*State Budget Director Jen Flood and State Sen. Sean McCann tour Kalamazoo Loaves & Fishes, raising alarms over federal regulations threatening food assistance access for Michiganders*

KALAMAZOO, Mich. — Michigan's State Budget Director Jen Flood joined state Sen. Sean McCann on a tour of Kalamazoo Loaves & Fishes this week, highlighting growing concerns about how federal regulations are making it harder for families to access SNAP food assistance.

During the visit, Flood and McCann walked through the food bank's warehouse, speaking with volunteers about the challenges they face on the front lines of tackling hunger in Southwest Michigan.

"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 families they serve are facing increased barriers to accessing SNAP benefits due to new regulations from the federal "One Big Beautiful Bill" Act.

"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.

$88.1 Billion Budget Proposal

The Governor's budget proposal totals $88.1 billion and includes more than $186 million in additional funds to administer SNAP. It also includes 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 Revenue Decline

Beyond addressing federal pressures, Michigan 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."

Legislative Battle Ahead

The Governor's proposal is just one piece of the budget process. Both chambers of the legislature will each put forth their own vision. House Republicans, who control the state House, are already wary of new taxes sought by Whitmer and a $400 million draw from reserves, which they have 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."

Another sticking point in the process is likely to be House Republicans' preference for cuts rather than tax increases.

Community Impact

The visit to Kalamazoo Loaves & Fishes came at a critical time for food insecurity in the region. Volunteers at the food bank have reported seeing families struggle with rising costs while navigating new federal requirements for benefits.

The conversation at Loaves & Fishes highlighted the human impact of budget decisions, with frontline workers witnessing firsthand how policy changes affect the families they serve daily.

Sources:

  • https://upnorthlive.com/news/local/state-budget-director-jen-flood-kalamazoo-food-bank-snap-governor-budget-funding-loaves-fishes-politics-government-michigan
  • https://wwmt.com/news/local/news-channel-3-sinclair-day-service-volunteering-kalamazoo-loaves-fishes-south-michigan-food-bank-families-tackling-hunger-roach-home-improvement-weathergard-local