Our April SNAP Coalition meeting is next Tuesday, April 22nd from 10 to 11:30 AM. Zoom link is HERE
And here’s Tuesday’s AGENDA:
- Federal updates with Gina Plata-Nino of FRAC. We’ll also be sharing a planned “Day of Action” on April 30th to encourage local actions/media etc to defend against proposed fed SNAP cuts. Check out this awesome March 16th video clip with Christina Maxwell (FBWM) discussing the importance of SNAP on "Western Mass News: Getting Answers"
- State budget and Legislative Updates. House Ways and Means (HWM) released its proposed FY26 budget yesterday, and amendments due tomorrow (members can still co-sponsor next week). Here’s Commissioner McCue’s FY26 budget testimony here. And look out for MLRI’s summary of the FY26 HWM proposed budget and action alerts.
- DTA updates: Including roll out of 3 month time limit, DTA Assistance Line access/interviews and more (this is also a time for Coalition members to ask questions - see below!)
- Social Security (SSA) access barriers - Mass Senior Action Council will be joining us at 11 AM to share how cuts and restrictions by the Trump Admin are impacting older adults and what you can do. See also press release on federal litigation filed by Justice in Aging (MSAC is a plaintiff)
- Announcements
Ongoing DTA Assistance Line Challenges - Checking in:
In DTA’s April newsletter to the Advisory Boards (attached), DTA shares a number of updates on skimming, EBT card info and more. Please note on pages 3-4 DTA reports that the DTA Assistance Line continues to receive 10,000 calls per day, more than half hit the “high volume” message and only 2,000 reach a live worker. DTA is trying to prioritize inbound and outbound calls for households that need SNAP application or recertification interview - but we also know many people also need to talk with a live worker because they need information, need to fix a problem with their case or want to report information. And many folks miss the DTA call for the interview or the call does not happen when scheduled.
Please let me (Pat) know if you have clients who are missing their interview calls and cannot get into the DTA Assistance Line or are otherwise struggling to reach workers for critical case matters. We will also discuss this issue at the 4/22 Coalition meeting, but we’d like to hear from folks directly too: pbaker@mlr.org Vicky is on vaca this week!
April 22nd Webinar - 2 PM: The Cost of Cuts: Understanding the Broad Impact of SNAP Reductions on Health, Economy, and Community Resilience
On Tuesday, April 22, at 2:00 PM EST our colleagues at the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC) are hosting this timely and urgent national webinar to discuss the devastating consequences of proposed SNAP cuts and how they will impact children, families, local economies, and healthcare systems nationwide. With the House narrowly voting to advance a Senate-approved budget resolution, Congress is now poised to negotiate a sweeping reconciliation bill that would cut $230 billion in SNAP. This cut would dramatically increase hunger and food insecurity, placing additional strain on states, retailers, schools, and healthcare providers—especially in already underserved communities.
FRAC is bringing together experts from healthcare, government, and business to examine the real-world consequences of these decisions and to underscore why SNAP is not only an anti-hunger program—but a cornerstone of health equity, economic stability, and community resilience. Register HERE.
