“I DON’T BELIEVE IN WELFARE,” Nebraska governor Jim Pillen said in December 2023 in response to questions regarding the Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer.
His state was one of 15 that had declined to take part in the federally funded scheme, which will give families struggling with poverty additional money over the summer to help them feed their children.
In the run-up to the January 1 deadline for states to confirm participation in the program, Nebraskans took the fight to feed hungry kids direct to Pillen’s door. Protesters held signs outside of the Governor’s Residence in Lincoln, reading, “Why allow children to go hungry?” and “Food is the most important school supply.”
Less than two months later, after pressure piled on by advocacy groups and ordinary Nebraskans, Pillen, a Republican, announced the state would backtrack on the decision.
Having spoken with children from low-income families, he said: “They talked about being hungry. And they talked about the summer
