JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) - Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon says his administration is withdrawing a proposal for rolling back an expansion of the food stamps program.
Since 2009, the state has qualified for a waiver allowing able-bodied adults without children to qualify for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program despite failing to meet federal work requirements. Officials had proposed changing eligibility rules to waive the work requirements only in counties where the unemployment rate is higher than 10 percent.
Nixon said Thursday he is directing the Social Services Department to withdraw the proposal. The governor says there now is greater certainty about federal funding for food stamps after last week's budget agreement.
Missouri had about 915,000 people receiving food stamps in August. That's down from a peak of nearly 962,000 in December 2011.
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