A North Dakota bill that is proposing free school meals for K-12 students failed in a House vote on Monday despite bipartisan support.
The members of the North Dakota House voted 54-39 against House Bill 1475, which proposes the use of $140 million from the state's general fund to pay for school breakfasts and would have been scheduled to launch in the 2025-27 biennium.
Bill Proposes Free School Meals for K-12 Students
One of the opposition votes for the proposed bill, Rep. Don Vigesaa, said that the meal ticket was simply too expensive for the state Legislature to pay for. The chair of the House Appropriations Committee added that the only way to balance the budget is not to fund some of the larger tasks.
Proponents of the free school meals bill cited public support, alleviating meal debt for school districts, and ensuring improved nutrition and school performance for students. Democratic Rep. Zac Ista said that the bill was one way that they could help fight inflation for families with school children, according to the North Dakota Monitor.
Following Monday's failed vote on the bill, the Together for School Meals coalition, which includes more than 75 groups that advocated for it, expressed its "deep disappointment." A member of the coalition, Amy Jacobson, said that the bill had the potential to ensure that no child went hungry at school.
The Bill's Failed Vote in the House
She added that the proposed bill would have put real money, an estimated $850 for every child per year, back into the pockets of their hard-working parents. A similar bill, House Bill 1553, would have paid for school meals using earnings from the state Legacy Fund, but it also failed in the House.
The proposed bill's failure comes as nearly 10 other states have adopted similar so-called "universal meal" programs. Supporters of the bill argued that it would have helped households that earn too much to qualify under existing rules but are still struggling to cover food costs for their children, the Heart Land Signal reported.
Ahead of the failed vote for the proposed bill, some lawmakers expressed their concerns regarding the provision of free meals to students who have parents who can still afford to feed them. They also raised discussions about existing, underused meal assistance programs.
Additionally, Rep. Mike Nathe cited legislation passed last session known as Senate Bill 2284, which provided a one-time, free school meal funding for students who were at or below 200% of the federal poverty level, as per the Bismarck Tribune.
