Dem Gov. Tony Evers signed a GOP push to ban food stamps from being used to buy candy and soda.

In exchange, the governor got $72.7 million in additional state money and more positions in the Department of Health Services largely to ensure the state doesn’t lose federal aid for the program.

In his news release yesterday, Evers focused on the benefits of the additional money and positions, which his administration first sought last fall following changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program included in Republicans’ sweeping One Big Beautiful Bill Act. That included more administrative costs for the state and the possibility of losing federal funds to cover benefit costs if too many ineligible people were enrolled.

“As long as I am governor, I will continue to do everything in my power to protect Wisconsin families and taxpayers from the harmful decisions of the Trump Administration,” Evers said.

Historically, the federal government covered half of the administrative costs for SNAP, known as FoodShare in Wisconsin. But the federal GOP bill dropped the feds’ share to 25% starting in federal fiscal year 2026-27.

The federal legislation also requires states to keep their error rate below 6%. Those that eclipse that mark for ineligible enrollees must cover at least 5% of the total cost for SNAP benefits beginning in federal fiscal year 2027-28. If Wisconsin hit 6%, its share of the costs for benefits would amount to $68.2 million. If it climbed to 10%, that penalty would jump to $204.6 million.

The state’s error rate was 4.5% for federal fiscal year 2023-24. The error rate for 2024-25 won’t be out until this summer.

The law Evers signed includes 28 federally funded project positions at DHS for FoodShare quality control over the next four years. It also cuts authorization for 14 other federally funded project positions elsewhere in the agency.

Republicans around the country have sought changes to the food stamps program to limit what enrollees can purchase. Under the legislation, the state will seek a federal waiver to bar the purchase of candy or soda with food stamp benefits.

The law defines candy as something solid, semi-solid or molded that is prepared with sugar, sweeteners, or chocolate. It covers products commonly marketed as candy, chocolate bars, gum or similar confectionery. It doesn’t apply to baked goods or bakeries.

Meanwhile, soda is defined as any nonalcoholic beverage that contains natural or artificial sweeteners and covers energy drinks, sports drinks and flavored water. It doesn’t cover any product that includes milk or a milk substitute, a beverage that is more than 50% fruit or vegetable juice, coffee, or sweetened tea.

GOP Rep. Clint Moses, one of the co-authors of AB 180, said he drafted the legislation so SNAP was “focused on nutritious food, not candy and soft drinks.” He said the final legislation was the result of negotiations and “a willingness to get this done the right way.”

“This is a commonsense reform that promotes healthier choices, protects the integrity of Foodshare, and puts Wisconsin in a better position moving forward,” said Moses, of Menomonie.

Under the law, DHS will have to contract for an electronic platform on FoodShare product eligibility. That system must determine if a universal product code-marked product is eligible for purchase with FoodShare.

The $72.7 million includes $3 million in fiscal year 2025-26 to develop the new platform and $500,000 over the two-year budget to administer it.

Mike Semmann, president and CEO of the Wisconsin Grocers Association, said the group believes the electronic platform will be the first of its kind in the country.

“It’s something that we hope in the grocery industry would help provide for certainty with compliance,” he said.