Governor Susana Martinez Extends State Supplemental Food Stamp Program

Press Release

Governor Susana Martinez announced today that she will use remaining
discretionary stimulus money to extend State funding for a supplemental food stamp program through September. Governor Martinez had requested $650,000 in funding for the state supplement to the "Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program" in her FY12 executive budget, but the Legislature did not fund the program, effectively ending the provision of supplemental food stamp assistance to certain low-income, elderly, and disabled residents at the end of this month.

"Protecting those most vulnerable in New Mexico is an important priority," remarked Governor Martinez. "Not only did our executive budget recommend an additional $10 million in Medicaid funding, but we aimed to fully fund the supplemental food stamp program for the next fiscal year as well. Though the Legislature chose to advance different priorities, I'm glad that we will be able to extend the food stamp program through September and discuss ways for it to be funded in the future. For instance, the line-item vetoes in the budget provide more than enough recurring funding for this food
stamp program, should the legislature agree to fund it."

By law, discretionary stimulus funds must be used by the end of September. In April, Governor Martinez deauthorized $2.6 million in discretionary stimulus funds to projects that she felt would not be able to be funded by this deadline, or did not pose the best use of the money during the challenging economic times we face. Since that point, some of the funding has been re-allocated toward rising fuel costs for State Police vehicles, and roughly $50,000 per month will be spent on the extension of the supplemental food stamp program.

Extending the program beyond September, and potentially throughout the next fiscal year, is a topic that could be addressed in the upcoming special legislative session, though a formal call and agenda for the session has not yet been established.

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