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Good morning, Salem.

Our reporters are checking in daily with the Oregon Department of Human Services and Gov. Tina Kotek’s office about their plans for food benefits.

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Here’s a brief rundown of the latest:

  • The U.S. Department of Agriculture on Tuesday directed Oregon and other states to issue half food benefits for November.
  • ODHS still doesn’t have money from the federal government to pay benefits, and said calculating half benefits will be a large technical task. “We cannot issue benefits without funding and direction from USDA. ODHS does not have a timeline for when SNAP benefits will be put onto EBT cards,” the agency said in a statement.
  • Kotek announced last week the state would give $5 million to food banks. That money is headed to the Oregon Food Bank, which will distribute it to partner food banks around the state, governor’s spokesman Lucas Bezerra told Salem Reporter.
  • Kotek is also considering other options to fund the half of food benefits the federal government won’t issue, her spokesman said. He said specific details would likely come late this week.

Meanwhile, more businesses are stepping up to help. Express Eco Laundromat, which has three Salem-area locations, is offering half off self-serve laundry Wednesdays from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. No proof of benefits or other documentation is required.

Here’s some of our latest news. You can always find our latest stories anytime on our website.

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