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SNAP Benefits - TPR's In Focus - June 12, 2026 · In Focus with Carolyn Hutcheson

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  Support comes from the Janice Hawkins Cultural Arts Park
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  on the main campus of Troy University,
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  featuring the International Arts Center,
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  the Fred Nall Hollis Museum,
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  and the Hua Bao Zhu Gallery.
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  More information at troy.edu slash arts park.
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  ♪♪
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  From Troy Public Radio,
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  this is the news wrap from In Focus,
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  and I'm Carolyn Hutcheson.
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  Todd Stacy, host of Alabama Public Television's
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  Capitol Journal, previews next week's election,
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  and the wild card is a furry surprise.
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  ♪♪
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  Todd, welcome back to the news wrap from Capital Journal.
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  Good to be with you.
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  Todd, I was reading on your Alabama Daily News
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  that there are changes to SNAP benefits.
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  What's this about?
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  Well, that's right.
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  SNAP stands for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program,
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  commonly referred to as food stamps.
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  This is what helps families in need buy groceries.
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  This is a federal program administered by the state.
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  The One Big Beautiful Bill Act that passed Congress last year
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  sought to reduce fraud and reduce mistakes
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  when it comes to benefits like SNAP.
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  And so it mandated that the state's error rate,
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  meaning the rate at which mistakes happen,
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  benefits that get sent to people who shouldn't have them,
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  getting those error rate below 6%, every state.
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  And if you don't get below 6%, you stand to lose a lot of money.
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  Well, Alabama's error rate is about 10%,
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  and a lot of folks believe that it's almost impossible
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  to expect that the state could get basically 5% better
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  within the time frame.
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  You're talking about as much as $200 million
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  would be cut from Alabama's SNAP program,
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  and there's some people concerned
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  that it could go away completely.
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  So it's a big deal.
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  Other states, like Texas and Florida,
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  have succeeded in getting waivers,
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  meaning the federal government's giving them more time
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  to get all this done,
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  and that's what Alabama's asking for, too.
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  It's going through our senators and representatives
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  to ask the federal government,
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  hey, can we have a little bit more time here?
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  Because if we get cut $200 million,
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  that's going to impact a lot of families.
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  Basically, it sounds like this big, beautiful bill
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  has shifted a lot of responsibility
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  in different areas onto the states.
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  Well, that's right, and it's a massive bill.
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  It's not just having to do with SNAP.
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  They want to reduce fraud or mistakes.
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  I think what the state is saying
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  is that we just don't have enough time.
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  Well, Todd, next week is a big election week.
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  What's coming up?
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  That's right.
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  Everybody needs to remember to vote on Tuesday.
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  It's a runoff election.
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  Some really big races are up this week.
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  United States Senate, Barry Moore,
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  Jared Hudson in that Republican runoff.
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  Very tight lieutenant governor
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  between Wes Allen and John Wall,
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  and also for attorney general,
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  Katherine Robertson and Jay Mitchell.
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  So some really important offices
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  on the ballot this time around,
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  so I hope everybody will plan on getting out to vote.
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  You have been interviewing candidates on Capitol Journal.
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  Are any of these candidates coming up
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  who are on the Republican ballot?
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  Absolutely.
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  This week, it's the Senate candidates,
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  Jared Hudson and Barry Moore.
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  Last week, we had the lieutenant governor candidates,
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  and a few weeks ago before that,
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  we had the attorney general.
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  So this is our last interviews of the election.
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  We're ending with the top of the ticket.
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  Well, aside from politics, how about a wild card?
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  Yeah, this one made me laugh.
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  This story of a man who was asleep
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  and started to reach over and pet his cat
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  because he felt his cat crawling up next to him.
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  When he awoke and opened his eyes,
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  he realized it wasn't his cat, but it was a possum.
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  He thought he was petting his cat,
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  but he's petting a possum.
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  I guess it could have been worse,
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  but how'd you like to wake up to a possum in your bed?
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  Well, I'm wondering what you're petting right now.
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  Well, yeah, Toby used to chase possums.
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  So yeah, he's a little bit of a guard dog.
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  Well, Todd, we can watch Capital Journal tonight at 7.30
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  on APT, also Sunday at noon, and on YouTube.
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  So thank you for joining us for the News Wrap.
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  That's right.
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  It's a good show this week.
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  Hope everybody will watch.
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  Thanks for joining us for the News Wrap from In Focus,
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  which is a podcast wherever you get your podcasts.
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  I'm Carolyn Hutcheson,
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  and this is listener-supported Troy Public Radio.