An important food bank shuts down as new SNAP eligibility requirements go into effect, DFL leaders call for an investigation, and Minnesota Christians celebrate Easter.
Transcript
WITH HEADLINES FROM AROUND THE STATE, I’M XAN HOLSTON.
A LOOK AT THE HOLIEST OF CHRISTIAN HOLIDAYS CELEBRATED ACROSS MINNESOTA THIS WEEKEND...
BUT FIRST...
AS NEW WORK RULES THREATEN FOOD HELP FOR THOUSANDS … ONE OF ONE OF THE STATE’S LARGEST FOOD BANKS SHUT DOWN UNEXPECTEDLY...
[RACHEL MARTIN ASPROTH, THE FOOD GROUP: FOR EVERY ONE MEAL THAT A FOOD SHELF CAN PROVIDE, SNAP PROVIDES NINE.]
--SNAP BENEFIT CUTS--
SNAP ... THE SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM ... A FEDERAL PROGRAM THAT HELPS LOW-INCOME FAMILIES BUY GROCERIES … NOW HAS NEW ELIGIBILITY RULES.
ABOUT 440-THOUSAND PEOPLE IN MINNESOTA CURRENTLY BUY FOOD WITH SNAP BENEFITS … ABOUT 18-THOUSAND OF THEM NEED TO MEET THE NEW REQUIREMENTS … OR LOSE THEIR GROCERY BENEFITS.
UNDER THE NEW RULES … MOST ADULTS YOUNGER THAN 65 … AND PARENTS WITH CHILDREN OLDER THAN 13 …HAVE TO WORK AT LEAST 20-HOURS-A-WEEK TO KEEP THEIR BENEFITS …
THIS INCLUDES VETERANS ... YOUTH AGING OUT OF FOSTER CARE … AND PEOPLE WHO ARE HOMELESS.
THE STATE IS ALSO ON THE HOOK FOR NEARLY 100-MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR IN FUNDS THE GOVERNMENT USED TO MATCH.
STATEWIDE FOOD ADVOCATES WARN THE FOOD SHELF SYSTEM … MADE UP LARGELY OF COMMUNITY-BASED NONPROFITS AND VOLUNTEER ORGANIZATIONS … WON'T BE ABLE TO COVER THE ADDITIONAL PEOPLE LOSING THEIR GROCERY MONEY.
THE FOOD GROUP’S RACHEL MARTIN ASPROTH SAYS THE SNAP CUTS WILL INCREASE THE PRESSURE ON LOCAL FOOD SHELVES ...
[RACHEL MARTIN ASPROTH: THAT DISINVESTMENT IS … IT'S GOING TO CREATE INCREDIBLE STRAIN ON OUR STATEWIDE HUNGER RELIEF SYSTEM]
--RUBY’S PANTRY--
AND ANOTHER BLOW..
FOOD SHELF STORES ACROSS MINNESOTA … FROM AITKIN TO ZUMBROTA … WILL BE EMPTIER GOING FORWARD … AFTER RUBY’S PANTRY SUDDENLY ANNOUNCED IT WAS SHUTTING DOWN.
THE FAITH-BASED NONPROFIT … WHICH SAYS IT DISTRIBUTED 34-MILLION POUNDS OF FOOD LAST YEAR … ANNOUNCED TUESDAY IT WOULD END ITS 23-YEAR OPERATION IMMEDIATELY.
RUBY'S PANTRY CONNECTED WITH MONTHLY FOOD SHELF POP UPS AT 37 LOCATIONS IN MINNESOTA … AND A TOTAL OF 87 SITES ACROSS THE UPPER MIDWEST.
IN AN INTERVIEW WITH AMPERS MEMBER STATION K-A-X-E’S LARISSA DONOVAN, BEMIDJI COMMUNITY FOOD SHELF EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR JENNIFER AAKER SAYS RUBY’S PANTRY EVENTS PLAYED AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN THE COMMUNITY … AND THAT LOSING IT WILL HURT.
[JENNIFER AAKER: I REMEMBER WHEN MY KIDS WERE LITTLE, WE UTILIZED RUBY'S PANTRY. WE KNOW THAT THIS IS GOING TO CREATE GAPS FOR PEOPLE IN WHO RELIED ON RUBY'S PANTRY, AND SO WE EXPECT TO SEE AN INCREASED NEED AS A RESULT.]
KAXE REPORTS THE BEMIDJI COMMUNITY FOOD SHELF IS STARTING NEW EVENING HOURS ONCE A MONTH, BEGINNING MONDAY, WITH MORE EVENING HOURS POSSIBLE DEPENDING ON TURNOUT.
--DFL QUESTIONS ENGEN & HUDSON--
HOUSE D-F-L LEADER ZACK STEPHENSON IS DEMANDING AN INVESTIGATION INTO WHETHER REPUBLICAN REPRESENTATIVES ELLIOT ENGEN AND WALTER HUDSON WERE DRUNK WHILE VOTING ON THE HOUSE FLOOR LAST THURSDAY … HOURS BEFORE ENGEN WAS ARRESTED FOR A D-W-I.
THAT SAME DAY... A FORMER HOUSE COMMUNICATIONS WRITER POSTED PICTURES OF THE TWO REPRESENTATIVES DRINKING AFTER THEY LEFT A SESSION EARLY … BEFORE THEY RETURNED AND VOTED AGAINST A GUN CONTROL BILL.
STEPHENSON SAYS HE’S TROUBLED THEY LEFT WORK EARLY TO DRINK ... BEFORE RETURNING TO THE CAPITOL TO VOTE ON CONSEQUENTIAL LEGISLATION … HE QUESTIONS WHETHER HUDSON WAS CARRYING A HANDGUN AT THE TIME.
HUDSON WAS IN THE CAR WHEN ENGEN WAS ARRESTED AT TWO A-M FRIDAY...
POLICE SAY HE TURNED OVER HIS LEGALLY PERMITTED HANDGUN … AND THAT THEY DID NOT TEST HUDSON FOR ALCOHOL … BUT UNDER STATE LAW CARRYING A CONCEALED WEAPON WITH A BLOOD ALCOHOL LEVEL OVER POINT-ZERO-FOUR CAN LEAD TO LOSING THAT PERMIT.
--GEORGE FLOYD DEVELOPMENT--
THE NEXT CHAPTER AT GEORGE FLOYD SQUARE IS FINALLY MOVING FORWARD... CONSTRUCTION IS SCHEDULED TO BEGIN IN JUNE... FIVE YEARS AFTER HIS MURDER...
MINNEAPOLIS OFFICIALS SAY THIS CURRENT, AND FINAL, PHASE OF THE PROJECT FOCUSES ON DETAILED DESIGNS .. AND PUBLIC INPUT IS ENCOURAGED.
THE INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECT INCLUDES MAKING STREETS SAFER... RESTORING TRANSIT IN THE AREA... PRESERVING ACCESS FOR NEIGHBORS AND BUSINESSES ... WHILE CREATING PUBLIC SPACE FOR MEMORIALS AND ART.
--CANNABIS APPLICATIONS OPEN--
MINNESOTA IS REOPENING CANNABIS BUSINESS APPLICATIONS FOR LOWER-POTENCY HEMP EDIBLES … INCLUDING T-H-C BEVERAGES AND GUMMIES.
CANNABIS REGULATORS GOT MORE THAN 22-HUNDRED APPLICATIONS IN THE PREVIOUS ROUND.
BUT… LIMITED TESTING CAPACITY SLOWED THE ROLLOUT.
A NEW BIPARTISAN LAW NOW LETS QUALIFIED OUT-OF-STATE LABS KEEP TESTING PRODUCTS WHILE THE STATE WORKS TO EXPAND ITS OWN
CAPACITY.
--EASTER SUNDAY FOR CHRISTIANS--
CHURCH BELLS WILL RING THIS SUNDAY IN COMMUNITIES THROUGHOUT MINNESOTA... CALLING ALL CHRISTIANS TO CELEBRATE THE HOPE AND JOY OF EASTER.…
EASTER IS THE HOLIEST DAY OF THE YEAR FOR ALL CHRISTIANS.. FROM CATHOLIC TO PROTESTANT, METHODISTS … AND OF COURSE LUTHERANS.
THE TOLLING OF THE EASTER BELLS SOUNDS A CALL FOR CHRISTIANS TO CELEBRATE JESUS’S RESURRECTION AFTER THE SORROW OF HIS CRUCIFIXION ON GOOD FRIDAY … WHICH IS TODAY.
IT IS ALSO THE END OF THE LENTEN SEASON FRIDAY FISH FRIES ... TO BE REPLACED BY COMMUNITY CHURCH FESTIVALS ... AND A SIGNAL SPRING IS NEAR.
FOR NORTH STAR STORIES, I’M XAN HOLSON.