January 24, 2011 09:03 PM UTC

Dems Vow to Fund School Breakfast Program, Make GOP Look Even Worse

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• by: Colorado Pols

UPDATE #4: FOX 31’s Eli Stokols reports:

On Monday, a large group of Democratic lawmakers held a press conference at Dora Moore Elementary school vowing to introduce a bill to restore funding for the Smart Start program, which may need an additional $124,000 to operate through the end of the current school year…

“We believe no child in Colorado should go hungry,” said Rep. Cherylin Peniston, D-Westminster, who plans to sponsor the forthcoming legislation. “Something as simple and cost-effective as providing breakfast before class may mean the difference between students who reach their full potential and those who struggle to concentrate in the classroom.”

…Immediately following that press conference, attended by nearly the entire Capitol press corps, two of the three GOP members of the Joint Budget Committee who voted against a new funding request held their own media availability to explain their decision.

“It’s not a moral issue, it’s an accounting issue,” said Rep. Cheri Gerou, R-Evergreen. [Pols emphasis]

UPDATE #3: Release from House Democrats after the jump–Rep. Cherylin Peniston will sponsor a bill to fund the Smart Start Breakfast program in the House, with Sens. Linda Newell and Evie Hudak sponsoring in the Senate. Says Minority Leader Sal Pace, “Democrats made tough cuts in the Majority for years, $5 billion dollars worth of cuts, but we were committed to not cutting at the expense of low-income schoolchildren.”

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UPDATE #2: From the ubiquitous ColoradoNewser, what could be the quote of the day from GOP Rep. Cheri Gerou at the GOP’s school breakfast contra-conference:

That’s not going to be reused nicely by the Democrats, is it?

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UPDATE: Apparently, Republican JBC members Cheri Gerou and Jon Becker are also holding a press conference on the school breakfast program, which we expect will be interesting since they voted against it. We’re now awaiting details on both.

Photo courtesy Eli Stokols of KDVR-TV

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That’s the advisory we just got–at 11:30 this morning at Dora Moore School in Denver, “House Democrats, along with childhood anti-hunger advocates will meet to discuss the Start Smart free breakfast program and new legislation intended to restore much-needed funding for this program, which feeds tens of thousands of low-income children across Colorado.”

We’ll update with coverage once available: we doubt it will make Kent Lambert very happy.

   COLORADO

   HOUSE DEMOCRATIC COMMUNICATIONS

   STATE CAPITOL

   Democrats and Advocates Push to Re-Start Start Smart Breakfast Program

   (Denver)- House and Senate Democrats, along with members of the faith, education, and anti-hunger communities met today at a nearby public school to discuss the recent Joint Budget Committee (JBC) decision to not renew funding for the Start Smart school breakfast program for Colorado’s neediest children.

   House Democrats will introduce legislation to reverse the JBC’s decision to not renew the $124,229 supplemental to aid schools in providing free breakfast through the Start Smart program. Childhood hunger continues to be a problem in Colorado, as nearly 270,000 of our kids are eligible for reduced or free breakfast and lunch, and some tens of thousands are eligible for Start Smart.

   “Being able to provide breakfast each day for our neediest kids is an important function of government. We should not be balancing our budget on the backs of our families in these tough economic times” Said Representative Cherylin Peniston (D-Westminster), who will sponsor the legislation in the House.

   “Democrats made tough cuts in the Majority for years, $5 billion dollars worth of cuts, but we were committed to not cutting at the expense of low-income schoolchildren,” said House Democratic Leader Sal Pace (D-Pueblo). “We simply should not be taking away vital services from those who need them most in these tough economic times.”

   “Childhood hunger is a critical issue for Colorado that is only made worse by our challenging economic times,” said Kathy Underhill, Executive Director of Hunger Free Colorado. “While 30 cents a day may not sound like a lot, for families who are experiencing financial hardship it can mean the difference between their kids going to school ready to learn or starting the school day hungry.”

   Chris Watney, Executive Director of the Children’s Campaign, Leo Lesh, Executive Director of Food Services for Denver Public Schools, and Reverend Doctor Jim Ryan from the Colorado Council of Churches also spoke about the importance of the Start Smart program at today’s press conference.

   Senators Linda Newell (D-Littleton) and Evie Hudak (D-Westminster/Arvada) will co-prime sponsor the bill in the Senate.