By: Journalist Marley Hutchins (OU)
On Thursday, the Oklahoma House of Representatives heard OSU-512, a bill that would make all public high school students in the state of Oklahoma eligible to receive a free breakfast and lunch every school day.
The bill was passed by an overwhelming majority, with 54 votes in the affirmative and 10 in the negative. However, the bill did encounter some resistance on the floor.
Rep. Alex Edmundson, a five-star from Oklahoma State University, brought this piece of legislation because he saw the need for change in Oklahoma schools.
“During school, I would have friends who would ask other friends ‘Hey, can I get your lunch today?” Rep. Edmundson said. “They were trying to balance paying full prices for meals and actually eating at home. I noticed a lot of people in Oklahoma are on programs that our public schools pay for to get food during the summer.”
Edmunson also cited Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as an inspiration for his bill.
“I saw that Tim Walz in Minnesota passed it and I was like, ‘Oh, it’s something that’s possible, so why not try it here?’” Edmunson said.
According to the Minnesota Department of Education, their legislation requires that the state reimburse all school districts enrolled in the free breakfast and lunch program.
This system is similar to the approach that Edmunson takes in OSU-512. However, his piece of legislation creates a new business tax increase to make up for the lost funds. Should his bill pass the Senate, small businesses can expect a .01% tax increase over the next five years and large businesses will have their tax increased by .1%.
Although the bill was met with a lot of positivity from representatives, the increase in taxes was not without its challengers.
“For the most part, it was positive,” Edmunson said. “There were a couple of concerns about the immediate effects to the Oklahoma economy, but I felt like they were swayed when I talked about the long-term effects of the economy more than the short term.”
Rep. Edmunson said he believes in his vision of an Oklahoma where children do not go to school hungry.
“It will give us a stronger future because we have children who aren’t worried about trying to get their next meal,” Edmunson said. “They’re actually focusing on other things like studying and making good grades.”
The Senate will be the next chamber with a say in this bill’s future. If it passes through the body, it will make its way onto the desk of Gov. Adam Clifton.