By Romy Ellenbogen, Tampa Bay Times

TALLAHASSEE — Gov. Ron DeSantis said Monday that the state’s agriculture department will “be doing more” to help the nearly 3 million low-income Floridians who may be going without federal food assistance amid the government shutdown.

But DeSantis dismissed calls from state Democrats to declare an emergency, tap into emergency funds and distribute food aid as funding for the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program lapses.

“I’m getting letters from Democrats saying, ‘You should declare an emergency and create your own SNAP,’ when they’re the ones that are filibustering SNAP,” DeSantis said.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture said earlier it planned to freeze payments to the program starting Nov. 1 because of the government shutdown.

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