By AP/KWMU
Jefferson City, MO – The Speaker of the Missouri House Rod Jetton is pushing plans to encourage donations to food pantries and help older Missourians get nutritious meals.
Jetton (R-Marble Hill) says existing aid isn't enough and some seniors are going hungry.
He's proposing as much as $2 million dollars a year in tax credits for donations to food pantries. The credits would be capped at $2,500 per pantry, and donors would receive a credit for half the amount they contribute.
For seniors, Jetton wants to create a state supplement to the federal food stamp program.
There is no age limit for federal food stamps, but Jetton says his state plan would focus on people 65 and older to keep the overall cost at $3 million.