogee, Osage, and Seminole Nations offered the program to all eligible Native AND Non-Native children on their reservations. According to the USDA, Oklahoma is the only state to have tribal nations participating that will help families cover food costs when school is out of session over the summer. The tribes our governor is always picking fights with are stepping up to feed Oklahoma children! In 2022, Oklahoma had a poverty rate of 15.7% compared to the national poverty rate of 11%. (These numbers didn't change last year.) We are currently the 8th highest in the country and consistently ranked in the top poorest states. Now is not the time to be refusing money to help feed our children. Poverty is a complicated issue, but nourishing a child shouldn't be.
