Shanth Nanguneri

(Oregon Capital Chronicle) Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek on Wednesday declared a state of emergency over hunger and directed $5 million to food banks across the state, seeking to avert the impending November loss of food stamp benefits for hundreds of thousands of Oregonians under the federal government’s ongoing shutdown.

Kotek’s emergency declaration gives authority to the Oregon Department of Emergency Management to coordinate with local governments, nonprofit organizations and private companies to “respond and mitigate the impacts of this emergency.” It calls for “essential protective measures” from the Oregon Department of Human Services to address food insecurity, while directing the agency to provide financial assistance to those facing hunger due to the loss of SNAP

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