Idaho's grocery stores are putting up $100,000 of their own money and asking state lawmakers to change back to multi-day distribution of food stamps each month, after having to throw out a million dollars worth of food over the last two years because of the crush of food-stamp recipients all descending on the stores at once. “It's just grossly inefficient and wasteful,” said Joe Gilliam, president of the Northwest Grocers Association. “The last two years my industry's lost over a million dollars in spoiled food over this, just in Idaho.”

The reason: When the crowds hit on the 1st of the month, some people abandon their full carts and give up because the lines get so long. All the frozen food in the carts can't be restocked and goes to waste. Idaho is one of just a handful of states in the nation using a single-day distribution for food stamps each month; it's the only one in the Northwest. Now, the state Department of Health and Welfare has a plan to shift to a staggered, 10-day distribution, which could start in May – but it'll cost more. The grocers have agreed to foot $100,000 of the change-over cost, and the state wouldn't have to pay any more until 2014, but lawmakers are being asked for approval now. You can read my full story here at spokesman.com.