Nov. 7 Capitol and Community Updates

Dear Neighbor,

Here is some information that I hope you will find helpful, including news and resources from your state government.

Last week, I co-sponsored House Democrats’ bill package (HB 5193 – 5195) to supplement frozen federal SNAP benefits with state funds. The legislation would allocate $600 million in emergency funding for food assistance to SNAP recipients. This “SNAP Fund” would use projected lapses to backfill lost federal funding and allow the program to temporarily operate. This package would also provide $12.5 million for the Food Bank Council of Michigan to keep food banks stocked, and $12.5 million to food pantry programs to help Michiganders facing hunger.

Nearly 13% of Michigan households receive SNAP benefits, totaling almost 1.4 million people. Of those households, 43% of those recipients are families with children and 51% have a household member with a disability. (Find information on local food resources below.)

The Michigan Court of Appeals recently ruled that the nine bills passed last term, but never sent to the governor, must now be formally presented to her. The case has been sent back to the Court of Claims, which is expected to order the current Republican-controlled House to transmit the bills to the governor. This decision affirmed a February Court of Claims ruling that the House should present the bills to the governor, but did not order them to do so. The Republican House Speaker has said that the House plans to appeal the Court of Appeals ruling.

The nine withheld bills would benefit Michigan’s working families. They include bills to lower health care costs for public employees; add corrections officers and other state employees to the Michigan State Police’s pension system; and protect certain assets — including the Earned Income Tax Credit — from garnishment. I sponsored the garnishment legislation to keep families in debt from facing extraordinary hardship (House Bill 4900 of 2023). HB 4900 takes on even greater urgency as Michiganders face greater uncertainty with rising costs, a federal government shutdown, and suspended SNAP benefits.

My staff attended the ribbon cutting for the City of Lansing’s new election headquarters. Located in a former Salvation Army distribution center at 701 W. Jolly Road in Lansing, this new location will be used as an early voting site, absentee ballot processing center and community meeting space. This new facility was made possible by a total of $2 million of state funding, which state Sen. Sarah Anthony and I advocated for in previous terms.

Michigan House Democrats are working on a vision for the future of Michigan that reflects the needs and aspirations of all Michiganders. Please fill out our brief Vision Project Survey to share your concerns and ideas about the future of our state.

Anyone who lives anywhere in Michigan is welcome to participate, so please forward the survey to friends and family members who you think might want to weigh in. The survey can be found here.

Follow my official Facebook account for the most up-to-date information. E-news contains a lot of good information, but it takes several days – up to a week – to get it approved and sent.

Sincerely,

Kara Hope
State Representative
House District 74

In Case You Missed It . . .

Note: The following section has been updated to reflect court rulings issued before Nov. 7 at 9 a.m. that affected the SNAP payment amounts recipients were set to receive.

I want to make sure you are aware of an urgent development that is affecting 1.4 million Michiganders who rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

What’s Happening

SNAP benefits were initially paused on Nov. 1 because of the ongoing federal government shutdown. However, on Oct. 31, two federal courts ordered the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to restart SNAP using contingency funds. The USDA said it would issue only 50 to 65% of normal payments.

A third court ruling on Nov. 6 ordered the USDA to issue full benefits to SNAP recipients.

As a result, Michiganders who normally receive SNAP on the third, fifth or seventh will now receive their full SNAP payments on Saturday, Nov. 8. Future payments are expected to follow the regular schedule for now, but funding remains uncertain because the USDA relies on limited contingency dollars.

The only long-term solution is for Congress to end the shutdown and fully restore SNAP funding.

How It Impacts Families

In Michigan, nearly 1.4 million people rely on SNAP, including 492,000 children, 38,500 veterans, and hundreds of thousands of seniors and people with disabilities.

This uncertainty comes at a time when grocery prices are rising and families are already stretched thin. Most SNAP households are working adults, but their wages simply aren’t enough to cover basic needs without assistance. On average, SNAP provides $335 per month per household — totaling nearly $300 million each month flowing into Michigan’s grocery stores, farmers markets and local businesses. Without it, families will likely face the impossible choice between food, medicine, rent or utilities.

What House Democrats are Doing to Fight for SNAP

House Democrats are moving forward with legislation to fight to protect Michigan families, including the following proposals:

• Securing Fresh Food Access: A proposal to create a $600 million emergency supplemental fund for food assistance SNAP recipients.
• Keeping Food Banks Stocked: A proposed additional $12.5 million to support the Food Bank Council of Michigan.
• Keeping Food on the Table: A proposed additional $12.5 million for local food pantries.
• Calling for Federal Action: Resolutions urging the U.S. President, Congressional Republicans and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to end the shutdown and guarantee uninterrupted SNAP benefits.

For these proposals to move forward, Michigan House Republicans will need to work with House Democrats to keep food on Michiganders’ tables.

When the federal government reopens, SNAP will resume. In the meantime, help is available.

SNAP Resources

• Dial 2-1-1 or visit Find Help – Michigan 2-1-1 for confidential referrals to local food programs and services.
• Visit the Food Bank Council of Michigan to find food banks and other hunger relief efforts near you. They can be reached at (517) 485-1202.
• Check your MI Bridges account for the latest updates on SNAP benefits.

Local Resources

• The Greater Lansing Food Bank collects and distributes food to a network of 140 community partners. They can be reached at (517) 853-7800 or [email protected].
• The Holt Food Bank is open by appointment only on Monday from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. and Tuesday through Friday from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at 2021 Aurelius Road, Holt, MI 48842. Call (517) 694-9307 or email [email protected] to schedule an appointment.
• South Lansing Ministries is open by appointment only on Tuesday and Thursday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 1905 W. Mount Hope Ave., Lansing, MI 48910. Call (517) 853-8073 to schedule a food pick-up.
• The Cristo Rey Community Kitchen serves hot breakfast and lunch Monday through Friday at 1717 N. High St., Lansing, MI 48906. Breakfast is served from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., and lunch is served from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
• The Cristo Rey Food Pantry (at the same location) is open by appointment only Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Call (517) 372-4700 to schedule an appointment.
• The Southside Community Kitchen offers hot meals Monday through Thursday from 11:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. On Monday and Wednesday, they serve lunch at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Greater Lansing, 5509 S. Pennsylvania Ave., Lansing, MI 48911. On Tuesday and Thursday, lunch is served at Galilee Baptist Church, 2511 Reo Road, Lansing, MI 48911.
• The Holt United Methodist Church offers free community dinners on the third Wednesday of every month from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at 2321 North Aurelius Road, Holt, MI 48842.
• The Lansing City Rescue Mission offers daily dinner service at 415 W. Kalamazoo St., Lansing, MI 48933. Attendees must sign-in before 6 p.m. and bring an ID.
• The Tri-County Office on Aging’s Meals on Wheels offers home-delivered meals to residents eligible for this program in Ingham, Eaton, and Clinton counties.

Michiganders not only deserve food; they deserve the peace of mind that comes with knowing that everyone in their house has enough to eat. It’s that simple. I will keep fighting for you.