House Speaker Rod Jetton has unveiled a plan to address the nutritional needs of the poor and elderly. Jetton says he has talked with those who run food pantries and deliver meals to home-bound Missourians and it’s convinced him their is a real need. One of the problems, according to Jetton, is how the federal government counts assets. Jetton says he is asking the federal government to relax its rules and allow the state to increase food stamp allocations to $30 for elderly individuals and to $60 for couples. Jetton proposes the state provide a 50-percent tax credit for donations to food pantries, capped at $2,500, so the donations will be spread throughout the state. The Speaker also is talking with the Blunt Administration about increasing the among budgetted for meals delivered to senior citizens not eligible for Medicaid. $600,000 has been budgeted. Jetton wants that increased to one million dollars.
