A Republican state senator in Minnesota said Tuesday he would vote against a bill to provide free breakfast and lunch to students in schools, in part because he had never encountered anyone in the state who was hungry.
“I have yet to meet a person in Minnesota who is hungry,” Sen. Steve Drazkowski said in comments on the floor at the Minnesota State Capitol in St. Paul before voting on the legislation. «I have yet to meet a person in Minnesota who says he doesn’t have access to enough food to eat.»
“Now, I have to say that hunger is a relative term,” added the 58-year-old legislator. «I had a cereal bar for breakfast. I guess I’m hungry now.»
Drazkowski was first elected to state senate in 2022 after serving for about 15 years in the state House. He represents a district in the southeastern part of the statealong the Mississippi River.
The bill’s author, Democratic senator, farmer and Labor Party member Heather Gustafson, said nearly 275,000 students are estimated to receive free or reduced-price school meals in the state. She said another 18% of students who would likely qualify have not submitted the necessary documentation to do so.
«About one in six children is food insecure, which means they don’t know when or where the next meal will be available, if at all,» Gustafson said.
He said passing the measure, which would cost $420 million over the next two years, is «the right thing to do.»
“Being hungry makes learning almost impossible,” Gustafson said. «Let’s feed the children.»
The measure passed by a vote of 38-26 and is expected to be signed into law by Gov. Tim Walz.
Drazkowski called the bill «pure socialism. It’s about the government dictating to children what they’re going to eat and how much they’re going to eat.»
He said that any additional funding should go towards improving education in general. “That’s what our schools are for,” she said.
Drazkowski’s office did not immediately respond to requests for comment about his remarks on the floor.