Advocates rally for SNAP funding in Utah following federal judges' orders

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KEY TAKEAWAYS

Advocates rallied in Salt Lake City urging continued SNAP funding as benefits face suspension.
Federal judges ordered the Trump administration to keep funding SNAP amid the government shutdown.
Utah leaders committed $4 million to food banks.

SALT LAKE CITY — About two dozen people rallied Friday afternoon to urge continued funding for food assistance as SNAP benefits for thousands of Utah families are about to be suspended.

The rally on Halloween outside the Wallace F. Bennett Federal Building in Salt Lake City was dubbed "Hunger is Scary." It came just hours after two federal judges ordered the Trump administration to keep paying funding the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program, or SNAP, commonly known as food stamps.

Last week, the state announced those benefits would be suspended as the month-old federal government shutdown continues. But with the federal judges' rulings, advocates called on Utah leaders to make sure families in the state still receive their benefits.

"We want the governor and our congressional delegation to hold the Trump administration accountable to get those funds released quickly and without delay," said Gina Cornia, executive director of Utahns Against Hunger.

President Trump suggested he will comply with the rulings if he receives "appropriate legal direction," according to the Associated Press. Both federal judges asked for status updates on Monday.

Around 86,000 Utah families receive food stamps. A Utah Department of Workforce Services spokesperson told KSL on Friday the state had not received any updated guidance since the judges' rulings, and benefits were still set to be suspended on Saturday.

Amid the uncertainty, Utah Republican leaders this week committed up to $4 million to food banks in the state, while also blaming congressional Democrats for the shutdown. House Speaker Mike Schultz, R-Hooper, specifically referred to Democratic senators who voted against a Republican proposal to keep the government running through Nov. 21.

"I'm frustrated," Schultz said on Thursday. "As a state leader, we are frustrated that Washington, D.C. can't get its act together and that you have 45 people — think about that, 45 people — hurting hundreds of millions of people across the country."

But Rep. Sandra Hollins, D-Salt Lake City, who attended Friday's rally, said the issue of food assistance funding should not be political.

"We have people in our community that's going without food – something basic, a human right," Hollins said, "and now we want to sit here and talk about if this is a Republican problem or a Democratic problem. This is a human problem."

While SNAP benefits are still set to be suspended on Saturday, Utahns who have a balance on their benefit cards can still use them, but no new deposits will be made until this is resolved.

"We want Gov. Cox to leverage his relationship with the president and get him to release these funds without delay," Cornia said.

The governor's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Contributing: Bridger Beal-Cvetko, KSL.com

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Daniel Woodruff

Daniel Woodruff is a reporter and fill-in anchor at KSL. Born in Salt Lake City and raised in Provo, Daniel attended Provo High School and has bachelor’s and master’s degrees in communications from Brigham Young University. He worked as a reporter at a FOX affiliate in Indiana, followed by several years as the primary weeknight anchor at an ABC affiliate in Wisconsin. In 2014, Daniel and his family returned home to Utah, where he spent nearly seven years as a reporter at KUTV, along with a stint working in public relations. In January 2024, he joined the KSL news team. Daniel has covered many high-profile stories in his career, including the Great Recession and its effects, the Wisconsin recall elections, the inauguration of President Donald Trump, the Westminster Bridge terror attack in London, the Dakota Access Pipeline Protests in North Dakota, the Brian Head fire, the Las Vegas mass shooting, and the Lori Vallow Daybell murder trial. He has also reported extensively on Utah politics and covered multiple legislative sessions. Daniel enjoys running, reading non-fiction, trying new restaurants (especially Indian food) and traveling. He met his wife on a blind date. They have three children.