BOTTLE THIS
TIME, SAYS SHE WAS
ALSO ROBBED ON NEW
YEARS EVE.
MAJOR CHANGES ARE
COMING FOR NEW
MEXICANS, WHO RELY ON
FOOD STAMPS.
CHANGES THAT
ADVOCATES SAY COULD
HARM PEOPLE MOST IN
NEED...
KOAT ACTION 7
NEWS REPORTER ALANA
GRIMSTAD EXPLAINS, WHO
LAWMAKERS WANT TO SEND
BACK TO WORK.
THOUSANDS OF
PEOPLE WHO USE FOOD
STAMPS MAY SOON NEED
TO WORK OR PROVE
THEY'RE LOOKING FOR A
JOB IN ORDER TO KEEP
THE BENEFITS.
Help them become more
self sufficient.
BUT ADVOCATES FOR
THOSE LIVING IN
POVERTY SAY PEOPLE
ALREADY STRUGGLING
WILL HURT EVEN MORE.
Hunger in New Mexico
will increase.
HERE'S A LOOK AT
THE PLAN...ANYONE AGES
16 TO 59 WHO DOESN'T
HAVE CHILDREN OR HAS
KIDS OLDER THAN 18
WILL HAVE TO GET A
JOB, SIGN UP FOR A JOB
TRAINING PROGRAM OR DO
COMMUNITY SERVICE IN
ORDER TO KEEP GETTING
FOOD STAMPS.
PEOPLE WITH
CHILDREN OLDER THAN
SIX YEARS OLD WILL
HAVE TO PROVE THEY'RE
ACTIVELY LOOKING FOR A
JOB.
We want to give
people a hand up and
help them find
employment.
AND STATE
OFFICIALS SAY THEY'LL
HELP CONNECT PEOPLE
WITH EMPLOYERS AND
TRAINING PROGRAMS.
So they're not out
there alone looking
for these jobs on
their own.
It definitely will
affect families with
children.
BUT POVERTY
ADVOCATES ASK WHERE
ALL THESE JOBS WILL
MIRACULOUSLY COME
FROM?
THEY FEAR THERE
JUST AREN'T ENOUGH
JOBS FOR THE
80-THOUSAND PEOPLE WHO
WOULD NOW NEED THEM,
ACCORDING TO THE
STATE'S PLANS.
They don't seem to be
based on any sound
economic reality that
new Mexico is
experiencing right
now.
State officials say
right now about
420-thousand New
Mexicans rely on food
stamps and almost half
of them are children.
In Santa Fe, Alana
Grimstad KOAT Action 7
News.
IN THE PROPOSAL
THERE ARE SOME GROUPS
THAT WON'T HAVE TO
WORK, TO GET BENEFITS.
ANYONE WITH KIDS
YOUNGER THAN 6.
AND PEOPLE WHO
ARE DISABLED,
PREGNANT,
IN REHAB, OR IN
COLLEGE.
THESE WERE THE
SAME REQUIREMENTS IN
2009 BEFORE THE
RECESSION HIT.
A PUBLIC HEARING
IS SET FOR AUGUST 29TH
ON THE PROPOSAL...
IT'S PLANNED TO
GO INTO EFFECT IN
OCTOBER.
