As the fight over whether or not to fund SNAP during the government shutdown plays out in court, Connecticut is taking matters into its own hands.
Governor Ned Lamont said he’s instructed the state Department of Social Services to reload residents' EBT cards. The money is expected to be available next week.
In Connecticut, more than 360,000 residents rely on SNAP. The federal government usually doles out $72 million for the program in the state, but hasn’t in November because of the shutdown.
Lamont said he’s done waiting to see what the federal government will do.
“They can't make up their mind,” Lamont said. “We've made up our mind. We're going to take care of the people on SNAP.”
The money will come from the state’s rainy day fund, which had more than $4 billion in 2024.
“This herky jerky back and forth is driving people crazy,” Lamont said. “Let's take care of people. We can afford to do it.”
