YES on Colorado Propositions LL & MM
YES: Proposition LL - Healthy School Lunches (Retention)
See Below
YES: Proposition MM - Healthy School Lunches (Expansion)
The Healthy School Meals for All program allows public School Food Authorities (SFAs) participating in the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs to provide free meals to all students under the previously approved Proposition FF (2022). If at least one of Proposition LL or MM is approved by Colorado voters, the law will extend the local school purchasing program, which is set to repeal after fiscal year 2025-2026. This part of the program lets schools purchase food from local farmers and ranchers. If the measures don’t pass, cost-cutting measures would likely mean not all schools would get money to pay for free lunches for all.
Healthy School Lunches - LL (Retention Measure) will allow the state to retain and spend excess revenue originally collected under Proposition FF, instead of refunding it to high-income earners.
Healthy School Lunches - MM (Expansion Measure) will allow state income tax deduction limits for households earning $300,000+ to be reduced, generating about $95 million annually to fully fund the free school meals program.
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Read our candidate endorsements here.
What is the problem :
The Healthy School Lunch program has been an outstanding success. The policy is incredibly progressive — reducing tax breaks for high-earners (over $300k per year) to provide healthy meals for students. The original proposal passed in 2022 has been so successful that usage has been higher than expected, creating the need for more funding to meet the original program’s goals to provide a diversity of meals and support higher levels of pay for kitchen workers. Passing LL and MM would sustain and expand the program as originally intended.
Endorsements
Emergency Family Assistance Association
“EFAA’s work goes beyond providing food, housing, and financial support — we also lend our voice to public policies that strengthen families’ ability to meet their basic needs and thrive. As you prepare to vote in the upcoming November 2025 election, we want to share why EFAA is endorsing Propositions MM and LL, and how these measures directly support our mission to keep families fed with healthy school meals and strengthen nutrition assistance for those most in need.
If passed, Proposition MM will ensure stable, long-term funding for the Healthy School Meals for All (HSMA) program, first approved by voters in 2022 through Proposition FF. HSMA provides every public school student in Colorado with access to free, nutritious breakfast and lunch — no matter their family’s income — while also supporting fair wages for school food service staff and investing in locally sourced ingredients.
Proposition MM will also help fill critical gaps in SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) funding created by recent federal cuts, ensuring that families who rely on food assistance can continue to access healthy food.”
Boulder Colorado Voter Guide - Eric Budd
“The progressive nature of revenue here is more important than ever with federal tax cuts and inequality rising. Colorado needs to move to more progressive income taxes (like a proposed 2026 progressive income taxation measure) and Massachusetts’ 4% surtax on taxable income over $1 million.
“The original idea behind Proposition FF — reducing tax reductions for high-income households, and providing free meals for all public school students — has been and is still one of the most progressive statewide ballot issues in recent memory.
“Research shows what we’re seeing firsthand: students who have consistent access to healthy meals perform better academically, have improved attendance, and experience fewer health issues. Receiving a school lunch reduces poor health by at least 29% and is linked with fewer visits to the school nurse & reductions in behavioral problems. These benefits don’t just help kids today; they prepare them for brighter futures.” – Healthy School Meals for All: A Smart Investment in Colorado’s Kids
The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel
“Voting yes on Proposition MM continues free school meals for all beyond this school year, while also increasing wages for front-line school nutrition professionals, training and equipping schools to use fresh ingredients and funding schools to purchase ingredients from Colorado farmers and ranchers.
After Healthy School Meals for All is fully funded, Proposition MM will also support SNAP, a program that helps 300,000 Colorado families afford groceries each month. Changes at the federal level mean Colorado will be forced to shoulder more of the cost for SNAP and the state’s Taxpayer Bill of Rights clouds the state’s ability to do that.”