The partial government shutdown is over for a couple of weeks. But the state is considering contingency plans for families who count on food benefits in case there鈥檚 another shutdown in .
The in U.S. history put almost half a million New Mexicans who rely on the 鈥攐r SNAP鈥攊n jeopardy. The feds fund SNAP to the tune of about $54 million every month in New Mexico, said Betina McCraken, spokesperson for the .
"Those are dollars that come into New Mexico鈥檚 economy," she said. "To be very honest, it not only helps the families, but it helps the economy in the local communities that these families live in."
During the shutdown, the state started thinking about how to find the cash for SNAP if the federal government didn鈥檛 reopen. Digging into the state鈥檚 coffers in an emergency is still on the table, McCraken said.
No matter what happens with the federal government next, SNAP benefits are assured for March and will be distributed on schedule. And the program鈥攐r WIC鈥攊s set through May.
