Judge blocks state bans on using SNAP for soda and candy
Why it matters: The ruling halts a conservative-backed push to narrow food-stamp purchases and could limit similar efforts elsewhere.
A judge blocked state efforts to bar food-stamp recipients from using SNAP benefits to buy sugary drinks and candy, stopping a policy push that had drawn support from conservative lawmakers. The ruling keeps current federal rules in place for now, preserving what participants in the program can buy with benefits. The case centered on whether states could carve out their own restrictions from the national nutrition-assistance program. The decision is likely to complicate broader campaigns to tie anti-obesity goals to stricter limits on public benefits and could shape similar fights in other states.