SC Governor wants to limit junk food items eligible for SNAP
(WCCB) – Restrictions could be coming to more than 580,000 people in South Carolina who receive SNAP benefits. Governor Henry McMaster wants to join a dozen other states in the country that bans SNAP recipients from buying junk food like candy and soda using benefits.
“Just because I’m using food stamps doesn’t mean they don’t deserve a little junk food too. Everybody deserves a little splurge,” Mariah Pease from Rock Hill said.
McMaster posted Wednesday on X that he will issue an executive order to place “Common sense” limits on purchases made using snap benefits to make South Carolina healthier.
“I agree because all the junk food out there and there’s so many overweight children it’s ridiculous,” Gail Johnson from Rock Hill said.
Under the Trump administration, the USDA has approved SNAP food restriction waivers for 12 other states. The waivers allow the states to stop the purchase of “non nutritious” items like soda and candy.
“I don’t really buy too much candy or junk food for my kids so, i’m not really upset about that but for the people who do pack school lunch that do like to put a nice little treat in their kids bag, I don’t think that should be a crime for wanting to give their kids something other than an apple or banana,” Leticia Barber from Rock Hill said.
Back in February, a group of republicans in the SC legislature introduced the SNAP Integrity Act which would limit the purchase of candy and soda with food stamps. The legislation stalled in committee.
“There is sometimes where you’ll go into a store and some people will be pushing three carts mounded up with nothing but junk food, now that I can understand but the ones that are trying to get by everyone deserves a little something,” Pease said.
The USDA would have to grant a waiver for the restrictions to kick in. If approved, the rules would most likely change sometime early next year. A spokesman for Governor McMaster says he will issue the executive order in the coming days.
