Michigan Budget Director Tours Kalamazoo Food Bank as Federal SNAP Cuts and State Spending Debate Put West Michigan Families at Risk

State Budget Director and Sen. McCann Visit Loaves & Fishes to Discuss SNAP Access Amid Budget Uncertainty

KALAMAZOO — Michigan State Budget Director Jen Flood and State Sen. Sean McCann (D - Kalamazoo) toured Loaves & Fishes food bank Wednesday, walking through the warehouse to hear directly from volunteers about how federal changes and state budget pressures are affecting food assistance programs across West Michigan.

The visit came as lawmakers debate Governor Gretchen Whitmer's $88.1 billion budget proposal, which includes $186 million in additional funds to administer SNAP but faces challenges from federal cuts and state revenue declines.

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

Federal One Big Beautiful Bill Act Creates New Barriers

Staff at Kalamazoo Loaves & Fishes told Flood and McCann that families they serve are having a harder time accessing SNAP benefits. The food bank points to new regulations from the federal One Big Beautiful Bill Act, signed by President Trump in July 2025, as a key factor.

"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 food," Flood said.

The governor's proposal includes upwards of $780 million in Medicare funding and addresses federal pressures on state programs. But the state also faces a more than $1 billion decline in revenue this year.

"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."

Budget Debate Heats Up in Lansing

The governor's proposal represents one side of the budget process. Both chambers of the legislature will each put forth their own budget vision.

Republican control of the state House has created tensions over new taxes sought by Whitmer and a $400 million draw from reserves that Republicans have called non-starters.

Speaker Matt Hall has already voiced concerns about the governor's proposal, though he noted he will have an opportunity to release his own budget and approach for solving the state deficit.

Spending Concerns Raise Questions in West Michigan

The Mackinac Center for Public Policy has criticized the governor's proposal, noting it recommends a 4 percent increase in the state budget, not counting federal transfers. The center argues that taxpayers could afford budget growth only at the rate of inflation and population growth.

"The governor recommends a series of tax hikes in her executive budget, spending that would boost state outlays beyond sustainable levels," the Mackinac Center wrote. "Michigan lawmakers do not need to tax people more. Taxpayers can afford the growth of the state government if it stays under the rate of inflation and the rate of population growth."

The center noted that the state has been spending above that threshold since 2019, and that had the budget grown only at sustainable rates, taxpayers would have kept $4.8 billion for themselves.

Other areas of concern include $159 million the state spent on ineffective business subsidies and $150 million the governor recommended for a poorly designed site preparation program, the center said.

Federal Funding Makes Up Growing Portion of Budget

Money from Washington is a growing part of the state budget, up 14.5 percent since 2019, adjusted for inflation. The executive budget includes $36 billion transferred from the federal government, which the Mackinac Center says ought to concern state lawmakers.

"The growing transfers from the federal government, especially to pay for Medicaid, is an issue that ought to concern state lawmakers," the center wrote.

The state also increased education spending from $13.1 billion in 2019 to $18.9 billion this year, a 20 percent increase in inflation-adjusted per-student funding. Total federal, state and local funding of school districts now amounts to $23,665 per student.

What Happens Next

The budget process continues with both chambers releasing their own proposals. The final budget will determine how much funding reaches West Michigan communities for programs like SNAP, healthcare, education, and other state services.

Flood emphasized that the state budget office is taking revenue projections into account and will continue to monitor developments as they emerge in May.

The visit to Loaves & Fishes highlighted the human impact of budget debates. As families in Kalamazoo and across West Michigan face rising costs and changing federal regulations, the state budget process will directly affect whether they can access the food assistance they need.