With President Donald Trump’s signing of his “Big, Beautiful Bill”, some of our local nonprofits are expressing concerns for federal cuts expected in the near future.
The Food Bank of Northern Nevada (FBNN) says one in six Nevadans rely on SNAP benefits. So not only is the supply going down, but this could cause the need to go up.
Political Science Professor Fred Lokken with Truckee Meadows Community College, says, “We have so many children through the public school district and elsewhere that are taking advantage of free federal lunch, and our benefactors are the SNAP programs.”
Catholic Charities serves over 40 thousand clients every month in their food pantry, and they’re preparing to see about a 20 percent increase once cutbacks go into place. Especially since other nonprofits in the community are losing federal grants.
Marie Baxter, CEO of Catholic Charities says, “Increasing our food resources, making sure that the St. Vincent’s dining room has more capacity and bringing in these programs that are going to address some of the work requirements, the childcare.”
Catholic Charities and FBNN say even though SNAP benefits are being cut back, most of their other programs are not federally supported so there are still plenty of resources to turn to, and other partnerships that provide a wide range of services.
“Various nonprofits that provide support in the medical side, so you know Northern Nevada HOPES, Community Health Alliance, even the Renown system,” Baxter says.
Lokken says Nevada will see a couple hundred million dollars’ worth of cutbacks in Medicaid. Specifically for single people who are not working at least 80 hours a month.
“The number was forecasted at perhaps as high as 119,000 Nevadans that will lose the insurance they just gained.”
In addition to the Big, Beautiful Bill, some service workers may be looking forward to their tax-free tips – however Professor Lokken says it will only be effective throughout the rest of the president’s term, until 2028.
He also tells us the lands bill allowing the sale of federal lands in our state to support housing has not been included in the bill, “It would’ve allowed for a lot of Nevada to be taken over by private interest. It was not ultimately included in the bill, so I think there’s relief about that.”
