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Nebraska lawmakers override Rickett’s veto of SNAP benefits

Members from the Nebraska legislature have overridden a veto by Governor Pete Ricketts that would have limited access to USDA’s Supplemental Food Assistance Program (SNAP).

The measure would provide food assistance to additional 3,500 households in Nebraska.  The additional aid would be provided through federal dollars and the latest pandemic relief would cover costs of administering aid.

John McCollister, a Republican from Omaha, introduced the bill and received 30 votes from his colleagues to override what Rickett’s called a ‘liberal expansion of state welfare benefits.’

Ricketts says the legislation would encourage people to reduce their incomes or increase expenses to qualify for the aid. But proponents of the bill argued people who receive SNAP benefits must be working.