A new law that ensures free school lunches for all kids in the state of Minnesota means that children and parents won’t have to worry about paying for them.
Some of the children who would benefit from the program cheered and gave hugs as Gov. Tim Walz signed the legislation into law on Friday.
Free Meals to Children
All K–12 kids are eligible for free breakfast and lunch under the new law, regardless of their parent’s financial situation.
No child will go to school hungry thanks to this historic, bipartisan victory, according to Walz, who added that Minnesota is getting closer to being the best place in the nation to raise a family.
- A new law that ensures free school lunches for all kids in the state of Minnesota.
- All K–12 kids are eligible for free breakfast and lunch under the new law.
- More than 8% of children lived in poverty in 2021, up from roughly 7% the year before.
Republican state senator Steve Drazkowski objected to the bill, saying on Tuesday that “hunger is a relative phrase” in support of his opposition to providing food for children.
Drazkowski declared on the Senate floor in St. Paul, “I have yet to meet a person in Minnesota who is hungry,” before casting a vote against the proposal. In Minnesota, I haven’t yet seen someone who claims they don’t have access to enough food to eat.
Drazkowski represents Wabasha County, where, according to the Federal Reserve of Economic Statistics, more than 8% of children lived in poverty in 2021, up from roughly 7% the year before.
As a rebuttal to Drazkowski, Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan discussed her own experiences growing up with food insecurity.
I’m Peggy Flanagan, and I was one of the six Minnesota children who experienced hunger, she added, “to our decision-makers who feel they have never met someone who is experiencing or has experienced hunger.
Minnesota now offers free meals to children, joining states like Maine, California, and Colorado in doing so.
