"STAR TRIBUNE" IN DOWNTOWN MINNEAPOLIS.

>> CATHY: WE START TONIGHT WITH A LOOK AHEAD TO ONE OF MANY NEW LAWS THAT WILL TAKE EFFECT ON JULY 1ST HERE IN MINNESOTA, UNIVERSAL FREE MEALS FOR SCHOOL CHILDREN IN THE STATE.

THE PROGRAM BEGINS WHEN THE NEW SCHOOL YEAR STARTS UP THIS FALL.

JOINING US IS ONE OF THE CHIEF AUTHORS OF THE NEW LAW, FIRST TERM D.F.L.SENATOR HEATHER GUSTAFSON.

WELCOME TO "ALMANAC."

>> THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME.

>> Cathy: ABSOLUTELY.

WHY IS THIS LAW NECESSARY?

>> YEAH.

SO WE KNOW THAT AROUND 43% OF STUDENTS PRIOR TO THIS BILL WERE USING FREE AND REDUCED LUNCH BUT WE ALSO KNEW THAT THE STATE HAD CALCULATED THAT SOMEWHERE AROUND 18% OF STUDENTS WHO QUALIFY FOR FREE AND REDUCED LUNCHES AND MEALS WEREN'T GETTING IT, AND ONE OF THE REASONS WHY IS BECAUSE THE -- YOU ARE EITHER DIRECTLY CERTIFIED BECAUSE YOU'RE ON MAYBE SOME OTHER PROGRAM THAT WOULD QUALIFY YOU OR YOU HAD TO FILL OUT A FORM.

THE FORMS WERE NOT -- THEY LOOKED DIFFERENT AT EVERY SCHOOL, THEY COULD BE CUMBERSOME, SOMETIMES THERE WAS A LANGUAGE BARRIER, SOMETIMES PARENTS WEREN'T EVEN AWARE IT WAS SOMETHING THEY COULD FILL OUT SO THEY WERE MISSING QUITE A FEW, IT WAS AN INEFFECTIVE TESTIMONY.

SO THAT MEANT STUDENTS WE'RE GETTING THE EALS THEY NEEDED.

>> Cathy: SO ABOUT 60% IF YOU ADD THOSE NUMBERS UP.

>> YEA.

>> Eric: I THINK FOUR STATES HAVE DONE THIS.

IS THERE ANY SYNERGY BETWEEN THE MEALS AND ACHIEVEMENT GAPS AND SO FOR THE?

>> WE KNOW THAT STUDENTS CAN'T LEARN WHEN THEY'RE HUNGRY.

WE KNOW IT M PROVINCE THEIR MENTAL HEALTH.

IT IMPROVES THEIR BEHAVIOR.

WE KNOW THAT IT ELIMINATES FOOD INSECURITIES, RIGHT, IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHERE YOUR NEXT MEAL IS COMING FROM, THAT'S A SOURCE OF STRESS AND REALLY, AT THE END OF THE DAY, STUDENTS AND KIDS SHOULD NOT BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR CIRCUMSTANCES THAT ARE BEYOND THEIR CONTROL, SO ALL OF THAT TO SAY THAT THERE IS NO WORKSHEET OR MATH PROGRAM OR COMPUTER PROGRAM THAT WE CAN -- THAT WE CAN USE IN THE CLASSROOM THAT'S GOING TO INCREASE SCORES IF THEY'RE ON EMPTY STOMACHS.

>> Eric: WHO PAYS?

>> WE DO BUT IT'S LESS THAN 1% OF OUR EDUCATION BUDGET.

SO WE -- >> Eric: IS THIS WITH FEDERAL FUNDS OR WHEN THEY RUN OUT DOES THE STATE KICK IN OR GOES THE STATE KICK IN IT RIGHT AWAY?

>> GREAT QUESTION.

YOU HAVE TO BE MART OF THE NATIONAL LUNCH PROGRAM OR NATIONAL MEALS PROGRAM AND THAT IS THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SAYING THAT'S A DIRECT CERTIFICATION, SO YOU HAVE TO USE ALL THE FEDERAL DOLLARS FIRST BEFORE WE TOUCH THOSE MINNESOTA DOLLARS BUT AS LONG AS YOU'RE ENROLLED IN THAT AND I THINK ALL BUT ONE OR TWO SCHOOLS IN MINNESOTA WERE, THEN THAT'S IT.

THEN THE REST OF IT IS OUR MINNESOTA -- WE'VE DECIDED THAT THAT IS AN EDUCATION PRIORITY.

>> Cathy: BUT FOR ALL KIDS.

>> FOR ALL KIDS, YES.

>> Cathy: EVEN THOSE WHO CAN AFFORD TO PAY FOR LUNCH ARE GOING TO GET FREE LUNCH.

>> RIGHT, YOU KNOW, AND -- >> Cathy: WHY IS THAT A GOOD MOVE?

>> YEAH, IT IS A GOOD MOVE BECAUSE IT REMOVES THE STIGMA.

WITHOUT IT BEING JUST EVERYBODY, THERE IT WAS A CERTAIN STIGMA ABOUT WHO IS GETTING A LUNCH TICKET OR UNABLE TO WALK THROUGH GRADUATION IF THEY HAVE A LUNCH BALANCE BUT ALSO, TOO, WE HAVE STUDENTS HO ARE FORTUNATE ENOUGH, THEY COULD PAY FOR BUS FARE IF THEY NEEDED IT, OR THEIR OWN LAPTOP OR A DESK.

WE DON'T MAKE THEM DO IT BECAUSE IT'S PUBLIC SCHOOL, WE FEEL LIKE INVESTING IN OUR STUDENTS IS REALLY GOOD FOR EVERYBODY IN THE STATE.

>> THAT'S LIKE ANOTHER EDUCATIONAL EXPENSE.

>> EXACTLY.

>> Eric: DEEP IN THE WEEDS, THE OLD FREE AND REDUCED LUNCH DATE WAS USE WAS USED TO CALCULATE COMPENSATORY AIDS FOR POORER SCHOOLS.

IS THERE A NEW MEASURING TECHNIQUE NOW WITH THIS GONE?

>> I LOVE THESE QUESTIONS, YOU DID YOUR HOMEWORK.

COMPENSATORY REVENUE WAS TRICKY, RIGHT, BECAUSE SCHOOLS WERE REALLY USING THAT DATA AS A WAY TO SAY, OKAY, WE HAVE THIS NUMBER, WE'RE GOING TO BE -- WE'RE GOING TO NEED TO HAVE THIS EXTENSE TEAR REVENUE TO SORT OF MAKE UP FOR SOME OF THOSE COSTS.

WE KNEW THAT IN THE SENATE.

IN THE HOUSE THEY DIDN'T HAVE THAT FIX BUT IN THE SENATE THEY DID WHICH IS WHY IT TOOKS A LITTLE BIT LONGER TO PRESIDENT BUSH THAT THROUGH TO MAKE SURE WE HAD IT RIGHT.

SO WE WORKED WITH EVERYBODY, INCLUDING THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE, THAT THE COMPENSATORY FIX WAS IN.

MOST SCHOOLS WILL GET EITHER THE SAME ORR MORE COMPENSATORY REVENUE THAN THEY HAD IN PREVIOUS YEARS SO EVERYBODY COMES OUT AHEAD.

>> Cathy: THIS WAS A SEPARATE BILL.

YOU COVER FOLDED IT INTO THE OMNIBUS EDUCATION BILL BUT YOU DIDN'T.

WHY WAS THAT?

>> IT'S MORE.

IT'S IMPORTANT SO SAY THESE ARE OUR VALUES, THIS IS WHAT WE STANDS OR.

WE ARE ON A MISSION TO MAKE THIS THE BEST STATE O RAISE YOUR FAMILY, TO WORK IN, TO LIVE IN AND WE ARE TRYING TO FIGHT CHILDHOOD POVERTY WHERE WE CAN.

THIS IS A BIG DEAL, THANKS TO OUR LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR, THIS WAS A BIG PROJECT OF HERS, AND THE HOUSE, REPRESENTATIVE JORDAN HAD BEEN WORKING ON THIS FOR A WHILE AND I CAN'T SAY ENOUGH ABOUT THE COMMUNITY ADVOCATES, HUNGER FREE MINNESOTA, SECOND HARVEST, ALL OF THESE PEOPLE KNEW IT WAS SUCH A PRIORITY.

>> Cathy: ALL RIGHT.

THANK YOU, SENATOR, APPRECIATE IT.

>> THANK YOU.

>> CATHY: MINNESOTA HAS A LOT OF NEW LAWS ABOUT TO TAKE EFFECT AND WE'LL BE HIGHLIGHTING MANY OF THEM IN THE COMING WEEKS.

NEXT WEEK, WE TAKE A LOOK AT