Someone may soon have to teach people on welfare in Missouri how to fish because they may not be able to get a fish
to eat for a day, if all they have in a wallet is food stamps.
Their peers in Kansas may also have new restrictions on what they can buy with food stamps, along with a prohibition on spending their federal assistance money on fun things like psychics, tattoos, or cruise ships — if one should ever dock in Kansas.
Maine Gov. Paul LePage (R) has followed suit with his peers in Kansas and Missouri. Page has re-introduced a proposal — which Democrats were able to water down a year ago to the constituency of the gruel served to Oliver Twist in the last legislative session — to slap new restrictions on welfare recipients.
The impact of restrictions on the food welfare recipients can buy with their government benefits, beyond making taxpayers feel better, has never been determined. However, an independent study of the impact of food restrictions on low-income families is underway.
Depending on the results, it could give opponents or proponents new ammunition.
But at least three states (continue reading)