Gov. Tony Evers sent a letter to every member of Wisconsin’s Congressional delegation urging them to support a comprehensive Farm Bill that would safeguard Wisconsin’s hemp industry and strengthen the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), known as FoodShare in Wisconsin.
The governor’s letter also urges leaders to invest funding and staffing to support dairy, forestry, crop and animal health, and conservation and water quality programs.
“I also once again urge you to take needed action to prevent mass disruption of the hemp industry due to the federal hemp definition change passed by Congress last year,” wrote Gov. Evers.
If no action is taken at the state or federal level, the change will prohibit the production and sale of hemp products in Wisconsin after Nov. 13. Wisconsin currently has no regulations regarding hemp products and efforts to create a regulatory framework have failed several times. Hemp producers and retailers in the state follow US Department of Agriculture regulations which are determined by the Farm Bill.
The governor’s letter also outlines the importance of Wisconsin’s FoodShare program that nearly 700,000 Wisconsinites, including seniors, veterans, and approximately 270,000 Wisconsin kids, rely on for basic food necessities. Unfortunately, new requirements for the program impose significant new administrative burdens on states, creating unnecessary complexity in administering the program and increasing the risk of benefit disruptions for eligible households.
Wisconsin has consistently maintained one of the lowest SNAP error rates in the nation. Wisconsin is just one of nine states that will avoid paying new penalty fees next year.
