1. United States
2. Utah
3. Letter

I am writing to urge you to vote against House Bill 88, which would require valid identification to access free and subsidized meals in Utah. This bill is scheduled for a House floor vote as early as next week, and I need you to stand against this cruel and fiscally irresponsible legislation. Requiring identification to receive food assistance is not compassionate governance. It is a policy that will cause real harm to vulnerable Utahns while actually increasing costs to our state. The Utah Food Bank alone anticipates $500,000 in compliance costs associated with HB 88. These are taxpayer dollars that could be spent feeding hungry people instead of creating bureaucratic barriers to basic nutrition. Reverend Laura Young testified before the committee that "we are humans first and identities second" and that denying people food is not the way to address immigration concerns. She is right. Whatever our disagreements on immigration policy, withholding food from hungry people crosses a moral line that Utah should not cross. People without identification include not just undocumented immigrants, but also homeless individuals, domestic violence survivors, elderly people who have lost documents, and others in crisis situations. Democratic Representative Andrew Stoddard correctly characterized this bill as fiscally irresponsible and cruel. The 7-3 committee vote that advanced HB 88 does not reflect the values of compassion and practical governance that Utahns deserve. Adding administrative costs while denying food to hungry people serves no legitimate state interest. I ask you to vote no on House Bill 88 when it reaches the House floor. Food assistance should be based on need, not documentation status. Our state can uphold the law without starving people in the process.