Lawmakers consider raising minimum CalFresh food assistance to $50

By Suzanne Potter, Producer, Public News Service

Many people receiving CalFresh food assistance took a big financial hit in April as the federal pandemic-era bump in benefits expired - leaving some with as little as $23 a month to spend on food. A bill to raise the minimum benefit to $50 gets a hearing before the State Senate Human Services Committee next Monday.

Mona Prager, a Reseda resident, said her benefits were cut in half.

“It has hurt me tremendously, because I am a cancer patient, and it’s affecting my being able to pay for medications out-of-pocket,” she said.

Advocates for the bill say the investment is necessary to avoid a huge “hunger cliff” now that federal benefits have been slashed. Opponents cite budget concerns, as the change could cost the state about $95 million a year.

Nancy Olney said she receives state disability payments while she battles cancer, and relies on workers’ compensation benefits for she and her husband, both of whom live in Monrovia.

“Before, with COVID [benefits], we were getting more than $400 a month - and now that that’s over, they dropped us to $24 a month. On top of that, my landlord raised our rent almost $200m” she said. “So, we’re really, really struggling to stay in the home and keep food on the table.”

State Senator Caroline Menjivar, who wrote the bill, said other states like New Jersey have raised their minimum benefit to $95 per person.

“We’re not saying that that’s the magic number to be able to survive,” she said. “I’m just looking to start the conversation. It’s the first step.”

Menjivar estimated the change would benefit 700,000 low-income Californians in one or two person households, mostly seniors and college students.

The Anaheim Ducks on Friday announced the firing of coach Dallas Eakins, less than 11 hours after they completed the season with the NHL’s worst record.

The Ducks had losing records in each of Eakins’ four seasons as coach, missing the Stanley Cup playoffs each season. The Ducks were 101-147-44 under Eakins, including a 23-47-12 record in the 2022-23 season, which they concluded Thursday with 5-3 loss to the Los Angeles Kings that assured the Ducks would finish with the league’s worst record.

“This was a very difficult decision, one that comes after careful and considerable deliberation,” Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek said in a statement. “At the end of the day,