Anti-hunger bills win first-round approval

Two anti-hunger bills pushed for the past two years by House Speaker Rod Jetton won first-round approval Wednesday in the Missouri House.

Jetton, R-Marble Hill, is proposing a tax credit of up to $2,500 for donations to food pantries that serve the poor. In addition, he is seeking to increase the minimum monthly food stamp allotment for eligible senior citizens from $10 to $30 for single people and $60 for elderly couples. "We almost got it to $40 and $80, but we couldn't quite do it," Jetton said after floor debate on the measures.

The food pantry bill, Jetton said when he announced his proposals last year, was sparked by the large crowds at the distribution center in his hometown of Marble Hill. The number of people seeking the food convinced him that the pantries needed extra help, he said.

The bills require a final House vote to set the stage for Senate action. Both bills cleared the House last year, but died in the Senate. "We didn't quite get them over there early enough," Jetton said. "I am hopeful that will change this year, since next week we can get them out of here."

The tax credits for food pantries is capped at $2 million a year. During debate, House members voted down a proposed amendment that would have required the state to award half of the credits to rural areas.

The food stamp bill will cost the state $3 million annually, money Jetton said will come from the state's general revenue fund.

On the floor, Jetton told his colleagues he had been enrolled in the food stamp program 20 years ago, and it helped his young family eat well. The program for seniors, he said, isn't providing enough.

"I resent it being called a pathetic gesture," he said. "It's an attempt to correct something that has been wrong for years."

During debate, Democrats said lawmakers should be spending the money on health care instead.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

rkeller@semissourian.com

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