The state’s two-year operating budget is due on July 1st, and a co-sponsor of a new bipartisan plan to provide free lunches to Ohio public school children hopes to see it prioritized.
The latest attempt to get the state to pay for all students to eat free breakfast and lunch at school is similar to Senate Bill 342, which he and co-sponsor Sen. Kent Smith, D-Euclid, sponsored in the previous General Assembly, according to State Senator Bill Blessing, R-Colerain Twp.
Blessing told the Capital Journal, “It’s a public good and such a great idea.”
Simplicity prevailed when Blessing and Smith revived the idea in the new General Assembly because S.B. 342 had other goals, including expanding the Local Government Fund and changing funding for the Low and Moderate-Income Housing Trust Fund in addition to the objective of full eligibility for student meals.
“This should be obvious to me,” Blessing stated.
The Ohio Department of Education and Workforce would be required to reimburse public and chartered nonpublic schools that took part in the National School Breakfast Program under the new Senate Bill 109. This would cover the difference between the federal reimbursements for free and reduced-price breakfasts and lunches, as well as those that would have to pay because they cannot receive meal assistance. A $300 million appropriation is listed in the law to fund the reimbursements.
Although Blessing expects to have at least one hearing in the Senate Finance Committee to say this is fantastic policy, he and Smith intend to campaign for the bill to be included in the new two-year state operating budget that is now being negotiated in the Ohio House and is due on July 1.
In a state where one in six children live in households that struggle to put food on the table, polling conducted as recently as last year in Ohio revealed strong public support for a universal free school breakfast and lunch program. One in three children who reside in those households are not eligible for free school meals, according to a 2023 study from the advocacy organization Children’s Defense Fund Ohio.
During the most recent round of budget negotiations, school nutrition administrators addressed the legislature, sharing their experiences of student meal debt that forced them to deny students a hot meal and sustaining the stigma associated with students who were classified as eligible for free or reduced lunches.
As the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee considers cuts that might affect the Community Eligibility Provision, which operates within the federal National School Lunch Program in high-poverty areas to provide free meals to eligible students, support for universal school breakfast and lunch is growing. Schools are eligible based on how many students and families participate in the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Programs (SNAP).
More than 280,000 Ohio kids and 728 schools may be impacted by the proposed federal modifications to the eligibility clause, according to the national Food Research & Action Center.
Blessing admitted that there was opposition to using the previous operating budget to fund the state-level initiative. However, he said that the legislation might be funded by raising certain taxes, such the severance tax.
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“I wouldn’t be shocked if the House or Senate included a sizable income tax cut in the new budget,” Blessing said, adding that money might have been used to pay for this.
For the 2023–2024 school year, $4 million was allocated in the previous state operating budget to provide free meals to individuals who were eligible for reduced-price breakfast and lunch. However, attempts to include universal eligibility were not included in the final text.
A bill that provides school-aged children with two meals a day, according to Blessing, fulfills campaign pledges to lower costs for regular Ohioans and Americans.
Whether right or not, Blessing stated that the cost-of-living crisis was the reason Trump got elected. In order to assist with that, I would expect that we will fulfill this. Everyone should care about it.
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Eliot Pierce is a dedicated writer for ChiefsFocus.com, covering local crime and finance news. With a keen eye for detail and a passion for storytelling, Eliot aims to provide his readers with clear and insightful analysis, helping them navigate the complexities of their financial lives while staying informed about important local events. His commitment to delivering accurate and engaging content makes him a valuable resource for the community.