STATE
CAPITOL, PHOENIX – During a recent debate at the Arizona House of Representatives,
members of the Native American Caucus strongly opposed a bill that could cut
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits, also known as food stamps,
for children across the state and on many Native American nations.
Rep. Albert Hale, D-St. Michaels (District 7), noted that he
believes the intent of the bill, HB
2596, is to help people move away from dependence and find “a way to climb
the economic ladder,” but that the bill would have a “devastating effect on
Native American people.”
The bill could affect
79,000 people, including more than 18,000 children, in some communities with
the highest unemployment rates. Hale said he is concerned the bill could
disproportionately affect Native American nations because unemployment there is
often significantly higher than in the rest of the state.
“Climbing the economic ladder implies there is a ladder to climb.
On Arizona’s Indian nations, there is no ladder to climb. There is very little
to no economic development. Instead of taking resources away from some of the
people who need it the most, we should be focused on an economic development
agenda that will reduce unemployment,” Hale said. “One of the first steps we
should take is to ensure that Indian nations receive their fair share of the state’s
transaction privilege tax. This will encourage economic development without
putting people in jeopardy.”
Rep. Sally Ann Gonzales,
D-Tucson (District 3), agreed with Hale. She said that her mother went to night
school and attended a training program during the day while she was raising 11
children. She did receive some resources from the state.
“These are difficult
things. Parents struggle with situations li ke this on a daily
basis. There are unintended consequences. My mother had to leave our home at 6 a.m.
for the job training program, and she was in school at night. That meant the
kids in our family were too often left to fend for themselves,” Gonzales said.
“This creates an environment where the needs of children are not always being
met. I worry about neglect, especially when our Department of Child Safety is
facing so many challenges now. Many are working hard and trying to provide for
their families. What will happen if we take resources away from families,
without first stabilizing the economy, especially in rural areas still
recovering from the recession? This concerns me.”

“The supporters of this
bill say that it is supposed to empower people and help them move toward more
independence, but in reality it will hurt many people who are trying to create
a better life. This isn’t just about Native American families. Families all
over the state use this program,” Benally said. “The reason people are asking
for SNAP benefits is so they can feed their children. In our culture, our
children are sacred. It is our responsibility to take care of our children. We
are not going to accomplish that with HB 2596.”
The House approved this
bill today. It now goes to the Senate for consideration. To see the full text
of the bill, go to: http://www.azleg.gov/DocumentsForBill.asp?Bill_Number=2596&Session_Id=115&image.x=0&image.y=0.
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