“Republican Lawmakers who voted against school meals need to be voted out,” Dem-NPL Chair
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
April 9, 2026
FARGO – Today, Together for School Meals turned in over 57,000 signatures from North Dakotans to put a measure on the November ballot that, if passed, would guarantee that all K-12 public schools provide one free breakfast and lunch to all students
North Dakota Democratic-NPL Chair Adam Goldwyn said, “This election, voters will have a chance to finally do what Republican legislators refused to do for years. But voters should also send a message to those Republicans by voting them out. They have been ignoring the overwhelming will of North Dakota families. If your Republican legislators voted against school meals, the only way to hold them accountable now is to vote them out of office. Over and over, Dem-NPL lawmakers have supported free school meals, and now, with candidates running in nearly every district in the state, voters have a choice to support them.”
History of School Meal Bills
2021
2021 HB 1413: Introduced by Rep. LaurieBeth Hager, this bill originally appropriated $89,500,000 for school meals, but was amended to become a legislative management study regarding public school nutritional resources. It passed the House, but was defeated in the Senate
House Vote: 70 YEAS, 24 NAYS, 0 EXCUSED, 0 ABSENT AND NOT VOTING.
YEAS: Adams; Anderson, B.; Anderson, D.; Anderson, P.; Beltz; Boe; Bosch; Boschee; Brandenburg; Buffalo; Cory; Devlin; Dobervich; Dockter; Fisher; Guggisberg; Hager; Hagert; Hanson; Hatlestad; Headland; Heinert; Ista; Johnson, D.; Johnson, M.; Jones; Karls; Kasper; Keiser; Kempenich; Kiefert; Klemin; Kreidt; Lefor; Longmuir; Louser; Martinson; Meier; Mitskog; Mock; Monson; Nathe; Nehring; Nelson, J.; Nelson, M.; O’Brien; Ostlie; Owens; Paur; Pollert; Porter; Pyle; Richter; Roers Jones; Ruby, D.; Sanford; Satrom; Schauer; Schmidt; Schneider; Schobinger; SchreiberBeck; Stemen; Strinden; Thomas; Trottier; Vigesaa; Weisz; Westlind; Zubke
NAYS: Becker; Bellew; Christensen; Damschen; Delzer; Ertelt; Fegley; Hoverson; Howe; Kading; Koppelman, B.; Magrum; Marschall; Paulson; Rohr; Ruby, M.; Schatz; Simons; Skroch; Steiner; Toman; Tveit; Vetter; Speaker Koppelman, K.
Senate Vote: 9 YEAS, 37 NAYS, 0 EXCUSED, 1 ABSENT AND NOT VOTING
YEAS: Bakke; Heckaman; Hogan; Larsen, D.; Marcellais; Mathern; Oban; Piepkorn; Weber
NAYS: Anderson; Bekkedahl; Bell; Burckhard; Clemens; Conley; Dever; Dwyer; Elkin; Erbele; Fors; Heitkamp; Hogue; Holmberg; Kannianen; Klein; Krebsbach; Kreun; Larsen, O.; Larson, D.; Lee; Lemm; Luick; Meyer; Myrdal; Oehlke; Patten; Poolman; Roers, J.; Roers, K.; Rust; Schaible; Sorvaag; Vedaa; Wanzek; Wardner; Wobbema
ABSENT AND NOT VOTING: Davison
2023
2023 HB 1491: Introduced by Rep. LaurieBeth Hager, this bill originally appropriated $89,500,000 for school meals, but was amended to fund $6,000,000 wort of school meal grants. It passed the House, but failed by one vote in the Senate.
House Vote: 80 YEAS, 11 NAYS, 0 EXCUSED, 3 ABSENT AND NOT VOTING.
YEAS: Anderson, B.; Anderson, D.; Anderson, K.; Bahl; Beltz; Bosch; Boschee; Brandenburg; Christy; Conmy; Cory; Dakane; Davis; Dobervich; Dockter; Dyk; Fegley; Finley-DeVille; Fisher; Frelich; Grueneich; Hager; Hagert; Hanson; Hatlestad; Hauck; Headland; Heinert; Holle; Ista; Johnson, J.; Jonas; Karls; Kasper; Kiefert; Klemin; Koppelman; Kreidt; Lefor; Longmuir; Louser; Marschall; Martinson; McLeod; Meier; Mitskog; Mock; Monson; Murphy; Nathe; Nelson; Novak; O’Brien; Olson, J.; Olson, S.; Porter; Pyle; Richter; Rios; Roers Jones; Rohr; Ruby, M.; Sanford; Satrom; Schatz; Schauer; Schneider; Schobinger; Schreiber-Beck; Steiner; Stemen; Strinden; Swiontek; Thomas; Toman; Vetter; Vigesaa; Warrey; Weisz; Speaker Johnson, D.
NAYS: Bellew; Christensen; Heilman; Henderson; Hoverson; Motschenbacher; Prichard; Ruby, D.; Timmons; Tveit; VanWinkle
ABSENT AND NOT VOTING: Kempenich; Ostlie; Wagner
Senate Vote: 23 YEAS, 24 NAYS, 0 EXCUSED, 0 ABSENT AND NOT VOTING
YEAS: Axtman; Barta; Bekkedahl; Braunberger; Cleary; Conley; Davison; Dever; Dwyer; Elkin; Hogan; Kessel; Krebsbach; Larson; Mathern; Meyer; Patten; Piepkorn; Roers, K.; Rummel; Sickler; Sorvaag; Weber
NAYS: Beard; Boehm; Burckhard; Clemens; Erbele; Estenson; Hogue; Kannianen; Klein; Kreun; Larsen; Lee; Lemm; Luick; Magrum; Myrdal; Paulson; Roers, J.; Rust; Schaible; Vedaa; Wanzek; Weston; Wobbema
2025
2025 HB 1553: Introduced again by Rep. LaurieBeth Hager, was one of two school meal bills in the Regular Session. This bill would have used the legacy fund to pay for universal school meals.
House Vote: 14 YEAS, 75 NAYS, 0 EXCUSED, 5 ABSENT AND NOT VOTING.
YEAS: Brown; Conmy; Dobervich; Finley-DeVille; Foss; Hager; Hanson; Hendrix; Ista; Jonas; Mitskog; Rios; Schneider; Steiner
NAYS: Anderson, B.; Anderson, D.; Anderson, K.; Bahl; Beltz; Berg; Bolinske; Bosch; Brandenburg; Christianson; Dockter; Fegley; Fisher; Frelich; Grindberg; Grueneich; Hagert; Hatlestad; Hauck; Headland; Heilman; Heinert; Henderson; Holle; Hoverson; Johnson, J.; Johnston, D.; Karls; Kasper; Kempenich; Kiefert; Klemin; Koppelman; Lefor; Longmuir; Maki; Marschall; Martinson; McLeod; Meier; Monson; Morton; Motschenbacher; Murphy; Nathe; Nehring; Nelson; Novak; O’Brien; Olson, J.; Olson, S.; Osowski; Ostlie; Porter; Pyle; Richter; Rohr; Ruby, D.; Ruby, M.; Sanford; Satrom; Schatz; Schauer; Stemen; Swiontek; Toman; Tveit; VanWinkle; Vetter; Vigesaa; Vollmer; Wagner; Warrey; Weisz; Wolff
ABSENT AND NOT VOTING: Christy; Davis; Dressler; Louser; Schreiber-Beck
2025 HB 1475: Introduced by Patrick R. Hatlestad, This bill would have used the general fund to pay for universal school meals.
House Vote: 39 YEAS, 54 NAYS, 0 ABSENT OR EXCUSED AND NOT VOTING.
YEAS: Anderson, K.; Bahl; Beltz; Brown; Conmy; Davis; Dobervich; Dockter; Finley-DeVille; Foss; Frelich; Grindberg; Grueneich; Hager; Hanson; Hatlestad; Heilman; Hendrix; Holle; Ista; Johnston, D.; Jonas; Marschall; Martinson; McLeod; Meier; Mitskog; Novak; O’Brien; Olson, J.; Richter; Rios; Sanford; Satrom; Schatz; Schneider; Schreiber-Beck; Steiner; Swiontek
NAYS: Anderson, B.; Anderson, D.; Berg; Bolinske; Bosch; Brandenburg; Christianson; Dressler; Fegley; Fisher; Hagert; Hauck; Headland; Heinert; Henderson; Hoverson; Johnson, J.; Karls; Kasper; Kempenich; Kiefert; Klemin; Koppelman; Lefor; Longmuir; Louser; Maki; Monson; Morton; Motschenbacher; Murphy; Nathe; Nehring; Nelson; Olson, S.; Osowski; Ostlie; Porter; Pyle; Rohr; Ruby, D.; Ruby, M.; Schauer; Stemen; Toman; Tveit; VanWinkle; Vetter; Vigesaa; Vollmer; Wagner;
Warrey; Weisz; Wolff
2026
2026 HB 1624: Because it was clear that voters want free school meals and that a ballot measure was likely to pass, Rep. Mike Nathe introduced this bill.
Houes Vote: 55 YEAS, 38 NAYS, 1 ABSENT OR EXCUSED AND NOT VOTING.
YEAS: Anderson, B.; Anderson, D.; Bahl; Beltz; Berg; Bosch; Brandenburg; Brown, C.; Conmy; Davis; Dobervich; Dockter; Finley-DeVille; Foss; Grindberg; Grueneich; Hager; Hanson; Hatlestad; Heilman; Heinert; Hendrix; Holle; Ista; Jonas; Karls; Kempenich; Kiefert; Lefor; Longmuir; Marschall; Martinson; McLeod; McNally; Meier; Mitskog; Nathe; Nelson; Novak; Ostlie; Porter; Pyle; Richter; Ruby, M.; Sanford; Satrom; Schauer; Schneider; Steiner; Stemen; Swiontek; Toman; Wagner; Warrey; Weisz
NAYS: Anderson, K.; Bolinske; Christianson; Dressler; Fegley; Fisher; Frelich; Hagert; Hauck; Headland; Henderson; Hoverson; Johnson, J.; Johnston, D.; Kasper; Klemin; Koppelman; Louser; Maki; Monson; Morton; Motschenbacher; Murphy; Nehring; Olson; Osowski; Rios; Rohr; Ruby, D.; Schatz; Skroch; Timmons; Tveit; VanWinkle; Vetter; Vigesaa; Vollmer; Wolff
ABSENT OR EXCUSED AND NOT VOTING: Brown, T.
Senate Vote: 22 YEAS, 24 NAYS, 1 ABSENT OR EXCUSED AND NOT VOTING.
YEAS: Barta; Bekkedahl; Boschee; Braunberger; Burckhard; Cleary; Davison; Dever; Hogan; Kessel; Klein; Larson; Lee; Luick; Marcellais; Mathern; Patten; Roers; Rummel; Schaible; Sorvaag; Weber
NAYS: Beard; Boehm; Castaneda; Clemens; Conley; Cory; Dwyer; Enget; Erbele; Gerhardt; Hogue; Lemm; Magrum; Meyer; Myrdal; Paulson; Powers; Sickler; Thomas; Walen; Wanzek; Weston; Wobbema; van Oosting
ABSENT OR EXCUSED AND NOT VOTING: Axtman
CONTACT:
Laura Dronen
Communications Director
laura.dronen@demnpl.com
