KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) - Tennessee SNAP households won’t be getting benefits in November if the federal government continues to be shut down, according to the state’s Human Services Department .

Now, area non-profits and a state lawmaker are making plans for if there is a stop in service.

State Rep. Lowell Russell, representing parts of Loudon and Monroe counties, said that he sent an email to Governor Bill Lee’s office, requesting the state to pay for the program until the federal government reopens.

“Absolutely nobody should have to worry about where their next meal is coming from,” Russell wrote on social media.

Russell told WVLT News that Gov. Lee’s office told him they sent his request to the state budget team for consideration.

State data reveals nearly 700,000 Tennesseans re

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