BISMARCK – A bill to provide free lunch in schools for more students failed in the North Dakota State Senate Monday.
House Bill 1491 would have provided an appropriation of $6 million, or as much as is necessary, to provide free lunch to students of public or nonpublic schools who are in families that are at or below 200% of the federal poverty level. The appropriation would have been given to school districts for the biennium between July 1, 2023, and June 30, 2025. The bill received a tied vote from the Senate Education committee.
Currently families of four earning $60,000 a year or less fall into the 200% or less category. The federal government currently provides the funding of free meals to families who earn 130% or less of the poverty level, and families earning 185% or less of the poverty level receive reduced rate meals.
“Tax and income situations vary from household to household,” said Sen. Jay Elkin, R-Dis. 36, Taylor. “To many families in this state, covering this school lunch is worth more than an income tax cut. We provide critical infrastructure as part of the enrollment to public and nonpublic schools. Certainly, we could go the extra distance and provide the most fundamental tool for learning, good nutrition.”
“The federal government prints its own money, and yet they decided that 130 and 185 is the right percentage above the poverty rate to provide meals,” said Sen. Michael Wobbema, R-Dis. 24, Valley City. “North Dakota doesn’t print its own money. Why would we be trying to outspend the federal government? We talk about personal responsibility as one of the major principles that the Republican party stands on. I can understand kids going hungry, but is that really the problem of the school district, of the state? It’s really the problem of parents being negligent with their kids.”
HB1491 failed by a vote of 24 to 23. The bill had previously passed in the House 80-11.
