Legislative Initiative

On April 1, 2008, House Bill 2833 authorize viands Security crop passed the Senate Committee on Finance and would except require majority approval in the Senate floor to become a entire fledged law (Office of Sen. sift, 2008). This initiative is the output of the okeh depute string on Hunger established May last social class and aimed at the concretization of its recommendations based on the study regarding the issue.Bartfeld, Dunifon, Nord and Carlson (2006) defined solid food earnest as the access by tot whollyy people at all times to enough food for an active and wellnessy life (p.4). Reports break out that Oklahoma ranks fifth among U.S. states currently experiencing high levels of food insecurity and seventh among states with high poverty levels (Oklahoma Task make on Hunger, p.5, 8). This means that umpteen individuals in the state do not meet the daily necessary nutritional needfully in order to realize their full corporal and mental potentials because they c an not afford to buy food.From 2003-2006, studies showed that Oklahomas betroth and salary employment rates have steadily increase and resulted in remarkable scotch growth. The states workforce is change state in the retail, health services, accommodations and food services and manufacturing industries as well as in local government and administrative and waste services (Snead and Barta, 2007). However, in that location be 10 counties which experienced job losses within the period.Improvements in the economy be not equally distributed in the state. Barta and Snead (2007) underscore the ceremony that larger economies have a built in competitive emolument through economies of scale and greater amenities for residents relative to smaller regions and should be expected to outperform smaller regions (p. 3). Thus, out of the states 77 counties, people in the metropolitan areas have higher standards of living than those in the 35 smaller, rural counties mostly located in the northw est region.Hence, a significant number of Oklahoman families in these areas are middle to small income earners and whitethorn account for the 14.6% of the race who are hungry or the 17% who are living below the poverty line. They lack the capacity to sufficiently get all their ask such as housing, healthcare, education and utilities. Family budgets for food are compromised in order to cover all basic of necessity. More overpriced nutritious foods are replaced by cheaper but unhealthy foods and deprivation results in poor eating habits (Oklahoma Task drive on Hunger, p. 5).The Task Force on Hunger estimated the following a single parent with unity discipline age child living in Tulsa Country needs to earn $13.53 an hour to be economically stable while a single person needs $7.52 (p. 9). However, the states minimum wage is pegged at $5.85 an hour while the costs of basic necessities are right away and steadily rising. Although jobs are being created, most are temporary as in the manufacturing sector, adding job insecurity to low pay.solid food insecurity impacts greatly on children. They make up more than a third of the poor population in the state where 1 out of every 5 children potentially experience thirstiness on a daily basis (Office of Sen. Rice, 2008). meagre nutrition affects their physical and mental growth, evidenced in poor school performance, susceptibility to disease and the high obesity rates. According to the Sodexho Foundation findings, these consequences of hunger cause the state to lose $1.4 billion annually (Oklahoma Task Force on Hunger, p. 5).The passing of HB 2833 in the Senate will create the Oklahoma intellectual nourishment Security Committee as the body responsible for its implementation. In the immediate, it seeks to increase the utilization of state welfare food programs and the reach of non-government kind organizations providing food relief for families and children (Oklahoma Task Force on Hunger, 2007). In the bulky term, it will address insufficient family income and awake food security levels.The Food Stamp computer program currently allows persons to use electronic benefit separate to buy food items with an equivalent of $90 under the Thrifty Food Plan. The Women, Infants and Children Program, on the other hand, provides services such as nutrition education, health care referrals and supplemental food for needy families. The Senior Food Program targets the health, nutrition and social needs of the elderly. School nutrition programs provides for children through expel lunches and snacks.In addition, private organizations operate soup kitchens, shelters and food pantries among others. Meanwhile, taxes may be deducted from low income earning families through claiming the Earned Income Tax Credit. Taxes imposed on small farmers in the market may also be lessened through the sales Tax Credit Relief. Secondary to this, the agricultural sector also needs a boost in order to locally produce co mme il faut food stuffs for the states nutrition needs.Through these measures, the Food Security Act will work to increase the amount that families may spend for food and other needs as well as harness all available resources to generate more food supplies. Increase in engagement income and supporting food relief will decrease the number of families and particularly children, who are poor and hungry. This effort will raise the states food security levels towards acceptable levels within the next 5 years.Although, the Food Security Act as a legislative initiative is applaudable in its objectives, I think that ultimately, significant change in economic status is the result of secure employment and sufficient pay. If the state should raise its minimum wage, even by a fraction, then that is a concrete step.The state should also complement the existing welfare food programs with connatural initiatives in health care and education. This will further reduce the full burden of lower inc ome earners in shouldering the food, school and health care needs of their children. The state should also put primacy in allocating funds to sustain these programs.List of ReferencesBartfeld, J., Dunifon, R., Nord, M. and Carlson, S. (2006). What Factors study for State- by-State Differences in Food Security?. sparing Information Bulletin, 20. Retrieved 4 April 2008 from http//www.ers.usda.gov/publications/EIB20/eib20.pdf.Office of Senator Andrew Rice (2008). Food Security Act Advances to Senate Floor. Retrieved 4 April 2008 from http//www.ok.gov/newsroom.php?page_id=681&type=1.Oklahoma Task Force on Hunger (2007). Hunger is Not Ok. Retrieved 4 April 2008 from http//www.hungerinoklahoma.org/Task%20Force%20Report.pdf.Snead, M.C. and Barta, S. (2007). Economic Recovery Growth Patterns in Oklahoma 2003- 2006. The Oklahoma Economy seek Release. Retrieved 4 April 4, 2008 from http//economy.okstate.edu/search/research.asp.