In
this April 13, 2015 photo, Kansas Republican Gov. Sam Brownback makes a
point during an interview in his office in the Statehouse in Topeka,
Kan. Brownback is preparing to sign welfare legislation restricting how
poor families can spend cash assistance from the state. The Republican
governor scheduled a Thursday, April 16, 2015, morning signing ceremony
at the Statehouse. (AP Photo/John Hanna)According to a story from The Wichita Eagle, the list of restrictions included in the legislation have drawn criticism from several quarters.
"The list has attracted attention because it feels mean-spirited," said Shannon Cotsoradis, president and CEO of the advocacy group Kansas Action for Children. "It really seems to make a statement about how we feel about the poor."
The new law would bar those who get funds through the federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program from using the money to purchase liquor, services at a massage parlor, buy lottery tickets, movie tickets, theme park tickets or trips on cruise ships, according to the bill.
An Associated Press story points out that Kansas is not the only state with restrictions on how the assistance can be used:
At least 23 states have their own restrictions on how cards can be used, mostly for alcohol, tobacco, gambling and adult-oriented businesses, according to the The National Conference of State Legislatures.
A few states - not Kansas - prohibit buying guns, according to the NCSL, and a few ban tattoos or body piercings. Massachusetts prohibits spending on jewelry, bail bonds, or "vacation services." A 2014 Louisiana law bars card use on cruise ships, which is also on the Kansas list.
Kansas Department for Children and Families officials said that it's difficult to track how often cash assistance is used for items on the state's new list because recipients can use their benefits cards to obtain cash. The law will limit ATM withdrawals of cash assistance to $25 a day.
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