Our babies deserve protection after birth as well

The next time public officials and self-described pro-lifers cry out for justice for the unborn, especially male lawmakers, take a deep dive into their advocacy activities. Actions speak louder than words, and, as the oft-quoted Poet Laureate Maya Angelou said, “When people show you who they are, believe them the first time.”

Governor Jeff Landry’s administration in February rejected $71 million in federal food benefits for low-income households. The governor’s spokesperson, Kate Kelly, issued a press statement that said the funds were not needed here in this state, which according to Feed America ranks second in childhood hunger. The statement also stated that administrative costs to participate would be $7 million, which was too high of a price tag. However, participation in the program would reduce the state’s costs by half to $3.5 million with 594,000 children benefitting.

The Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer Program (Summer EBT), aka SUN Bucks, provides grocery-buying benefits to low-income families with school-aged children during the summer when schools are closed. U.S. Rep. Troy Carter, D-New Orleans, criticized Landry’s decision, calling it “unconscionable” and “ridiculous.”

He was not alone. Many side eyes, disbelief, and criticisms persuaded GOP lawmakers to finally find the money to participate in the SUN Bucks program.

Why did a food stipend for low-income households to feed our babies during the summer cause so much uproar and resistance? Well, according to David Matlock, the state’s secretary of the Department of Children and Family Services, the additional money to feed the state’s children during the summer would possibly hinder those benefiting from finding a “pathway to self-sufficiency.”

Today, the majority of our legislators have decided that our children should continue to suffer on school buses that feel like incinerators.

Last week, lawmakers voted down a bill by State Senator Cleo Fields (D-Dist. 14) and State Senator Joe Bouie (D-Dist. 3) that mandated air-conditioning and heating units on school buses. The State Senate passed the bill, but the House voted it down 56-43,with six absentees.

Why? It costs too much.

Interesting, considering that after nixing the idea of subsidizing money to provide school buses to keep children comfortable, our lawmakers are concentrating on the funding of pet projects, which reportedly include local golf courses and fraternal organizations.

We agree with Rep. Robby Carter, D-Greensburg, who asked his fellow legislators during the floor debate about air-conditioning school buses, “Who in this House doesn’t have air conditioning in their car? We get it for ourselves. Why not get it for our kids?”

This article originally published in the May 27, 2024 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.