Advocates for low-income Ohioans are urging lawmakers to take what they call a harmful provision out of the state budget bill. An amendment added by the Senate would impose asset limits for people using federal assistance for groceries, often referred to as food stamps. Statehouse correspondent Andy Chow reports.
The proposed legislation would cap vehicle assets for people using the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, at $4,650.
Republican Senator Tim Schaffer supports the measure saying it won't impact people who need public assistance to eat.
"Yes, we want to make sure that the recipients are not well-to-do, that they actually need them. The purpose of public assistance is not to help people build savings accounts and investment portfolios, it's to help families in need."
But advocates for low-income people say that scenario is a myth, and argue this measure creates more bureaucratic hurdles for poor Ohioans, forcing them to choose between a car that can get them to work or a vital safety net for food.
