Pubdate: Wed, 05 Mar 2014
Source: Seattle Times (WA)
Copyright: 2014 The Seattle Times Company
Contact:  http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/409
Author: Kyung M. Song

REICHERT BILL WOULD BAN BUYING POT WITH WELFARE CARD

U.S. Rep. Dave Reichert on Tuesday introduced a bill to ban the use 
of welfare-benefit cards at stores selling marijuana, adding them to 
a prohibited list that includes casinos, liquor stores, strip clubs 
and tattoo parlors.

Reichert, a Republican from Auburn, joined 11 other lawmakers in 
sponsoring the Preserving Welfare for Needs Not Weed Act.

The bill would prevent low-income recipients of Temporary Assistance 
for Needy Families (TANF) benefits from using their cards to buy pot, 
or to withdraw cash from ATMs inside such stores.

Reichert cited a report in the conservative National Review Online 
that Colorado welfare recipients had used their benefits cards 64 
times in January to withdraw cash totaling $5,475 at places selling 
pot after that state legalized recreational marijuana. That was out 
of a total of 42,000 electronic-benefits-transfer withdrawals that month.

"The fact that some people are using welfare for weed is outrageous," 
Reichert said in a statement. "It's offensive to taxpayers working to 
pay for these benefits, and it's insulting to low-income families who 
truly need help to make ends meet."

Washington state also legalized recreational marijuana, and its first 
stores could open in late spring.

Washington state already requires casinos, liquor stores and other 
prohibited businesses to program their ATMs and point-of-sales 
machines not to accept welfare-benefit cards, called Quest Cards.

Reichert's legislation applies only to welfare cards, not food 
stamps, which also use electronic benefits cards.

Reichert's spokeswoman said that was because the Ways and Means Human 
Resources Subcommittee, which Reichert chairs, has jurisdiction only 
over the former.

Washington's food-stamps cards cannot be used for nonfood purchases 
such as toilet paper, or for hot prepared foods.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom