As If Kentuckians Are Not FAT Enough, Yum Brands Wants Food Stamps For Use At Restaurants. YUMMMMMMY!

Yum! Brands lobbies Kentucky to OK food stamps for restaurant use
Written by Tom Loftus

FRANKFORT, Ky. — The Louisville-based fast food giant Yum! Brands Inc. is lobbying the Beshear administration to make Kentucky one of only a handful of states that allow food stamps to be used at restaurants by certain groups of recipients.

Under the federal food-stamp program, states may authorize that use by the elderly, disabled or homeless, who often have difficulty preparing meals. Only Michigan, Arizona and parts of California have done so.

Last month, Yum!, which owns the KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell chains, registered for the first time to lobby the executive branch in Frankfort.

One of its top executives has helped raise money for Gov. Steve Beshear's re-election campaign. And the company has presented the idea to officials of groups ranging from the Kentucky Restaurant Association and the Louisville Urban League, who have written letters of support to Beshear.

“We think it's a win-win,” said Paul Carothers, the company's vice president for government affairs. “It's obviously of interest from a business standpoint, and it provides access to the elderly homeless and disabled who are often underserved.”

He said he didn’t know how much Yum! would likely make if Kentucky adopts the policy.

“We haven’t tried to compute that,” he said.

The Cabinet for Health and Family Services, which administers the food-stamp program in Kentucky, declined to discuss any possible policy changes.

The cabinet released a one-sentence statement: “There have been some inquiries made regarding Kentucky; however, no decisions have been made at this point.”

The Courier-Journal filed a request under the Kentucky Open Records Act seeking copies of correspondence from groups urging the policy change, along with other cabinet records related to the issue.

The cabinet denied the request on grounds that any such records would be “preliminary” and thus exempt from release.

The possible policy change raised questions and concerns among state officials and health advocates.

Rep. Jim Wayne, D-Louisville, said he recognized the advantage of prepared meals for beneficiaries who are elderly, disabled or homeless. ...

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FOOD STAMP RULES

Food stamp benefits can be used just like money to purchase almost any food item, except ready-to-eat hot foods. Beneficiaries also may use benefits to buy seeds and plants to grow fruits and vegetables. The following items cannot be purchased with food stamp benefits: tobacco, alcohol, pet food, soap and other household products, medicines, and other non-food items.
For more information about the food stamp program, call the benefit office in the county where you live or the ombudsman toll free at (800) 372-2973. TTY is available at (800) 627-4702.
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Source: Cabinet for Health and Family Services