GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — Area food banks are expecting an increase in traffic soon now that Governor Tony Evers’ state of emergency–and the food share benefits that came with it–was overturned by the state Supreme Court.
It’s something Craig Robbins anticipated.
“We’ve been saying that we’re going to be busy when all of this is over,” he said.
As leader of Paul’s Pantry, Robbins has been preparing for the day pandemic related Foodshare benefits dwindled.
“So the food pantry demand will increase at least back to the level prior,” he explained. “And then you add on the folks that have had job losses due to COVID, you add that in and we’re going to be busy.”
Back in January, about $50 million of Foodshare benefits each month in Wisconsin were jeopardized when the emergency order was at risk of ending then, according to a memo sent by a legislative fiscal bureau that month.
State budget officials had said the extra benefits went to more than 242,000 households in the state.
Without actions, the extra money is expected to stop after April’s payment.
“Hopefully there’s some intermediate thing that we can do like passing a resolution that doesn’t have a mandate connected to it,” offered Republican state senator Robert Cowles.
On the link between the food benefits and the state emergency order, the money for the benefits comes from the federal government. A condition of getting the money is a statewide emergency order has to be in place.
So if the state doesn’t have an emergency order…
“Apparently there would be significant dollars taken away from the state,” said Cowles.
When Wisconsin’s Legislature realized this implication months ago, its vote to end the emergency order came to a sudden stop.
Now that the state Supreme Court overruled the governor’s emergency order, the Legislature is faced with the same problem again.
Meanwhile at Paul’s Pantry, Robbins says he hopes to help those in need.
“We’ve been prepared prior to covid, during covid and now afterwards,” he said.
Regardless of what Wisconsin’s Legislature decides.
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