California Lawmakers Back Food Stamps for Drug Felons

By Alison Gonzalez

Published on June 05, 2007

State lawmakers approved the bill along party lines, with Democrats overwhelmingly supporting it. Assemblyman Ted Lieu of Torrance was the only Democrat to vote against the measure. Republicans were unanimous in their opposition.

Supporters of the bill maintained that it will reduce re-incarceration rates and help convicted drug felons integrate back into society. They noted that low-income inmates released from prison currently are able to receive food stamps under state and federal laws.

Opponents said that if the bill becomes law, convicted drug users, dealers, and manufacturers will not be required to undergo drug treatment to receive food stamps. They argued that giving food stamps to drug felons amounts to government funding for drug habits. The bill, said the critics, sends the wrong message to taxpayers.

If the Senate passes the bill and it is signed by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, California will be the most recent of more than a dozen states that have exempted themselves from an 11-year-old federal ban on the process.

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