FOX31 Denver’s Gabrielle Franklin reports that two statewide ballot questions will decide the future funding of Colorado’s Healthy School Meals for All program. In her Oct. 28, 2025 story, Franklin explains that voters approved the program in 2022, participation surged, and the fund is now projected to run dry by year’s end without fresh cash. The piece lays out what each new proposition does and why backers say the money is needed.
Franklin notes that parts of the original plan never fully launched, including locally sourced, made-from-scratch food and higher cafeteria wages. The article spells out two distinct levers on the ballot aimed at refilling the tank and keeping the program alive into next year.
The Bullet Point Brief
- Proposition LL would let the state spend $12.4 million in excess revenue that has already been collected while maintaining current itemized deduction caps for higher earners.
- Proposition MM would push those deduction caps way down to $1,000 for single filers and $2,000 for joint filers, pulling in roughly $95 million more for the program.
- If MM generates more than needed, the extra would be routed to SNAP. Once a pipeline opens, the wish list grows.
- Supporters call the program a success. Reality check: the cash is drying up before the promised upgrades even arrive.
- We were sold X. Now the tab reads closer to 2X, wrapped in the same tired line. It is for the children.
My Bottom Line
It is always for the children until the bill hits your mailbox. Every action we take should make government smaller and reduce the burden on taxpayers, wealthy or otherwise. A program that outpaces its funding before delivering the bells and whistles does not deserve a raise. It deserves a rethink.
Vote no on Prop LL and Prop MM. Do not cement permanent revenue grabs to paper over sloppy execution. Communities, churches, and local partners can help feed kids with less waste and more heart. Denver should tighten the operation, publish clean numbers, and live within its means. Until then, keep your hands off the taxpayer ATM.
Source: FOX31 Denver
