Governor Larry Rhoden has rejected a proposal from South Dakota Democrats to use state reserves to fund SNAP benefits during the federal government shutdown. Lawmakers had urged Rhoden to call a special session to allocate up to three months of emergency funding, citing the potential harm to working families and local economies.
Rhoden responded that the state lacks the infrastructure to load funds onto EBT cards and, even if it could, he would oppose the move saying “SNAP costs $15 million a month. We don’t have that kind of money lying around, and the federal government won’t reimburse us,” he said, adding that it would unfairly burden state taxpayers.
Instead, Rhoden encouraged voluntary donations and called on Congress to resolve the shutdown.
Democratic Party Executive Director Dan Ahlers disagreed, pointing to the state’s $63 million surplus and $413 million in reserves. Rhoden’s office noted that a special session would still require a two-thirds legislative vote—support that currently doesn’t exist.
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