Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Summer Meal Letter in Politically Georgia A.M.

By Greg Bluestein, Tia Mitchell, Patricia Murphy and Adam Van Brimmer

NO FREE LUNCH. U.S. Rep. Lucy McBath sent a letter to Gov. Brian Kemp Monday criticizing the state of Georgia for declining to participate in a federal program that provides free student lunches over the summer.

McBath said that 1.2 million low-income children in Georgia would be eligible for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Summer EBT Program, also known as “Sun Bucks.” Georgia is one of only 12 states not participating or planning to participate in the program this summer or next, McBath said.

Individual counties are providing lunches to students using various programs and funding sources, including Henry County. But McBath’s letter said the county-by-county process creates a piecemeal system that leaves some students out.

“Last year, 59 counties in Georgia did not have a Summer Food Service Program feeding site, and some counties currently have no summer feeding sites at all,” the Marietta Democrat wrote in her letter.

Kemp’s office told WXIA-TV 11Alive News earlier this year that existing programs made it unnecessary for the state to participate in “Sun Bucks,” which a spokesman for Kemp said could not meet its stated goals.

“Therefore, along with our neighboring states, Georgia opted not to participate in the proposed EBT program and instead remains focused on well-established and effective programs that are tailored to address our state’s specific needs by providing necessary nutrition and engagement to families and kids,” spokesman Garrison Douglas said.

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Permalink: https://mcbath.house.gov/2024/7/atlanta-journal-constitution

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