The Senate on Thursday rejected the Health and Human Services Department's budget to fund the federal lunch program for children.
This year, the U.S. Department of Agriculture made permanent This is a temporary pandemic program that provides free lunches to low-income children during the summer. that much Summer EBT Program Provides a $40 monthly stipend to children who qualify for free or reduced-price meals. The support money, which is paid over three months, can be used at the relevant store. Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits.
Idaho would have covered half of the program's administrative costs ($545,300), and USDA would have covered the other half of the administrative costs and 100% of the lunch costs. According to the Department of Health and Human Services' budget request, USDA will pay $16.3 million to cover lunches for 136,000 Idaho children.
The budget failed in the Senate, 10-25.
“We’re sending the wrong message to parents and children that we’re going to keep providing it to everyone at no cost,” said Sen. Cindy Carlson, R-Riggins. She said, “The message we need to send is that we all have to work for what we get.”
After the Senate vote, the Joint Finance and Budget Committee quickly passed a new budget proposal without lunch fees.
Rep. Brooke Green's motion to continue funding the program failed in JFAC on a vote of 8-12. “I will always work to ensure that Idaho’s children have the nutrients they need during the summer,” said Green, D-Boise.
Along with Green's fellow Democrats, five House Republicans supported summer lunch funding: Reps. Matt Buddy of Mountain Home, Britt Raybould of Rexburg, Rod Furniss of Rigby, James Petzke of Meridian and Clay Handy of Burley.
After Green's motion failed, the committee voted 16-4 to advance a new budget excluding lunch funding. Rep. Tina Lambert, R-Caldwell, was the only Republican to vote “no.”
House quietly places a sideboard around Launch.
A bill that would rework Idaho's just-launched release program is heading to the Senate.
House Bill 741 is the latest attempt to tweak Launch, which provides up to $8,000 to high school graduates who want to continue their education. Specifically, the bill would change the definition of high-demand occupations eligible for launch funds.
The current definition hinges on job creation and industrial growth. The new definition includes other factors such as training requirements.
The House did not debate HB 741, but it passed narrowly, 38 to 31. The bill now moves to the Senate.
Lawmakers hope to activate funding for the dormant facility in the next session.
Two lawmakers on Thursday announced another new plan to fund schools, but it is unlikely to advance this legislative session.
Representatives Rod Furniss, R-Rigby, and Soñia Galaviz, D-Boise, co-authored a bill that revitalized $25 million earmarked for school facilities nearly 20 years ago. The money has been difficult to access, and only two school districts have used it since 2006, the Idaho Statesman reported last year.
Funds will be transferred to a new grant account for: Poor school districts seeking help financing new buildings and maintenance. This will help fill a gap in House Bill 521, a $2 billion facility funding bill that Congress recently passed.
“We currently have much-needed school facilities, but the money from (House Bill) 521 is not enough to make the schools intact,” Furniss said.
The House Education Committee voted to advance the bill but decided to make the plans public before the bill is sent to the next legislative session.