Michigan Budget Director Tours Food Bank as State Weighs SNAP Funding Under Federal Cuts

Governor's Proposal Seeks to Preserve Food and Healthcare Access Amid Rising Costs and $1 Billion Revenue Shortfall

KALAMAZOO, Mich. — Michigan's State Budget Director Jen Flood joined state Sen. Sean McCann on a tour of Kalamazoo Loaves & Fishes Wednesday, examining how the SNAP food assistance program is being affected by new federal regulations and what the state budget will do to maintain access for struggling families.

Flood and McCann walked through the food bank's warehouse, hearing from volunteers about the challenges they're facing on the front lines.

"We are seeing the federal government pass the tab to states on some really important programs like SNAP and Medicaid," Flood said. "We wanted to come here to see sort of the work on the front."

Staff at Kalamazoo Loaves & Fishes told Flood and McCann that the people they serve are having a harder time accessing SNAP, pointing to new regulations from the federal "One Big Beautiful Bill" Act signed by President Trump.

"We know that families are facing rising costs, and so in the Governor's final budget, we have investments to help make sure that people maintain access to healthcare, maintain access to food," Flood said.

The Governor's proposal totals $88.1 billion, including more than $186 million in additional funds to administer SNAP, plus upwards of $780 million in Medicare funding.

"The action that Congress took last year blew an enormous hole in our budget and it also puts access to food and health care at risk for millions of Michiganders," Flood said.

State Faces Multiple Budget Pressures

On top of addressing federal pressures, the state faces a more than $1 billion decline in revenue this year. When asked if the State Budget Office was taking that into effect, Flood confirmed it is.

"We built our budget based on those projections," Flood said. "We'll get an update in May, but the Governor's committed to leaving our state's finances in better shape than she inherited them, so we will watch closely what happens and make sure that our spending leaves us in a good place."

The Governor's proposal is just one piece of the budget process. Both chambers of the legislature will each put forth their own vision.

The Republicans, who control the state House, are already wary of new taxes sought by Whitmer and a $400 million draw from reserves, which they called non-starters.

"At the end of the day, we care about a lot of the same things," Flood said. "I've seen Speaker Matt Hall's comments about the governor's proposal, but he'll have an opportunity to put out his own budget and approach for solving the deficit that we're facing."

Flood and McCann are now in the final stretch of budget negotiations as the legislative session approaches its conclusion. The governor's office has been working with legislative leaders to finalize a budget that addresses both the revenue shortfall and federal program cuts while maintaining essential services for Michiganders.

The budget director's visit to Loaves & Fishes underscores the human impact of these fiscal decisions. Food banks across Michigan are serving more hungry residents as families struggle to make ends meet amid rising costs and federal program restrictions.

"We are seeing the federal government pass the tab to states on some really important programs like SNAP and Medicaid," Flood said.

The state budget director's tour highlights the challenges facing food assistance programs in Michigan and the need for careful budget decisions that protect vulnerable populations.