WASHINGTON – Louisiana food banks have seen an influx in demand as federal funding for food stamps expired due to the federal government shutdown, which has gone on 34 days with no end in sight Monday.

Louisiana started using state money Saturday, when federal dollars stopped, to provide some benefits to the elderly, disabled people, and children. But that has not covered all of the nearly 800,000 people in the state who use the program — about 53,164 people considered able-bodied adults will not receive, state-funded assistance, the Department of Health said.

And state officials are looking to the feds to renew the program soon.

The Trump administration, after rulings from two federal courts, announced Monday it would start providing funds for about half the Supplemental Nutritional

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