Thirteen states, all led by GOP governors, have opted out of a federal program to give states money to feed low-income students during the time they cannot get meals at school. The SUN Bucks program launched in 2024 and gives families $120 to spend on groceries each summer, when school isn’t in session. Nearly a fifth of households with children are food insecure, and programs like SUN Bucks can be a lifeline for children who rely on free or reduced lunches in schools.
Alas, in states like Tennessee, there’s no such thing as a free lunch. Last year, the state received $70 million from SUN Bucks. But Governor Bill Lee rejected the federal program for 2025 over the fact that Tennessee would have to pay $6 million in administrative costs, and instead proposed a $3 million program that would feed 4 percent as many children as the federal funds. Other politicians have broader objections. Idaho Republican state senator Brian Lenney, one of the legislators who successfully prevented their state’s entry into the program, has argued giving kids food “kills self-reliance and turns families into beggars.” Sounds like a nice guy.
This story was adapted from the Current Affairs News Briefing. Subscribe today!
