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

State Budget Director Jen Flood joined state Sen. Sean McCann for a tour of Loaves & Fishes in Kalamazoo and on what the governor is seeking in the budget.

$88 Billion Proposal Comes as Federal Cuts Create Budget Black Hole

Michigan's state budget director toured a Kalamazoo food bank on Wednesday, confronting the reality of what happens when Washington cuts programs and Lansing must fill the gap.

State Budget Director Jen Flood and State Sen. Sean McCann walked through the warehouse at Kalamazoo Loaves & Fishes, hearing from volunteers about what they are 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."

The 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.

"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.

Federal Cuts Have Already Strangled Michigan Food Banks

The federal "Big Beautiful Bill" has already hit West Michigan food banks in the pocket. Feeding America West Michigan Food Bank, which serves a vast network of 40 counties and 800 partners, is burning through cash just to keep its trucks moving.

Diesel fuel is currently a big challenge because it is over $5 a gallon, which is more than what was planned on. The food bank is now spending an additional $7,000 monthly on diesel, a cost that equates to approximately 28,000 meals.

Compounding these logistical challenges are federal funding cuts. The Emergency Food Assistance Program, crucial for many food banks, saw a $500 million reduction under the Trump Administration.

Ken Estelle, the organization's President and CEO, noted that 30 percent of the food distributed by their food bank comes through federal programs, highlighting the impact of such cuts.

Another blow comes from the Big Beautiful Bill, which has resulted in the largest reduction in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program funding in history. This has led to more individuals seeking food assistance, adding further strain to food banks like Feeding America West Michigan.

In Southeast Michigan, Gleaners Community Food Bank is facing similar hurdles. Kristin Sokul, Senior Director of Advancement Communications, Marketing and MediaPR, revealed a significant decrease in food donations.

"In one calendar year, we saw a deficit of 9 million pounds of donated food," she stated, attributing the shortfall partly to a 5 million pound reduction from the USDA.

Governor Whitmer's Budget Must Plug the Black Hole

The governor's proposal totals $88.1 billion. Included is more than $186 million in additional funds to administer SNAP, but also upwards of $780 million in Medicare funded.

"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.

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 said 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."

Political Fight Looms Over How to Fill the Deficit

The Governor's proposal is just one piece of the process. Both chambers of the legislature will each put forth their own vision. The Republicans, in control of the state House, 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."