Youngsters Embrace Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz After He Indicators Free Faculty Meals Into Legislation

Youngsters and fogeys in Minnesota gained’t have to fret about affording college meals due to a brand new regulation that ensures free college meals for all kids within the state.

Gov. Tim Walz (D) signed the invoice into regulation Friday to cheers and hugs from a few of the youngsters who will profit from this system.

The brand new regulation supplies free breakfast and lunch for all Okay-12 college students, no matter their dad and mom’ earnings.

“It’s a historic, bipartisan win which means no child will go hungry in school — and that Minnesota is one step nearer to being the very best state within the nation to develop up,” Walz mentioned in an announcement.

The invoice drew the ire of Republican state Sen. Steve Drazkowski, who argued Tuesday that “starvation is a relative time period” in his opposition to feeding youngsters.

“I’ve but to satisfy an individual in Minnesota that’s hungry,” Drazkowski mentioned on the Senate ground in St. Paul earlier than voting in opposition to the laws. “I’ve but to satisfy an individual in Minnesota that claims they don’t have entry to sufficient meals to eat.”

Drazkowski represents Wabasha County, the place greater than 8% of youngsters lived in poverty in 2021, up from about 7% the earlier yr, in line with the Federal Reserve of Financial Knowledge.

Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan spoke about her personal experiences rising up with meals insecurity in a rebuke in opposition to Drazkowski.

“To our decision-makers who imagine they’ve by no means met somebody who’s experiencing or has skilled starvation — Hello, my title is Peggy Flanagan, and I used to be one in six of these Minnesota kids who skilled starvation,” she mentioned.

Minnesota now joins different states, together with Maine, California and Colorado, in giving free meals to youngsters.