school nutrition

It's now officially legislative silly season, when every special interest group tries to claim their share of credit for various legislation that passed. This time it's the Big Government Bell Policy Center using ... wait for it ... an elementary school class to claim credit for legislation that funded the free school breakfast program for students who qualified for reduced price lunches. Problem is Senator Keith King was the one who did it, not Bell Policy.

By Scot Kersgaard
Colorado Independent

Rep. Cherylin Peniston, D-Westminster, announced today that she will introduce a bill to restore funding to the Colorado Department of Education's free breakfast program. Republican members of the Joint Budget Committee last week thought $125,000 for the breakfast program would be a good place to start cutting expenses to make up for major tax-revenue shortfalls this year.

Last week the Joint Budget Committee (JBC) denied funding for free breakfasts for about 12,000 low-income students even though we have the money and it will not add to our budget short fall. In a 3-3 vote the JBC rejected a request for $124,000 in additional funding for the Start Smart Nutrition Program.