No pools, concerts or lingerie on state aid, Kansas says
The US state of Kansas has tightened its rules on how welfare recipients can spend their aid, banning the purchase of concert tickets, lingerie and dozens of other leisure items.
US Governor Sam Brownback signed the law on Thursday, saying it would encourage people to get back to work.
Other states prevent welfare recipients from buying alcohol and cigarettes with government aid.
But the revised Kansas list appears to be the most extensive in the US.
Senate Minority Leader Democrat Anthony Hensley called it "a punitive and highly judgmental piece of legislation" while national commentators such as The Daily Show's Jon Stewart have ridiculed the law.
But other critics question whether such restrictions can be enforced.
Shannon Cotsoradis, president and CEO of the advocacy group Kansas Action for Children, said the list had attracted national attention because "it feels mean-spirited."
"It really seems to make a statement about how we feel about the poor," she said.