Idaho’s no welfare state

BOISE - Idaho is no welfare state, legislators were assured Monday, even though 20 percent of the population now receives some form of public assistance.

Idaho’s benefits remain paltry compared to most states, and even after big jumps in the state’s food stamp rolls through the recession, Idaho’s food stamp rate remains below the national average.

“No one can live as a welfare king or queen in Idaho,” state Health and Welfare Director Dick Armstrong told legislative budget writers on Monday, as they opened a week of hearings on health and human services budgets in the state. Betsy Russell, SR

So what does living as a “welfare king or queen” look like?