Free school meal ballot measure debated at North Dakota policy summit

A proponent of the free school meal ballot measure touted the benefits to North Dakota families Tuesday while an opponent cautioned against adding the program to the state constitution.

The two sides presented their arguments during the Greater North Dakota Chamber Policy Summit in Bismarck.

Voters will decide the fate of Measure 2 in November, a constitutional measure that would provide free breakfast and lunch to North Dakota K-12 students at no cost to the student. Funding would be provided through earnings from the state Legacy Fund if lawmakers do not identify an alternative funding source.

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Robin Nelson, chair of Together for School Meals, told event attendees Measure 2 would be like giving every North Dakota family with a K-12 student a tax break.

“About $1,000 per child, per family, and this would affect, if passed, 105,000 households in North Dakota,” Nelson said.

She said about 35% of North Dakotans rent apartments or houses and did not benefit from the property tax credit passed by lawmakers in 2025, which provides up to $1,600 for homeowners.

Nelson took issue with an income threshold that qualifies K-12 students for free or reduced price school meals in North Dakota by pointing out the property tax credit did not require a similar income requirement.

“What is so wrong with providing meals to the kids, regardless of income?” she said. “Let’s be consistent.”

The projected cost to provide meals to students is between $124.3 million to $134.3 million every two years, according to an analysis conducted by the Department of Public Instruction. 

Lawmakers have previously rejected bills to provide free school meals to all students, most recently in January during a special session of the Legislature.

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Nelson said the initiated measure committee chose to pursue a constitutional measure petition because it was available to them as citizens of North Dakota. 

Sen. Paul Thomas, R-Velva, opposes Measure 2 and said the free school meals program should not be included in the state’s constitution with mandatory spending. He added the measure isn’t really about providing breakfast and lunch to students at no cost.

“Measure 2 asks if we should permanently rewrite our state constitution to mandate a specific government program with a specific funding stream,” Thomas said. “That is a very different question.”

He highlighted that constitutional measures would take another vote of the people to change, while state law can be adjusted by lawmakers during a legislative session if programs are not working or the state’s financial position changes.

If Measure 2 passes, Thomas said it would establish a dangerous precedent for in-state and out-of-state interest groups, if they don’t like how state lawmakers vote.

“Today it’s school meals. Tomorrow, it could be a mandated funding level program for childcare, healthcare, paid family leave, tax incentives, minimum wage, anything a coalition believes deserves a permanent, unamendable priority over every other state need,” he said.

The remedy for lawmakers not adhering to concerns of citizens isn’t a constitutional measure, it’s elections, Thomas said.

“That is how self-government is supposed to work,” he said. “What that argument does not justify is treating the constitution as an escape hatch every time a Legislature declines to pass a particular bill.”

North Dakota Monitor reporter Michael Achterling can be reached at [email protected].