House GOP aims at DFL signatures, including universal free meals
House GOP takes aim at DFL signatures, including universal free meals
Three House GOP bills would chip away at universal free school meals and North Star Promise, two DFL signature laws from the last biennium.
ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - Some of the DFL’s signature new laws are being targeted for budget cuts by House Republicans.
Slashing signatures
Chipping away:
Both universal free meals in public schools and the North Star Promise would shrink if the GOP can pass their bills.
One takes away free lunches for kids from high-earning families.
The others limit which low-income students get to go to college for free.
"As I reviewed tuition costs, each one more daunting than the last, I felt my dream slipping away," University of Minnesota freshman Jessica Rose Sander told FOX 9. "Then one day my dad handed me a mailer about the North Star Promise. 'I think you'd qualify.'"
Universal free lunches future in MN
With schools serving an estimated 102 million free lunches and 49 million free breakfasts in the first year, keeping universal free meals in Minnesota schools remains a priority for some Minnesota lawmakers.
A lesser promise?
North Star notions:
The North Star Promise made college without debt a reality this year for almost 17,000 Minnesota kids from low-income families.
But it costs taxpayers about $50 million per year.
House Republicans want to cut that spending by only giving it to students staying in-state and pursuing one of the top-20 careers.
"This ensures state dollars are not just helping students access education, but they're helping Minnesota strategically grow the workforce we need," said supporter Christie Ransom with the Winona Area Chamber of Commerce.
"These changes will not help Minnesota address its workforce shortages," said opponent Mike Dean of North Star Propserity. "In fact, it will do the exact opposite. This bill [you want] actually already exists. It's called the Minnesota Workforce Scholarship."
No such thing...
Not so universal?:
A bigger cut would come from a proposed change to universal free meals, making families pay for lunches if they earn about $150,000 dollars a year or more.
That could take a $250 million per year program down to $170 million or so, and the bill would direct the savings back to schools to use as they please.
"When you listen to parents you hear a lot of them say 'I'm frustrated because I can pay for my meal but what I can't do is give the school more money to hire more teachers'," said Rep. Andrew Myers (R-Tonka Bay).
"Of course, there are families that can afford to pay for their kids' lunches at schools," said Matt Shaver of Ed Allies. "They can still pay for a la carte meals. They can write a check to their district's foundation. These same families could afford state mandated fees on desks, air conditioning, drinking fountains, gym equipment, to ride the school bus, or to tip their kid's teacher at the end of each week."
"We will end up making some tough decisions," said Rep. Cheryl Youakim, (DFL-Hopkins). "I don't think we need to make it in the lunchroom with our children."
What's next:
Other DFL members joined Rep. Youakim in firmly opposing these bills and with their majority in the Senate, and a tied House, these bills seem doomed for at least this year.