CHARLESTON – While the governor has announced state funding contributions and sought private donations to bolster West Virginia’s two largest food banks with federal SNAP benefits about to end, Democratic lawmakers said Thursday the state needs to put up more money.

The federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program is set to grind to a halt Saturday as a result of the ongoing government shutdown. The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced it could not tap into a $5 billion emergency contingency fund to keep SNAP operating into November.

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