Appropriations committee rejects proposal to eliminate reduced‑price lunch copay, 7–14

A proposal to eliminate the 70¢ daily copay for reduced‑price school lunches failed in the Appropriations Committee on Feb. 14 by a recorded vote of 7–14.

Representative Ballard said the $2.5 million amendment would "save these families $132.2 per kid" (as calculated during debate) and argued removing the copay would reduce stigma so children would not be singled out. "Children should not have to suffer for whatever the status their parents are," Ballard said, urging immediate relief for families he described as vulnerable.

Opponents challenged the amendment on administrative and integrity grounds. Vice Chair Williams said most children do not know whether they qualify and raised concerns about waste and food quality, and Representative Tarwater cited audit findings and anecdotal reports of large proportions of ineligible students on the free/reduced lists: "There is a tremendous amount of fraud in this program," Tarwater said, referencing a recent audit he described during the hearing.

Several members asked staff how the change would interact with at‑risk funding and direct certification. Representative Estes and committee staff explained that at‑risk weighting is based on free lunch certification, not reduced, and warned that eliminating the reduced copay could create an implementation gap if families stop completing paperwork necessary for other program determinations.

Supporters including Representatives Alcala and Sutton described personal experience with school meal programs and local food‑security work and urged the committee to prioritize feeding children now rather than delay program reform. Representative Alcala said providers and nonprofits see children for whom the school meal is their primary meal of the day.

After division, the committee recorded the vote as 7 in favor and 14 opposed; the amendment failed. Members signaled interest in broader program review and informational hearings on fraud detection, direct certification and food quality, but the specific $2.5 million appropriation was not added to the substitute budget.

Ending
The committee’s rejection of the copay elimination preserves the current reduced‑price structure for now and leaves open broader discussion about program design, fraud controls and potential targeted changes in future hearings.