Oklahoma seeks to exclude soda, candy from food stamp purchases
[June 27, 2025]
By SEAN MURPHY
Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt said Thursday the state is seeking federal
permission to exclude soft drinks and candy from the list of items that
can be purchased under the benefit for low-income Americans long known
as food stamps.
Stitt made the announcement during an event at the Capitol with U.S.
Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as part of
the “Make America Healthy Again” initiative.
Oklahoma would join several other states that already have sought
federal waivers from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to prohibit the
purchase of items such as soda and energy drinks under the Supplemental
Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP.
“If you want to drink a bottled soda, you should be able to have that
right,” Kennedy said. “But the federal government should not be paying
for it with taxpayer money.”
SNAP is a roughly $100 billion program that serves about 42 million
Americans and is run by the U.S. Agriculture Department and administered
through states.
Stitt also signed an executive order on Thursday calling into question
the appropriateness of mandatory fluoridation of public drinking water
and the use of commonly used artificial food coloring, including Red Dye
40. Under the order, the Oklahoma State Department of Health and
Department of Equality are directed to immediately stop any endorsement
of fluoridation of the public water supply. Although Stitt said each
local municipality will still have the autonomy to make a decision to
continue the practice, which has long been encouraged as a means of
promoting dental health.
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U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
applauds after Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt signed an executive order
that aims to improve the health of Oklahomans on Thursday, June 26,
2025, at the Oklahoma State Capitol in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Sean
Murphy)
 Under the order, the two state
agencies are directed to conduct a comprehensive review of water
fluoridation and make recommendations for transitioning away from
the practice.
Stitt also said he would direct agencies that provide meals,
including prisons and public schools, to discontinue the use of
artificial dyes in food.
“Today we’re going to get the ball rolling on making Oklahoma
healthy again,” Stitt said.
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