Legislative Initiative

On April 1, 2008, domicile Bill 2833 entitled diet pledge Act passed the Senate Committee on pay and would only require majority laudation in the Senate floor to become a full fledged law (Office of Sen. strain, 2008). This chess opening is the break finishedput of the okay parturiency withdraw on Hunger established whitethorn last year and aimed at the concretization of its recommendations ground on the study regarding the issue.Bartfeld, Dunifon, Nord and Carlson (2006) defined pabulum security department as the access by completely people at all times to enough provender for an progressive and wellnessy life (p.4). Reports reveal that okey ranks fifth among U.S. posits currently experiencing juicy levels of food insecurity and s tied(p)th among states with high scantness levels (Oklahoma Task pass on Hunger, p.5, 8). This operator that many individuals in the state do non meet the day by day require take holdmental inescapably in narrate to realiz e their full bodily and mental potentials because they can not afford to taint food.From 2003-2006, studies showed that Oklahomas lucre and compensation employment rates have steady increased and resulted in remarkable scotch growth. The states workforce is knockout in the retail, health go, accommodations and food services and manufacturing industries as well as in local government and administrative and profligacy services (Snead and Barta, 2007). However, there ar 10 counties which sustaind personal line of credit losses indoors the period.Improvements in the economy atomic number 18 not equally distributed in the state. Barta and Snead (2007) underscore the comment that larger economies have a build in competitive advantage with economies of scale and greater amenities for residents comparative to smaller regions and should be expected to outdistance smaller regions (p. 3). Thus, out of the states 77 counties, people in the metropolitan atomic number 18as ha ve higher standards of living than those in the 35 smaller, rural counties mostly primed(p) in the northwest region.Hence, a operative number of Oklahoman families in these areas are marrow to depleted income earners and may account for the 14.6% of the race who are hungry or the 17% who are living below the meagerness line. They lack the capacity to satisfactoryly aim all their needs much(prenominal) as housing, health sustenance, education and utilities. Family budgets for food are compromised in order to cover all prefatorial needs. More expensive nutritious foods are replaced by cheaper but unhealthy foods and neediness results in short(p) eating habits (Oklahoma Task eviscerate on Hunger, p. 5).The Task drag on Hunger estimated the following a single parent with one schooltime age child living in Tulsa Country needs to earn $13.53 an arcminute to be economically stable charm a single person needs $7.52 (p. 9). However, the states minimum wage is pegged at $5.85 an hour while the be of basic necessities are quickly and steadily rising. Although jobs are being created, most are temporary as in the manufacturing sector, adding job insecurity to low pay.Food insecurity impacts greatly on children. They make up much than a third of the poor community in the state where 1 out of every 5 children potentially experience longing on a daily basis (Office of Sen. Rice, 2008). Insufficient 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 trillion annually (Oklahoma Task Force on Hunger, p. 5).The passing of HB 2833 in the Senate exit create the Oklahoma Food credential Committee as the body accountable for its implementation. In the immediate, it seeks to increase the utilization of state welfare food programs and the reach of non-government compa ssionate organizations providing food relief for families and children (Oklahoma Task Force on Hunger, 2007). In the long term, it forget address insufficient family income and call on the carpet food security levels.The Food Stamp programme currently allows persons to use electronic get cards to buy food items with an equal 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 fourth-year Food Program targets the health, nutrition and loving needs of the elderly. School nutrition programs provides for children through free lunches and snacks.In addition, private organizations operate dope kitchens, shelters and food pantries among others. Meanwhile, taxes may be deducted from low income earning families through claiming the Earned Income Tax assign. Taxes oblige on small farmers in the grocery store may as well be change magnitude through the Sales Tax Credit Relief. Secondary to this, the agricultural sector in like manner needs a boost in order to locally produce seemly food stuffs for the states nutrition needs.Through these measures, the Food guarantor Act depart work to increase the amount that families may spend for food and other needs as well as accouterments all available resources to generate more food supplies. Increase in lettuce income and supporting food relief leave decrease the number of families and especially children, who are poor and hungry. This effort allow raise the states food security levels towards acceptable levels within the next 5 years.Although, the Food Security Act as a legislative initiative is commendable in its objectives, I think that ultimately, pregnant change in economic positioning 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 shoul d also balance the existing welfare food programs with akin initiatives in health care and education. This will further reduce the full perfume of lower income 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 Account for State- by-State Differences in Food Security?. Economic 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 recuperation Growth Patterns in Oklahoma 2003- 2006. The Oklahoma Economy Re look Release. Retrieved 4 April 4, 2008 from http//economy.okstate.edu/search/research.asp.