Updates About Public Health

In response to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announcing that SNAP benefits would not be distributed for the month of November, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel joined a lawsuit with 24 other states arguing the USDA unlawfully suspended the funds. Recently, a federal judge ruled that the Trump administration must provide partial benefits to SNAP recipients while the federal government shutdown continues. Judge Indira Talwani from the U.S District Court for Massachusetts ruled that the USDA is required to use the appropriated contingency funds for the program.

The Trump administration has insisted that the use of contingency funds is not legally permitted to cover benefits. However, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins argued that because SNAP is not currently funded, the emergency SNAP benefits cannot be distributed. In 2019, the USDA used contingency funds in response to that year’s government shutdown. The pausing of the benefits was set to affect over 42 million Americans nationwide, including 1.4 million Michigan residents.

Following Judge Talwani’s ruling, President Trump instructed his lawyers to ask for clarification from the court on how they can legally fund SNAP. The USDA reported that its contingency fund could only cover approximately half of November’s benefits, leaving no funds available for future months. The USDA was also instructed by the court to notify them if tariff revenue dollars can be used to support SNAP benefits; USDA officials and U.S. Department of Justice lawyers declined the request.

The USDA notified the Michigan Department of Health and Humans Services that the partial SNAP benefits will begin to be distributed on Saturday, November 8th.

In response to the initial pause, Democrats in the state House announced a five-bill package to give benefits to Michiganders receiving SNAP. Key bills in the package include HB 5193 (Myers Phillips, D-Detroit) which would create emergency funding to backfill SNAP benefits for two months, HB 5194 (Edwards, D-Eastpointe) allocating $12.5 million to support food pantry programs, and HB 5195 (Coffia, D-Traverse City) to provide $12.5 million to the Food Bank Council of Michigan.

The Michigan Senate also took action by passing $71 million in supplemental funding to backfill some of the cost for SNAP benefits. Specifically, the appropriation allocates $50 million for emergency food assistance, $10 million for the agricultural surplus system, $10 million for food bank grants, and $1 million to expand the Double Up Food Bucks program.

In an all-hands-on-deck approach, Governor Whitmer also announced that the state will be giving $4.5 million to the Food Bank Council of Michigan. This funding will go toward providing food delivery to residents in all 83 counties who have been impacted by the SNAP benefits pause.

A study done by Michigan State University found that 89% of Michigan kids live in an area with insufficient childcare services, particularly in the rural areas and northern regions. The study also found that this severe scarcity costs the state $2.9 billion in lost productivity from parents who are forced to leave the workforce and instead care for their children at home. As demand continues to outpace supply, many are scrambling to find ways to address Michigan’s childcare crisis.

As a step toward alleviating this issue, the state has set aside a $400,000 grant for northern Michigan. The Leelanau County Early Childhood Development Commission plans to use the money to start a program that will provide financial and coaching support to local childcare providers. The commission hopes the investment will encourage new childcare startups and help existing providers expand through improved access to training.

Another innovative solution Leelanau county is testing includes investing in “micro-centers”, where home-based providers can partner with each other to offer childcare in a shared facility instead of their own home. These new locations lease their space for $1 a year, significantly lessening their overhead costs and lowering the barrier to entry for new providers.