Michigan lawmakers proposed a bill package totaling nearly $1 billion to keep food benefits funded in the state. This comes as the federal government shutdown continues into its fourth week.

At 1 a.m. Thursday morning, Symone Wilkes, a Detroit resident and mother of two young sons, received a loud alert on her phone. It was her MI Bridges app — the site through which state benefits are provided — alerting her that her Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits,

The USDA ordered Michigan and other states to halt payment of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, benefits until further notice, starting Nov. 1. The halt comes amid the federal government shutdown that began Oct. 1 after Congress failed to pass an appropriations bill that funds the operations of federal agencies and programs.

Michigan House Democrats introduced a five-bill package to mitigate food access issues for residents at risk of losing SNAP benefits due to the federal government shutdown, while Republicans

Some West Michigan families are anxious as SNAP benefit cuts take effect in a few days. The Salvation Army strives to meet rising demand with limited resources.

Michigan could have spared a lot of stress for the roughly 1.4 million Michiganders who receive SNAP benefits, if not for wasteful spending in past years, says the Speaker of the state House.

An estimated 42 million individuals receive Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits monthly.

The funding lapse is likely to hurt grocery stores, transportation companies, local economies, and the broader U.S. economy. The U.S. Department of Agriculture confirmed Sunday that funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program,