President Barack Obama signed a farm bill Friday that includes $8 billion in cuts to the food-stamp program over the next 10 years, but Arizona recipients will not see a reduction in their benefits. But advocates point to benefits cuts in November and worry that more may be coming. Read more»
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The acronym "PILT" is more than just an odd abbreviation. PILT stands for Payment In Lieu of Taxes, a program created by Congress in 1976. In the nearly four decades since PILT's creation, counties all across America – and especially in Arizona and the West – have come to rely on these funds, especially after the economic turndown of last decade. Read more»
It’s been quite a year for U.S. foreign policy, with plenty of undertakings both naughty and nice. Read more»
The budget was not the only significant legislation that died Monday between a deadlocked House and Senate – the farm bill also expired at midnight, leaving farm programs, crop supports and food stamps up in the air. Read more»
The U.S. House barely passed a farm bill Thursday afternoon, with only one member of the Arizona delegation supporting the measure after leaders stripped the food stamp program out of it. The 216-208 vote largely followed party lines, with every Democrat voting against the bill and 12 Republicans breaking ranks to vote against it. Read more»
Arizona farmers are cautiously optimistic at the Senate’s passage this week of a five-year farm bill, even though it cuts $24 billion from current spending levels.
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A revamped Farm Bill, scheduled for a vote this week, is set to cut $35 billion from the food stamp program. "One in seven Americans receive what we used to call food stamps. The figure is higher in Arizona, where one in three children – more than 466,000 – are considered ‘food insecure," said U.S. Rep. Raúl Grijalva. Read more»