Minnesota State Senator Steve Drazkowski recently made headlines when he voted against a bill that would have provided free school meals to students in Minnesota, arguing that hunger was not a problem in the state. Drazkowski claimed that he had yet to meet anyone who was hungry or did not have access to enough food to eat in Minnesota.
However, according to the nonprofit Feeding America, around 340,000 Minnesotans are currently facing hunger, with nearly a third of them being children. More than 13% of children in Minnesota come from “food insecure” households, according to the anti-childhood-hunger campaign No Kid Hungry.
Despite these figures, Drazkowski described the bill as “pure socialism” and argued that state money should instead be put towards reading, writing, and arithmetic education. He also said that hunger was “relative” and complained that it was not well-defined in the bill.
The bill ultimately passed despite Drazkowski’s opposition and is now headed to the governor for signature. However, Drazkowski’s comments have drawn criticism from those who say that he is disconnected from the reality of hunger in his own district.
Senator Heather Gustafson highlighted that one in five students in Drazkowski’s district qualifies for free and reduced lunch in a tweet. Colleen Moriarty, executive director of nonprofit Hunger Solutions Minnesota, also criticized Drazkowski’s remarks, telling The Washington Post that his “eyes may not be open” if he has not met someone in the state who is hungry.
According to Hunger Solutions Minnesota, there were a record-high 5.5 million visits to food pantries in Minnesota in 2022, with visits increasing across all age groups compared to the previous year. The total number of visits by under-18s increased by more than 50%, according to the nonprofit’s data.
Drazkowski’s comments have sparked a larger conversation about food insecurity and hunger in Minnesota, with many calling for greater efforts to address the issue at the state level. Although the bill passed, it is clear that there is still much work to be done to ensure that all students in Minnesota have access to enough food to eat.
