Lt. Gov. Julianna Stratton meets with Dolton residents to discuss cuts to SNAP benefits

Illinois Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton met with community members in south suburban Dolton on Tuesday to discuss recent cuts to SNAP benefits and the impacts they'll have.

Stratton, who is running for U.S. Senate, toured the Free-N-Deed Market and met with families who have been affected by cuts to programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

On May 1, roughly 150,000 Illinois residents lost access to SNAP benefits, also known as food stamps.

"Here in Illinois, we're going to do keep everything we can to try to address this issue. We can't certainly do it all as a state, but as the federal government continues to take away resources that families in need, we're going to do everything we can to try to help people through these times," Stratton said.

Recent changes to SNAP benefits have also made it more difficult for stores to stay eligible to participate in food assistance programs.