Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry today issued and "update" to his warning about state recipients losing their SNAP, or foodstamp, benefits.
He now says he is working to make sure some residents continue to get funding for food despite the federal government shutdown.
"SNAP beneficiaries may run out of funds by November 1," according to Landry's statement.
However, he now says he wants three classifications of recipients to keep getting benefits.
"I have been in discussions with other governors across the nation, as well as with our legislative leadership. I am making it a top priority to ensure that seniors, individuals with disabilities, and children who rely on food stamps do not go hungry in Louisiana."
Jan Moeller, the executive director of Invest Louisiana, says more than 800,000 households in Louisiana rely on SNAP benefits.
“I can’t think of anything more critical than making sure people who are elderly and disabled, who need help putting food on the table, have these benefits at the start of the month,” Moeller added.
Moeller called on the governor to hold meetings on how to use state dollars to pay for November SNAP benefits.
“The legislature should be coming in and talking about ways that the states could make sure these benefits get paid out,” Moeller said.
Louisiana has among the highest rates of food benefits in the nation, with nearly one in five households getting SNAP funding.