Advocates for free school meals in North Dakota faced a setback as a bill to provide free meals to K-12 students failed in a House vote. The bill, known as House Bill 1475, aimed to use $140 million from North Dakota’s general fund to cover the cost of school breakfasts and lunches in the 2025-27 biennium. Despite support from proponents citing benefits such as alleviating meal debt for school districts and improving nutrition and school performance, the bill was voted down 54-39.
Rep. Don Vigesaa, chair of the House Appropriations Committee, argued that the cost of the meal program was too high for the state Legislature to bear. However, Rep. Zac Ista emphasized that providing free school meals was a way to combat inflation and reduce costs for families with school children. The Together for School Meals coalition expressed “deep disappointment” after the vote, highlighting the potential benefits of the bill for both students and parents.
Another proposed bill, House Bill 1553, would have used earnings from the state Legacy Fund to pay for school meals, but it was also defeated in the House. The Legacy Fund, which has amassed $11 billion through oil tax revenue and investments, could have provided an alternative funding source for the meal program. Despite these setbacks, advocates for free school meals plan to continue pushing for permanent funding to ensure that no child goes hungry at school.
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