The Atlanta Journal-Constitution invited two local experts to debate the controversies surrounding food stamps.

The experts came from different sides of the political spectrum. They were Melissa Johnson, a senior policy analyst for the Georgia Budget and Policy Institute, a left leaning think tank, and Benita Dodd, vice president of the Georgia Public Policy Foundation, a fiscally conservative think tank.

The experts wrangled over the issue of work requirements for food stamp recipients, proposed budget cuts to the benefits and what the future holds for the program.

Click on the video above to hear the debate and view reader comments.

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A man rides a bicycle in the rain along 10th Street in downtown Atlanta on Tuesday, Nov. 25, 2025. (Ben Hendren for the AJC)

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