The WIC list was designed to be a list of supplemental foods to go with regular groceries to enhance the health of a pregnant or nursing woman. It would be a terribly unhealthy list for anyone with food allergies or dietary restrictions. It would also prevent cooking from scratch for many recipes. For instance, you could buy commercial, chemical-filled bread but not purchase flour or cornmeal to make your own. The list contains many boxes of chemically-laden cereals but not plain oatmeal. This list is too restrictive for a healthy family or aging adult.
If individual businesses break the law, that's not a valid argument for adding new restrictions to the law that have nothing to do with the violations you describe. I can't figure out how it would work, though, since these benefits are administered via an EBT card that cannot be used for things like paper towels or cleaning products, let alone alcohol, tobacco, etc. It is an automatic division that happens when items are being rung up.
If your concern is junk food and soda, why not simply restrict those food products that are taxed? That would eliminate the ability to purchase soda, candy, and snack foods. A person would still have lots of choices for foods that fit their diets and be able to shop for a healthy variety.
The point is that the guidelines are overly restrictive, excising not just what would be generally consider "junk food" or even what you might deem "fancy food," but plenty of healthy and basic staple foods.
I'm so sorry, the link to these guidelines was accidentally dropped from the article. I've replaced it. Here it is: http://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/publications/P4/P44578.pdf Keep in mind that these restrictions (with added exemptions as mentioned in the article) would apply -- as the bill currently stands -- to two-thirds of the FoodShare benefit.
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