As food pantry lines grow longer across Brooklyn and Queens, New York state lawmakers are pressing Albany to pass legislation aimed at combating food insecurity.
They cite recent federal funding cuts, changes to SNAP eligibility and concerns over last year’s government shutdown.
“The state budget will decide whether we protect families or leave them behind”
“Hunger is rising. Affordability is slipping. And the state budget will decide whether we protect families or leave them behind,” says Brooklyn Assemblymember Marcela Mitaynes.
Assemblymember Khaleel Anderson of Queens, chair of the Food, Farm and Nutrition Policy Task Force, said lawmakers are also pushing to revive a statewide hunger report after the U.S. Department of Agriculture terminated its tracker last year…