Two statewide initiatives were on the Colorado ballot on Nov. 4, both concerning funding free school meals for children.
Proposition LL and MM have both been approved.
35.04% of eligible Colorado voters voted in this election. El Paso County, where Colorado Springs is located, saw a voter turnout of 30.9%.
These ballot measures will allow funding for free meals for all Colorado public school students, provide fresh ingredients from local farms to school cafeterias and, in some cases, increase pay and stipends for cafeteria workers.
Proposition LL
Voters initially approved the Healthy School Meals for All program in 2022, which meant Colorado households with an adjusted gross income of $300,000 or more could no longer deduct as much money as they pay in federal taxes from their taxable income in Colorado.
According to 9News Colorado, legislators anticipated the program would bring in $100.7 million in the first year. The program brought in $112 million.
The passing of Proposition LL allows the state to keep the $12.3 million to add to the funding for Healthy School Meals for All.
65.66% of Colorado voters voted yes on Proposition LL. In El Paso County, the percentage of voters voting yes was significantly lower, at 57.24%.
Proposition MM
Proposition MM is projected to raise an additional $95 million for school meal programs by significantly limiting deductions for wealthier Coloradans. According to Colorado Public Radio, roughly 200,000 households will pay an average of $480 more yearly. This makes up roughly 6% of Colorado taxpayers.
58.07% of Colorado voters voted to approve Proposition MM. In El Paso County, the percentage voting yes was 50.48%.
Looking Forward
Colorado non-profits, including Hunger Free Colorado, backed both ballot measures.
The passage of these measures comes at a time when conversation about food security looms large on a national scale.
“I think that hunger is top of mind for a lot of people right now, and it’s really visible for people,” Anya Rose with Hunger Free Colorado told Colorado Public Radio. “This is an incredibly popular program that is more important, now than ever, since there are a lot of people struggling to make ends meet.”
Proposition MM allows some of the new tax money to be allocated towards the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) for low-income families amid an ongoing government shutdown that threatens low-income families’ access to food.