Kansas attorney general SNAP lawsuit dismissed

Context: The above video initially aired on Sept. 8.

TOPEKA (KSNT) – A Topeka district court judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed by Attorney General Kris Kobach to force Kansas to turn over data associated with the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

District Court Judge Teresa Watson granted a request to dismiss the lawsuit against Governor Laura Kelly and Kansas Department for Children and Families Secretary Laura Howard on Sept. 29. Kobach initially filed the lawsuit on Sept. 8 in an attempt to force Howard and Kelly to turn over data related to the SNAP program requested by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Watson dismissed the suit’s request for mandamus and injunctive relief. These requests in Kobach’s suit were meant to compel Kelly and Howard to provide the USDA with the personal data of around 730,000 Kansans, according to the Department of Justice.

“It is unfortunate that Attorney General Kobach decided to engage in low-rent political theater, wasting taxpayer dollars, and spreading misinformation. I appreciate the court granting my administration’s motion to dismiss the lawsuit on the grounds that the Attorney General’s actions were premature as we continue through the USDA’s administrative review process and that my administration does not have a legal duty to turn over Kansans’ personal information at this time. Had the Attorney General met with my office prior to filing his lawsuit, as my office had requested, we could have explained the issue without having to go through the time and expense of the court. It is clear from the court’s order that the Attorney General’s arguments were without merit.”
Kansas Governor Laura Kelly

Kobach said he disagrees with Watson’s interpretation of the suit and is considering an appeal. He goes on to accuse Kelly of violating state law.

“Needy Kansans have now lost $10.4 million in food assistance because of her political theatrics. That money is not coming back. It is laughable to suggest that she will be able to persuade the USDA to change its decision. And now, because of the governor’s desire to thumb her nose at the Trump administration, needy Kansans will lose another $10.4 million of food assistance in December.”
Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach

Kelly refuted Kobach’s “false claim” that Kansas has lost $10.4 million in SNAP funding. She said the DCF filed an appeal with the USDA, preventing it from withholding the cash from Kansas.

A California judge also issued a temporary restraining order against the USDA on Sept. 19, preventing the agency from collecting personal information for SNAP users in 21 states. Kansas is not included in this case.

The USDA initially requested that Kelly and Howard turn over SNAP information by July 30, 2025. The pair resisted the request, later stating this move would put the personal information of thousands of people in Kansas at risk.

The SNAP program in Kansas is the focus of a state audit for alleged misuse and payment errors in recent years. The Legislative Division of Post Audit is investigating the program to find out what caused DCF’s overpayment and underpayment rates for SNAP to go above the federal government’s standards. The LPA is also looking at to what degree have SNAP benefits in Kansas been misused.

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