Bill Would Prohibit Use of Welfare, Child Support to Buy Booze

The House today approved a welfare reform bill sponsored by Rep. Dave Reed (R-Indiana) that would prohibit the use of welfare and child support payments to purchase alcohol.

“Welfare dollars should not be used to purchase alcohol,” Reed said. “We always have to remember, one person’s welfare dollar started out as another person’s tax dollar. That taxpayer deserves to know that they didn’t go to work and pay their taxes so that a welfare recipient could go out and buy a bottle of alcohol.”

Reed’s legislation – House Bill 74 – would prevent state liquor stores and beer distributorships from accepting electronic benefit cards (EBTs), which are part of the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare’s (DPW) cash assistance and food stamp programs.

“Every welfare dollar that is used to purchase alcohol is another dollar that isn’t available to help someone truly in need,” Reed said. “Welfare programs should be aimed at providing basic necessities, such as food and clothing, for people who are down on their luck. It shouldn’t be a taxpayer subsidy to pay for a welfare recipient’s drinking habit.”

In addition, Reed’s bill would prohibit the acceptance of EPPICards – debit cards issued in lieu of child support payments by the domestic relation sections of county courts of common pleas – from being used to purchase alcohol.

“Since children aren’t old enough to consume alcohol, there’s absolutely no reason why child support payments should be used to purchase booze,” Reed said. “That money is supposed to be used to benefit the child. The parent making the payments deserves to know that the money is being used to feed and clothe their child – not for a six pack of beer for the other parent.”

Reed’s bill now moves to the Senate for consideration.

“I urge my colleagues in the Senate to take swift action to pass this bill,” Reed said. “Pennsylvania taxpayers and child support payers deserve to know their dollars are being used for their intended purposes. This is a common sense bill to protect taxpayers and children.”

Comments

Anonymous said…
This won't work. We'll just travel to NY State and go to any grocery store or mini mart.

The drug testing idea was better.
Anonymous said…
Unbelievable, I can't believe that they were allowed to use it for either alcohol or cigarettes in the first place and as you can see by the first comment, the real welfare abusers know the system by the back of their hands and chances are, it's been passed down for generations too. What ever happened to the welfare to work program for all these loosers.
Anonymous said…
I agree with the above....but all they have to do is go to any ATM.. and take out the money and go buy it anyways.....something has to be done to prevent all this from happening....
Anonymous said…
I can't see how this will work...all they need to do is go to an ATM and withdraw their cash assistance then go by booze and lottery tickets and who would know???
Marcia L. Neil said…
Because alcoholic beverages exist to control internal parasites and with other medicinal purposes, a rational alternative is to 'allow' alcohol distribution as a rationed action. As example, as an SSI disability recipient, I budget myself four tall Miller beers each month -- one ingested per week.

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