Gov. Little signs bill banning candy, soda from food assistance programs

BOISE, Idaho — Idaho Gov. Brad Little on Tuesday signed House Bill 109 into law, approving a bill to ban candy and soda purchases from a food assistance program. 

Little celebrated the signature with applause from U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

HB109 requires a federal waiver from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to implement the changes to Idaho’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known as SNAP. Little said his team is committed to securing that waiver as soon as possible.

The move is part of the Trump administration’s latest effort to promote a healthy population through the “Make America Healthy Again” movement, or MAHA. 

“Idaho welcomes the MAHA movement. It is all about looking for creative ways to improve nutrition and increase exercise, the two main factors that influence overall health,” Little said. “Secretary Kennedy said it so well: we need to take better care of ourselves and each other. He said it is an act of patriotism, and the future of our nation depends on it. Idaho couldn’t agree more.”

Despite opposition from some nonprofits, Little signed the bill that took months to get through the statehouse. 

“I do recognize the complexities of defining candy and soda, but at the same time this issue is not complex at all,” Little said. “It is actually quite simple: assistance from the government should go toward healthy foods, not foods that cause so many health problems.”

Dawn Pierce, Hunger Free America national director of organizing and community empowerment, called the legislation misleading and harmful, as previously reported by KTVB. 

“This is a society-wide problem, not one caused by SNAP,” Pierce said. “Low-income families [are] the easy one to blame. It’s an overreach, and it further demonizes our neighbors who need help and rely on SNAP.”

Pierce said similar legislation had been introduced in several other states, including Arkansas, Missouri, Kansas and Texas. 

While getting backlash from some, others are applauding Idaho’s decision. 

“Thank you, Governor Little, for your leadership and commitment to the MAHA movement to ensure taxpayer-funded SNAP dollars go to nutritious food, not soda,” Kennedy said.

Rollins echoed Kennedy’s comments in Tuesday’s news release from the governor’s office. 

“I am thrilled more states are heeding the call to Make America Healthy Again, including by submitting demonstration projects to promote healthier choices in SNAP purchasing,” Rollins said. “Governor Little is a true partner to USDA, and we look forward to working together on ways to use SNAP to improve health outcomes for Americans and encourage better use of taxpayer dollars.”