Illinois Governor J.B. Prizker has signed an executive order allocating $20 million to state food banks and food pantries in preparation for a pause in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, benefits scheduled to take effect today.
A federal judge is weighing arguments in a suit brought by states against the Trump administration regarding the allocation of emergency funds to SNAP amid the government shutdown. However, advocates say the $20 million allocated by Governor Pritzker will only be a “drop in the bucket” and fail to fill the gap left by shutting off the federal funds.
Illinois has joined the District of Columbia and 24 other states in the U.S. in suing the Trump administration over plans to stop the SNAP funding starting today, as the federal government shutdown continues. Governor Pritzker’s executive order allocates $20 million in state funding as a stopgap measure to support Illinois’ seven food banks, which supply over 2600 food pantries around the state, reports say.