Overview

• The governor signed four bills delivering $162 million to sustain food assistance, rural health care and public broadcasting following federal reductions.
• Allocations include $16.6 million to maintain SNAP benefits, $8 million for food banks, $3 million for nonprofit clinics and $6 million for public broadcasting, including $430,000 for tribal stations.
• Lawmakers set aside $17 million to offset Affordable Care Act exchange premium tax credits if they expire and removed income caps for state-subsidized coverage.
• $50 million shifts to the Rural Health Care Delivery Fund, expanding eligibility to high-need areas and tribally operated facilities to stabilize at-risk services.
• Democrats described the package as a temporary fix and Republicans opposed the spending, as officials cited a surplus and projected about $200 million in annual losses tied to federal changes.