Governor Greg Gianforte late last week vetoed a bipartisan bill that would have expanded access to free school meals.
Democratic Rep. Melissa Romano of Helena has pushed the state for years to help families access food at school. A bill attempting to expand free school meals died in 2021, and Romano’s attempt to make meals entirely free went down in 2023.
This year, her bill passed the statehouse — and died on the governor’s desk. Romano told MTPR she was extremely disappointed.
“I think having hungry kids in schools that aren’t able to learn is a complete travesty,” Romano said.
Romano’s bill would have chipped in state money to cover parent copays for students on reduced-price meal plans, essentially making them free. Supporters had argued it would benefit working-class families, reduce stigma for students and keep school staff from spending hours tracking down overdue meal balances.
In his veto letter, Gov. Gianforte said he appreciated Romano’s intentions with the bill. But, he argued other federal programs do enough to support access to affordable school meals. Gianforte also took issue with the bill’s estimated price tag of $3 million over the next four years, and said the Legislature didn’t set aside enough money to cover the plan.
The governor slashed nearly $400 million in funding for programs state lawmakers approved this year.
