NEWS RELEASE
651-296-4277 – rep.liz.lee@house.mn.gov
539 State Office Building, St. Paul, MN 55155
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Marlee Schlegel
651-296-9873 or marlee.schlegel@house.mn.gov
February 9, 2023
Rep. Liz Lee votes in support of two bills addressing food insecurity
SAINT PAUL, Minn. - On Thursday, the Minnesota House of Representatives voted to pass two bills aimed to address food insecurity in the state. HF 5, authored by Rep. Sydney Jordan (DFL – Minneapolis), would create a universal meal program and provide breakfast and lunch to all Minnesota students. HF 213, authored by Rep. Heather Keeler (DFL – Moorhead), would provide an investment of $5 million for food shelf programs in light of the recent record numbers of visits to food shelves. Rep. Liz Lee (DFL – Saint Paul) is a co-author of both bills and voted to support them.
“In one of the richest countries in the world, and in a state with one of the lowest unemployment rates, nobody should go hungry,” said Rep. Lee. “Sadly, since wages have not kept up with inflation nor family living costs, one in six Minnesota children are food insecure. Not only do we have a moral obligation to stop this, we know that to address the academic achievement gap, we have to feed our kids. Students who experience food insecurity are twice as likely to repeat a grade, and it can also lead to behavioral issues. With my YES votes, I was proud to ensure a basic human need is met for all Minnesotans.”
In the Senate, both bills are making their way through the committee process.
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