Overview
- The governor-appointed Board of Human Services voted 8-1 to delay a final decision after a nearly eight-hour hearing, leaving the proposal on hold until an April meeting.
- The waiver would block SNAP payments for beverages with added sugar or artificial sweeteners unless they contain milk, a plant-based milk substitute, or at least 50% juice, keeping chocolate milk and unsweetened seltzers eligible.
- Roughly 600,000 Coloradans use SNAP, and state officials estimate sweetened drinks account for about 9% of SNAP spending, the program’s second-largest purchase category after meat and seafood.
- Supporters, including state health leaders and physician groups, cite links between sugary drinks and chronic disease and argue the change could curb future Medicaid costs.
- Opponents such as Hunger Free Colorado, homeless advocates, Save the Children, and 27 Democratic lawmakers warn of stigma at checkout, shopper confusion, retailer burdens, and potential increases in food insecurity as other states move ahead under USDA waivers now totaling about 22 jurisdictions.