The battle lines have been drawn in Topeka over providing personal information to the federal government to ensure funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) in Kansas.

Governor Laura Kelly wants to shield the private information of nearly 190,000 Kansans in the program, while Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach contends her refusal will lead to a $10 million loss in SNAP benefits. 

Kobach tells KSAL News, “To me it just looks like political theater, just showing that she is part of the resistance to the Trump administration.”

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) which oversees the program has stated its goal in data collection is to bring improved oversight to SNAP and eliminate fraud. A number of states have joined in on a lawsuit claiming privacy concerns and the misuse of data that could lead to immigration related arrests.

Kobach says his office is now preparing for the fight ahead.

The USDA on September 19th, rejected Governor Kelly’s slow-roll proposal to comply with the mandate to share names, birth dates, addresses and social security numbers. The appeals process is now underway.