Hunger relief groups want the state Legislature to expand free lunch at school so that students currently eligible for reduced-price lunch can eat free. This would cost the state around $4 million. Lawmakers and advocates pushing the proposal say it would ensure that low-income kids get the nutrition they need and aren't turned away at the lunch counter when they can't pay. But critics of the proposal say parents who could pay a little, should.
Rochester is in the middle of transition. The city's flagship employer, the Mayo Clinic, proposes to invest billions of dollars over the next two decades to attract more patients, as well as add tens of thousands of new jobs to southeastern Minnesota. But there's a missing piece to the plan before Rochester can become a global medical destination.
Mayo proposes to invest billions over two decades to make Rochester and surrounding communities a "destination medical center." But to get that done, Mayo needs help from taxpayers.