Capitol Notebook: Bill changing Iowa school nutrition standards could jeopardize federal funds

DES MOINES — Legislation passed Wednesday by Iowa House Republicans that would require schools to forgo federal nutrition standards to instead prioritize Iowa-specific guidelines could jeopardize millions in federal funding for school meal programs.

House File 851 would require the Iowa Department of Education to apply for a waiver from the federal government relating to federal nutrition requirements in favor of standards that “align with Iowa’s dietary recommendations or cultural food practices.”

Supporters of the bill said federal nutrition guidelines are “out of date.”

Rep. Derek Wulf, R-Hudson, said the bill puts “common sense nutrition knowledge” in place that “emphasizes the role of key food groups being animal-based protein, dairy, vegetable and fruits in a balanced diet.”

“Our kids are obviously not getting healthier in the past few years, so it’s time to do something drastically different,” he said.

Rep. Elinor Levin, D-Iowa City, said the bill tries to “redefine” local food by prioritizing “multinational corporations.”

“This bill is not about supporting Iowa’s small and independent farmers,” Levin said. “Instead, it serves the interests of powerful industry players, which are using this legislation to increase sales under the guise of promoting local agriculture, while actually perverting that definition.”

Rep. Austin Baeth, D-Des Moines, said the bill is “flipping this evidence-based food pyramid on its head.” Rep. Sami Scheetz, D-Cedar Rapids, cited part of federal code that states the U.S. secretary of agriculture cannot grant a waiver if it relates to “the nutritional content of meals served.”

A fiscal note by the nonpartisan Legislative Services Agency said the bill could reduce federal reimbursement to school districts for the school lunch and breakfast programs as following established federal meal patterns is required to receive reimbursement.

School food service programs in the state receive $145 million through the National School Lunch Program and $40.3 million through the School Breakfast Program. The reimbursements are made for meals that follow the required federal meal patterns, according to the agency.

The Iowa Department of Education also receives an estimated $23.0 million in federal funds per fiscal year to purchase a portion of the food used by schools for meals.

Scheetz said it was “fundamentally wrong” to risk losing that funding for school lunches when many students cannot afford to eat lunch.

“If we want to have the discussion about school lunches in our state, let’s start by feeding our kids first,” Scheetz said, who introduced an amendment rejected by Republicans for a $3 million appropriation to fund a purchasing program for schools and food banks to buy from Iowa producers via the Choose Iowa program.

The bill passed the House 60-36 after being amended to delay implementation of the nutrition guidelines until July 2026. A Senate version of the bill has not yet been debated.

Black Caucus urges public to speak out over anti-DEI bills

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Members of the Iowa Legislative Black Caucus called on the public Wednesday to speak out against legislation that to dismantle diversity, equity and inclusion efforts.

The Iowa House passed multiple bills Tuesday aimed at curtailing DEI across the state, from state entities and local governments to community and private colleges.

The programs aim to assist historically underrepresented and marginalized groups and create an inclusive environment. Republicans contend the policies and practices create divisions and inefficiencies by putting too much emphasis on race and other social factors over merit, skills and experience.

The caucus highlighted the importance of DEI in education, health care and societal progress, citing historical achievements and current disparities.

Rep. Rob Johnson, D-Des Moines, said the tenets of DEI were born out of the need to address problems in the state and country.

“Diversity, equity and inclusion didn't just fall out of the sky. It came from somewhere. There was a reason why it has taken over with corporations, with schools — with (providing) opportunities (and) fairness,” Johnson said.

Iowa has a history of furthering progressive movements, Johnson said, from desegregating schools decades before the landmark U.S. Supreme Court ruling Brown v. Board of Education to establishing the first national bar association for Black lawyers in Des Moines and more.

Rep. Ruth Ann Gaines, D-Des Moines, said the legislation “will throw us back from progress that we’ve made as a country, as a state, in the last 60 years.”

Rep. Ross Wilburn, D-Ames, said Republican have bought into a “false narrative” that DEI gives someone an advantage specific to their race. “The data just doesn't show that,” Wilburn said.

He said diversity, equity and inclusion “means learning about and celebrating our differences and working together in positive ways.”

“Unfortunately, the Republicans pushing these bills chose to focus on race,” but diversity includes those with disabilities, gender identity, older Iowans and rural Iowans, he said.

The caucus called for public engagement, urging citizens, businesses and private institutions to contact legislators to oppose the bills.

Limiting apprenticeship requirements

State and local government agencies could not impose additional apprenticeship training requirements on contractors under legislation headed to Gov. Kim Reynolds for her consideration after two days of heated debate.

Senate File 603 passed the Iowa Senate on Wednesday, a day after it passed the Iowa House. In both cases, Democrats passionately opposed a late addition to the bill: an amendment from Rep. Bobby Kaufmann, R-Wilton, that created the limitation on apprenticeship training requirements.

Republicans said the bill is needed to prevent local governments from implementing training requirements that exclude some companies from the ability to secure government contracts.

“Right now, 100 percent of the workforce has access to jobs,” Sen. Jason Schultz, R-Schleswig, said during debate. He said the bill protects the status quo. “Right now, nobody is doing this, and we want to make sure it stays that way.”

Democrats argued that the bill will remove government’s ability to implement apprenticeship training requirements that ensure the contractor who wins the bid on a contract has a well-trained workforce.

“We should want quality, local companies to be hired. We should want companies to prioritize safety,” said Sen. Janice Weiner, D-Iowa City.

The bill passed the Iowa Senate on a 32-15 vote, with Republicans Charlie McClintock of Alburnett and Mike Pike of Des Moines joining all Democrats in opposition. Having passed the House the day prior on a previously party-line vote of 64-34, the bill heads to Reynolds for her consideration.

Gazette-Lee Des Moines Bureau