By Julie Siple, Minnesota Public Radio News

ST. PAUL — Hunger relief advocates want the state Legislature to increase funding for food shelves.

Minnesota food shelves currently get about $2.5 million from the state each biennium. A proposal at the Legislature would increase that by $1 million, or about 40 percent.

DFL Rep. John Benson of Minnetonka, the chief author of the House bill, said the state has a moral responsibility to help fight hunger, which is a problem even in his suburban district.

“That’s one of the things a lot of people don’t understand,” Benson said. “The need isn’t just in the inner cities or even in rural Minnesota. It’s also in the suburbs. It’s an enormous problem for the elderly and for so many people who are still unemployed or underemployed.”

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