Representative Heather Keeler
ST. PAUL, Minn. – A bill to provide free school breakfast and lunch to all students regardless of income is moving forward in the Minnesota House after clearing its first committee Wednesday.
Backers say kids can’t learn on an empty stomach, and Moorhead Democrat Heather Keeler said the measure will also eliminate bullying. She said she had a district that would put stamps on kids’ hands “and you knew that meant you basically came from a family that didn’t have the money that everybody else had.”
“Minnesota is a state that values education and wants to see every child succeed,” said Rep. Sydney Jordan, of Minneapolis, the bill’s sponsor. But, according to Jordan, that goal is currently out of reach. “When one in six Minnesota school children are trying to learn on an empty stomach, it’s past time for the Legislature.”
The bill is one of Governor Tim Walz’s and Democrats’ top priorities in the 2023 legislative session.
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