Monday, NOVEMBER 3, 2025 |

Photo – Governor Mark Gordon – Courtesy State of Wyoming

Governor Mark Gordon signed two executive orders on Friday intended to put food on Wyoming tables and reduce anxiety over the loss of the federal SNAP program because of congressional inaction.

The federal program distributes up to $5.4 million per month on food for Wyoming families. Children and seniors receive most of the benefits. In 2024, SNAP participants in Wyoming received around $62 million in benefits. In light of the breakdown in Washington, Governor Gordon declared the matter a public welfare emergency.

Unlike the federal government, which allows people on the program to use the benefits to purchase unhealthy food items, Executive Order 2025-07 restricts the use of SNAP benefits from being used to purchase foods that offer little or no nutritional value, such as sugary beverages and candy.

The governor’s EO reads, “Wyoming taxpayers expect their dollars to support food assistance that helps families put healthy food on the table.”

Under the Executive Order, DFS will conduct a full review of food items with low or no nutritional value currently eligible for purchase under federal SNAP rules.

The Department of Family Services will prepare a list of foods to be excluded from SNAP purchases, as well as a phased rollout option to reduce administrative burden on retailers, particularly in rural communities around the state.

The Governor said that Wyoming will lead with common sense and the program will support only wholesome nutrition.

Another Executive Order, 2025-08, authorizes up $10 million dollars in state emergency funds to go toward Wyoming food pantries.

Wyoming DFS Director Korin Schmidt said the failure of the federal government to do its job is placing additional stress on local organizations and churches dedicated to feeding hungry Wyomingites. Schmidt said the state will distribute money based on the number of SNAP recipients in the counties as of September.

According to DFS figures, an average of 28,364 people accessed SNAP in Wyoming each month last fiscal year, with an average monthly payment of about $185 per person.

The state funding, announced on Friday, is temporary and will stop when the federal government shutdown ends and politicians go back to work.

By the way, at least 12 states, including Colorado, received federal approval to restrict recipients of SNAP from using their benefits to purchase certain foods such as soda and candy.

The trend is part of U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s agenda to “make America healthy again” by inviting states to apply for waivers to change SNAP rules to limit what types of food recipients can buy.

Kennedy said in a statement that SNAP has used taxpayer dollars to “fuel America’s diabetes and chronic disease epidemics.”

The post Governor Declares SNAP Benefits Loss “A Public Welfare Emergency” first appeared on Bigfoot 99 Radio.