Committee Backs Free Meals For North Dakota Students

(Photo by Michael Achterling/North Dakota Monitor)

(North Dakota Monitor) – A bill that would provide free school meals to North Dakota students narrowly received support from a legislative committee, advancing to the House with a do-pass recommendation

House Bill 1624, sponsored by Rep. Mike Nathe, R-Bismarck, mirrors a constitutional ballot measure that would require the state to cover the cost of lunch and breakfast for all K-12 students.

The Together for Free School Meals coalition is gathering signatures for the measure with hopes to have voters decide the issue during the November election.

House members of the committee voted 17-5 and Senate members voted 8-7 in support of Nathe’s bill. His proposal attempts to put the meal program in state statute, rather than the state constitution, which would make it easier for lawmakers to amend if the cost becomes unsustainable.