Because living in Lubbock wasn’t already enough of a thrill, Governor Abbott and his band of merry nutritionists have decided to turn your local Allsup’s checkout line into a high-stakes chemistry exam. Starting April 1, Senate Bill 379 officially bans the use of SNAP benefits for “sweetened beverages and candy.” That’s right—Texas is “leading the way” by making sure the poorest among us have the nutritional profile of an Olympic athlete, whether they want to or not.
The logic is classic Texas: we won’t expand Medicaid or fix the fact that half of Lubbock is a food desert where the only “fresh produce” is a browning banana at a gas station, but we will make sure you don’t use state funds on a Twix. If your drink has more than 5 grams of added sugar or a whisper of aspartame, you’re out of luck. However, in a move that surely makes total sense to someone with a six-figure salary, you can still buy ice cream, sprinkles, and Maraschino cherries. Because nothing says “health initiative” like a bowl of chocolate chips and lard.
While the state pats itself on the back for “Make America Healthy Again,” local retailers are left holding the bag—or rather, checking every single label for monk fruit extract while the line of angry commuters stretches out the door. It’s a bold strategy to fight hunger by making it functionally impossible to shop at the only stores accessible in remote or urban areas. But hey, at least when you’re working your newly mandated 80 hours a month just to keep your benefits, you’ll be doing it without the “distraction” of a Dr Pepper.
If the Texas Legislature is so deeply concerned about our sugar intake, why stop at the poor? Are we going to see a state trooper stationed at every Spudnut’s to check our BMI before we’re allowed to order a glazed dozen, or is “freedom” only for people who can pay cash?
https://www.texastribune.org/2026/03/18/texas-food-stamps-snap-lone-star-card-sweet-drinks-candy/
