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Federal cuts squeeze already-struggling food banks, school lunch programs

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arkansasadvocate.com – Kevin Hardy, Stateline – 2025-03-27 05:30:00

by Kevin Hardy, Stateline, Arkansas Advocate
March 27, 2025

For the Day Eagle Hope Project, federal money has helped volunteers deliver fresh produce and meat to families in need across the remote Fort Belknap Indian Reservation in northern Montana — while putting cash into the hands of farmers, ranchers and meat processors.

The nonprofit generally has less than $300,000 to spend per year. So the $200,000 from a U.S. Department of Agriculture local food buying program significantly raised both the quantity and quality of the food it could distribute.

“They were a major, major contributor to our food,” said Tescha Hawley, who directs the organization, which aims to improve physical, mental and spiritual health.

The USDA recently nixed more than $1 billion from two programs that helped food banks and school meal programs buy local foods, including $660 million for schoolchildren. U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins recently described the programs as “nonessential.”

But the move has left hundreds of school systems and food banks reeling. They already face rising food prices and are struggling to help community members with growing food insecurity.

Created in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Local Food Purchase Assistance and the Local Food for Schools programs aimed to build more resilient supply chains of domestic food by connecting schools and food pantries with small ranches, farms and dairies. The program was initially funded by 2021’s American Rescue Plan Act but later expanded by the Biden administration.

The federal programs stimulated the purchase of locally grown fruits, vegetables, dairy and meats — benefiting both the smaller farmers who received fair market pay for their products and the organizations granted funds to buy high quality foods.

The noncompetitive grants sent hundreds of millions of dollars to all 50 states, the District of Columbia and 84 tribal governments, boosting business for more than 8,000 farmers and providing local food to almost as many food banks. The Trump administration is killing the programs, despite Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s campaign against processed food, which he says is “poisoning” Americans.

Without ongoing funding, Hawley said, she would have to rely on cheaper, less nutritious food.

“It’s simple, right? I can get a truck … in here with all highly processed food, no problem,” she said.

Schools are facing a similar challenge: While officials running breakfast and lunch programs would prefer to buy more local products, those are often expensive. And with underfunding, high food costs and labor struggles, school lunch programs are already stretched thin.

In Milan, Tennessee, the federal funds allowed the local school system to buy minimally processed beef from a local stockyard, and broccoli, purple hull peas, tomatoes and melons from local growers.

Vickie Dunaway, who supervises the school system’s food services, told the Tennessee Lookout the federal cuts mean “going backwards” on purchasing healthier foods.

“That will obviously have to be cut out, because our budget will not withstand being able to purchase local,” she said. “Purchasing local, minimally processed food is way more expensive than buying from a distributor.”

A ‘devastating’ cut to food banks

Late last year, USDA said the programs had already spent more than $1 billion on local foods, and announced an expansion of the two programs with an additional $1.13 billion. USDA has killed that $1.13 billion expansion; it is still reimbursing the previously committed funds.

The Trump administration, which has sought to dramatically slash the size of the federal government, told recipients earlier this month that the programs “no longer effectuate the goals of the agency.”

In a statement to Stateline, the USDA said the current administration is “prioritizing stable, proven solutions that deliver lasting impact.”

“The COVID era is over — USDA’s approach to nutrition programs will reflect that reality moving forward,” the statement said.

The only thing we’ll be able to do is just ration what little we have — to spread it as thinly as possible over the number of households we provide food to.

– Eric Cooper, president and CEO, San Antonio Food Bank

The nonpartisan National Association of State Departments of Agriculture, which represents the ag department leaders of all 50 states, last month lobbied the federal government to continue the local foods program with permanent funding and ease procurement regulations for school meal programs. Arkansas Secretary of Agriculture Wes Ward, president of the association, said in a statement that the local food programs aid both producers and consumers.

“Investing in local and regional food systems not only strengthens the connections between farmers and their local communities, it bolsters supply chain resiliency as well,” his statement read.

In New Mexico, the program allowed food banks to buy some 900,000 pounds of locally grown food from more than 200 farmers since 2023. Before the program was terminated, the state was expecting close to $3 million in additional funding, Source New Mexico reported.

Jill Dixon, executive director of The Food Depot in northern New Mexico, called the cuts “devastating.”

In Texas, the San Antonio Food Bank counted on USDA’s local food program to help round out the food boxes it provides to families in need. The food bank, which serves more than 100,000 people across 29 Texas counties, largely relies on donated foods from hotels, restaurants and grocery stores.

“The challenge is I might get peanut butter donated, but I don’t have the jelly, or I might have pasta donated, but I don’t have the marinara,” said Eric Cooper, president and CEO of the food bank. “This program allowed us to purchase those items that we didn’t get that then helped round out the food box, or really complement the food that was being donated to give families the ability to make meals.”

The program initially provided the food bank nearly $3 million in grant funding — about 20% of what the organization spends each year on bulk food purchases. It expected a similar amount this year, before USDA’s announcement.

Cooper said cuts come even as the need for assistance rises. Food prices have squeezed families, and mass layoffs of federal workers portend more demand for food assistance in the coming months, he said.

“And we’ll be caught in the middle. And you know, that’s an incredibly uncomfortable place to be. The only thing we’ll be able to do is just ration what little we have — to spread it as thinly as possible over the number of households we provide food to.”

Micah Stewart, an employee of the San Antonio Food Bank, distributes produce in January in Comfort, Texas. The food bank is among those affected by the Trump administration’s cut of more than $1 billion in local food programs. (Courtesy of San Antonio Food Bank)

A boost for school lunches

For years, school meal programs have struggled with tight margins. Not only do they have to meet strict nutritional guidelines, but schools also face lagging reimbursement from the federal government and spend millions covering the cost of students’ unpaid meal debt.

At the 1,600-student Monticello School District in Arkansas, that debt is approaching $60,000.

So $50,000 from USDA’s local food program was a significant boost to the bottom line.

“That was such a help,” said Amanda West, the district’s child nutrition director.

The southeast Arkansas district used grant money to buy locally grown ground beef. The beef went into dishes including taco salad, meatloaf and spaghetti.

West said staff and students immediately noticed a difference in taste from conventionally purchased meats. And though the local product cost more, West said it also yielded more because it was not full of additives that cause the meat to shrink when cooked.

West, who is the president of the Arkansas School Nutrition Association, noted that her state is home to the nation’s highest rates of food insecurity.

West had hoped to see the local foods program help turn that tide by bringing more stability to school meal programs and growing the state economy by boosting local farmers, ranchers and distributors.

“We’re all upset about it. I hate that we’re not receiving it because grocery prices are 30, 40% higher than what they were a few years ago, and it really hurts our budget,” she said. “It helped a lot of districts, including mine, and it would be amazing if we could get it back.”

On top of the local foods program cuts, congressional Republicans are considering billions in potential cuts to free and reduced-price school meal programs — cuts the School Nutrition Association says could potentially affect millions of American students.

The federal government partially subsidizes breakfast, lunch and after-school snack programs at rates calculated by the income level of students’ families.

The School Nutrition Association, which represents 50,000 school meal providers across the country, said the school meals are the healthiest many American children receive. But that group says federal reimbursements are far from adequate, leaving members worried about the future of their meal programs.

In a recent association survey of more than 1,390 school meal directors, more than 90% reported serious or moderate concern over the financial sustainability of their school meal programs three years from now.

Stateline reporter Kevin Hardy can be reached at khardy@stateline.org.

Stateline is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Stateline maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Scott S. Greenberger for questions: info@stateline.org.

Arkansas Advocate is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Arkansas Advocate maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Sonny Albarado for questions: info@arkansasadvocate.com.

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News from the South - Arkansas News Feed

Arkansas Legislature gears up for final weeks of 2025 session

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3 hours ago

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March 30, 2025

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arkansasadvocate.com – Tess Vrbin, Antoinette Grajeda – 2025-03-30 06:00:00

by Tess Vrbin and Antoinette Grajeda, Arkansas Advocate
March 30, 2025

Arkansas legislative leaders say they expect long days at the Capitol during the home stretch of the 2025 legislative session, which they anticipate ending by April 16.

“We’re going to start earlier in the day and we’re going to work late in the day” to move bills through committees and through the House and Senate, Senate President Pro Tempore Bart Hester, R-Cave Springs, said in an interview Wednesday.

For any Senate bills that don’t pass Senate committees this week, “it’s going to be very, very difficult for them to move forward,” he said.

House Speaker Rep. Brian Evans echoed those sentiments Friday, noting that Monday and Tuesday will likely be heavy bill filing days because waiting to file beyond that will make it really difficult for legislation to make it all the way through the process. Many bills already have been delayed due to drafting, amendments and last-minute changes, as well as waiting on fiscal impact statements, according to Evans, who said he wasn’t aware of any urgent or controversial bills that have yet to be filed. 

The Cabot Republican said he’s been speaking with House committee chairs about how to clear their calendars and ensure bills that will be heard are placed on the active agenda. The latter is important for transparency and ensuring constituents have time to make arrangements to speak for or against legislation, he said.

Senate President Pro Tempore Bart Hester, R-Cave Springs (John Sykes/Arkansas Advocate)

In addition to finalizing the state’s fiscal year 2026 budget, the Legislature is expected to consider some of Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ policy priorities for the session that have not yet become law.

Two such bills are sponsored by Hester: Senate Bill 377, which would eliminate the state’s 0.125% grocery sales tax, and Senate Bill 426, the Defense Against Criminal Illegals Act. The latter would mandate that Arkansas law enforcement agencies participate in a federal program that deputizes them to help U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in the apprehension and deportation of undocumented migrants held in local jails and state prisons.

Hester said he hopes to present SB 426 for a vote in the Senate Judiciary Committee on Monday. SB 377 is on Monday’s Senate Revenue and Tax Committee agenda.

Regulating minors’ access to cellphones and social media has also been a priority for Sanders. Two bills modeled after federal legislation passed the House with bipartisan support this month: House Bill 1717 is the Arkansas Children and Teens’ Online Privacy Protection Act, and House Bill 1726 is the Arkansas Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA).

Arkansas panel advances children’s online safety and privacy bills modeled after federal efforts

Senate committees will make time to consider both bills even if special orders of business are necessary, Hester said. A special order of business compels consideration before other items on a committee agenda. 

Sanders said in January, during her State of the State address, that the Legislature should amend the Social Media Safety Act of 2023 “so that it’s no longer held up in court and can begin to be enforced.” The enjoined law would have been the first in the nation to require minors to receive parental permission before signing up for a social media account.

So far no such amendments to the law have been proposed, but Hester said he expects it to “happen one way or another” since the governor said it is important to her.

“It may be something we don’t have to handle because it’s getting handled in other ways,” Hester said. “Maybe we’re confident that we’re going to end up winning in court. Maybe we’re confident that… President [Donald] Trump’s executive orders will handle it or something that they’re doing on the federal level.”

Compensation, prisons and China

The Senate is set to take up a proposed revamp of the state employee pay plan Monday, which passed the Joint Budget Committee on March 20. Sanders announced the plan in November and said it should make most state employees’ salaries competitive with the private sector and improve recruitment and retention.

Arkansas lawmakers advance $750 million appropriation bill for prison construction

The pay plan has not been controversial, unlike Sanders’ plan to build a 3,000-bed prison on 815 acres the state purchased in Franklin County. Earlier this month, the Joint Budget Committee approved a $750 million appropriation for the project, which has sparked frustration from some lawmakers and Franklin County residents.

Evans said he anticipates the prison appropriation legislation, Senate Bill 354, will continue generating discussion and could take a couple of tries to meet the required vote threshold in the House. Most bills need a simple majority of lawmakers’ support to pass, but budget-related bills need three-fourths of the support of each chamber, or 76 House votes and 27 Senate votes.

“When you’re talking about 100 members, it’s a lot of different opinions, a lot of different ideas, last-minute questions that come up,” he said. “Maybe there’ll be some folks not vote for it the first time just so that they get some extra time, make sure they have all their questions answered.”

Hester said he expects the bill to come before the full Senate on Tuesday. He said he could not predict how the Senate will vote; there is no limit on how many votes an appropriation bill receives before it reaches the three-fourths vote threshold.

Sanders urged passage of the appropriation in an Arkansas Democrat-Gazette op-ed Friday and called on state lawmakers to “[r]eject the tired excuses of politicians who don’t want criminals behind bars. Fund the prison, public safety, and a better future for all Arkansans.”

Sanders has also expressed support for a package of bills that will ban certain interactions between state entities and the Chinese government. She and other Republicans have criticized China’s activities in the state, including its past ownership of farmland in Craighead County.

Only one of the six bills has been signed into law and the rest are at various stages of the legislative process, but Hester said there is “nothing more popular with constituents than pushing back on China and what they’re doing to us.”

Arkansas governor unveils anti-China legislation package

Constitutional amendments and education

Prior to last week’s recess, the House State Agencies Committee spent three weeks considering 20 proposed constitutional amendments. Evans anticipates the committee will begin ranking the proposals this week and likely send the top five to the House for further consideration. The Senate has 24 proposals to consider.

The Arkansas Legislature can refer three proposed constitutional amendments to voters during a legislation session, with each chamber generally selecting one and jointly selecting a third, Evans said. However, it’s not a requirement that lawmakers always refer three amendments, he said. 

“I think it’s really, really important to understand that just because we can do three, does not mean that we have to do three,” he said. “But also with the understanding that if we are going to present something forward, refer something out to the public to vote, I think it needs to be something that is really important statewide.”

Also this week, Evans said he anticipates Rep. Keith Brooks, a Little Rock Republican who succeeded him as chair of the House Education Committee this year, will run the biannual public school funding bill, which dictates per-student funding. House Bill 1312 was expected to be considered prior to the break, but was held up because it was awaiting a fiscal impact statement, Evans said. Fiscal impact statements explain how much money a bill would cost to implement, and they are compiled by either the Bureau of Legislative Research or the Department of Finance and Administration.

The per-pupil funding amount for the current school year is $7,771. If lawmakers approve HB 1312, the amount would increase to $8,162 for the 2025-2026 school year and $8,371 for the following academic year. 

New bill would dissolve Arkansas State Library and its board, set new library funding criteria

Overall, the session has been “very smooth,” according to Evans, who said he’s noticed “a different feel, a camaraderie in the House” when it comes to “good policy for all Arkansans.”

“Where things tend to get difficult is when you start looking at policy that’s more culture-driven,” he said. “So while we’ve had a few of those things that have crept up this session, there hasn’t seemed to have been as many. And so the body has really been able to just focus more on policy and members representing their districts, and how that policy’s going to affect their district rather than the culture of the district.” 

One such “culture-driven” bill is Senate Bill 536, which Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Jonesboro, filed March 20. It would dissolve the Arkansas State Library and its board after the board did not take what Sullivan said were appropriate actions to keep “age-inappropriate” materials away from minors.

Hester supports SB 536 and has expressed support for Sullivan’s past promises to abolish the library board, which has repeatedly refused to divest from the American Library Association and to withhold funding from libraries where “sexually explicit” materials are within children’s reach.

“I don’t know how clear we could have been with the library board that they need to take stances to not provide pornography to kids, and they are insistent on it,” Hester said Friday.

The General Assembly resumes its work Monday morning. Meeting schedules, agendas and livestreams are available on the Arkansas Legislature’s website.

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Arkansas Advocate is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Arkansas Advocate maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Sonny Albarado for questions: info@arkansasadvocate.com.

The post Arkansas Legislature gears up for final weeks of 2025 session appeared first on arkansasadvocate.com

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TIMELINE: Severe weather possible overnight Saturday and again Sunday

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March 29, 2025

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www.youtube.com – 40/29 News – 2025-03-29 17:08:47

SUMMARY: Severe weather is expected overnight Saturday and into Sunday, particularly across Northwest Arkansas. While Sunday morning starts calm, conditions will worsen after midnight, with the highest threat for severe weather occurring east of I-49. Thunderstorms may develop, bringing damaging winds and hail, with a low tornado risk. The weather system will continue through Sunday evening, so residents are urged to stay informed for updates. Flash flooding is considered a low threat, but all forms of severe weather remain possible. Follow local channels and social media for the latest information.

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TIMELINE: Severe weather possible overnight Saturday and again Sunday

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Key officials with Trump administration dispatched to Greenland

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March 28, 2025

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www.youtube.com – THV11 – 2025-03-28 17:32:49

SUMMARY: Summarize this content to 100 words: Key officials with Trump administration dispatched to Greenland – president Trump focused on America’s northern allies today dispatching key administration officials to Greenland while also talking with Canada’s new prime minister about tariffs erica Brown reports from the White House vice President JD Vance and Second Lady Usha Vance arrived to sub-zero temperatures in Greenland Friday as they toured a US Space Force base it’s cold as here the vice president’s visit comes as President Trump pushes for a US takeover of the semi-autonomous Danish territory greenland and Danish leaders have called the visit a provocation our message to Denmark is very simple you have not done a good job by the people of Greenland that has to change and because it hasn’t changed this is why President Trump’s policy in Greenland is what it is president Trump wants greater access to Greenland’s abundant mineral oil and natural gas wealth and in the Oval Office Friday he said the island is essential to US national security we have to have Greenland it’s not a question of do you think we can do without it we can’t president Trump has also pushed for Canada to join the US as the 51st state friday he spoke with Canada’s new prime minister Mark Carney for the first time trump says he believes the US and Canada can strike a fair trade deal though Carney said Canada will implement retaliatory tariffs we had a very good talk uh the prime minister and myself and I think things are going to work out very well between Canada and the United States the president also announced he wants Congress to pass a law allowing Americans to write off the interest on new car purchases if the vehicles are built in America erica Brown CBS News

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President Trump dispatched key administration officials to Greenland, and they are also discussing tariffs with Canada’s new prime minister.

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