With Saturday looming as the day federal SNAP benefits could stop for 1.5 million people in Ohio, calls continue for state taxpayers to pick up the tab during the government shutdown.

However, a spokesman for Gov. Mike DeWine told The Center Square that Congress, not the state, needs to fix the problem.

After introducing legislation late last week that would have the state use money from its $3.9 billion rainy day fund to cover SNAP if the federal government fails to reopen, Rep. Latyna Humphrey, D-Columbus, sent a letter to DeWine this week asking him to step in with a series of suggestions.

Dan Tierney, spokesman for DeWine, told The Center Square those ideas won’t work.

“There’s no way to take any of those revenue streams and place it in SNAP beneficiary accounts,” Tierney said. “We

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