COLORADO — Efforts to expand access to free school meals fell short of the finish line during Utah’s 2024 legislative session.
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Eight states, including Colorado, have found ways to cover the costs of free meals.
I reached out to the lawmakers and community organizations responsible for getting support for the legislation and voter initiative.
“I am going to play the Jewish mother card,” said Sen. Dafna Michaelson Jenet (D, Commerce City). “I am a Jewish mother, you look hungry, eat, eat.”
Because legislators in Colorado are not allowed to levy taxes, funding for the program was decided by voters.
In November 2022, Coloradans approved Proposition FF, also known as “Healthy School Meals for all Public School Children.”
The measure passed by a 57% to 43% margin.
“We definitely got bipartisan votes,” Michaelson Jenet told me. “In order to get enough votes to pass we had to get Republicans too.”
To pay for the program, the measure reduced the amount of tax rebates and deductions for the state’s residents who earn more than $300,000 a year.
For example, a tax filer with earnings of $375,000 saw their state tax burden increase by $450.
The 2023-2024 school year is the first for the program. It has been popular with Colorado families.
Participation in free breakfast has increased 35%, while participation in lunch is up 31%.
“It shows there is a need for it,” Anya Rose of Hungre Free Colorado told me in a Zoom interview. “We are lucky this was in place this school year as families were dealing with increasing costs of living and really high food costs. It's been a lifesaver.”
The program hasn’t been perfect. Due to the unexpected popularity, legislators will likely have to ask voters to increase funding.
But those who are working to solve the issue of food insecurity believe it’s a small price to pay to make sure children have the nourishment they need.
“If you look in any scripture, in any religion it will tell you to feed the hungry,” Sen. Michaelson Jenet told me. “We have an obligation as a society to look out for our hungry children.”
