Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear on Monday announced a reallocation of funds to maintain the Senior Meals program maintained by the state’s area development districts after previously budgeted funds for the program were exhausted.
“From this appropriation, we are moving $9.1 million in funding to Senior Meals,” said Beshear during media availability regarding the funding Monday. “My state budget director transferred these funds today after we discussed plans with the General Assembly leadership at the end of last week.”
Beshear said the funding comes from a $25 million general fund appropriation for a Medicaid study that was ultimately not approved by the Kentucky General Assembly, making the funds available as an Aging and Independent Living appropriation. Leadership in the General Assembly agreed to retroactively approve the appropriation.
Beshear said this kind of funding option will likely not be available in the future.
“No Kentuckian should face hunger, and while I’m glad we found a temporary solution, we must ensure that we understand our people’s needs as well as the cost controls and procedures for the Senior Meal program to appropriately budget and run these programs in the future,” Beshear said.
The governor also said the state will be temporarily covering the federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program, which has been halted by the government shutdown.
“We’lll use state funds to prevent any disruption in assistance for families in November, and families should use their current benefits as normal,” Beshear said.
Kentuckians dependent on TANF or SNAP benefits should check the Department for Community Based Services website for updates.
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