Friday deadline for free-school-meals-for-all bill to pass in Legislature

As Washington state lawmakers approach a critical deadline, the fate of a bill aimed at providing free breakfast and lunch to all public school students hangs by a thread. Currently, around 70% of students have access to these meals, but expanding the program to include everyone would incur an estimated annual cost of $120 million. This proposal faces significant challenges against a backdrop of a $12 billion budget shortfall and competing educational priorities, including bills that could collectively cost $1. 5 billion. Senate Majority Leader Jamie Pedersen acknowledged that the proposal might be well-intentioned but poorly timed, as the Senate's version has already lapsed.

The House version, House Bill 1404, must be approved by the Appropriations Committee by Friday to remain viable. House Majority Leader Joe Fitzgibbon remarked that, if the bill fails to pass, lawmakers could instead focus on funding existing meal programs that are already in place. The dialogue around school meals is also intertwined with broader discussions on food insecurity in the state, as highlighted by Deputy Senate Majority Leader Manka Dhingra. With pressure mounting for lawmakers to make decisions, the outcome of the bill remains uncertain as the deadline looms.