INBOX: Stefanik Introduces Bill to Protect Milk Choice in Schools.
The press release reads:
Congresswoman Elise Stefanik, a senior member of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, reintroduced the Protecting School Milk Choices Act, which would ensure schools participating in the National School Lunch Program offer students at least one flavored milk option.
After New York City Mayor Eric Adams’ proposal to ban flavored milk in New York City schools, Stefanik led this effort to prevent local limitations on flavored milk in the federal school lunch program in order to preserve the choices of schools and students.
“Our dairy farmers in Upstate New York and the North Country work hard to produce nutritious milk for our communities, and I am proud to lead legislation to ensure a variety of milk choices for our school children. Any effort of Mayor Adams to ban chocolate milk and replace it with vegan juice is an absolute non-starter and will be opposed by parents, families, kids, and New Yorkers. Instead of taking away milk choices from students, my bill will give them better access to essential dairy nutrients critical for their development, and I will continue to lead the effort to protect real dairy products in schools for the sake of our kids. Let our New York students drink chocolate milk!” Stefanik said.
Keep fighting the good fight out there, Congresswoman. Dairy-guzzling patriots in the elementary-school-attending demographic everywhere thank you for your service.
In all seriousness, the Adams proposal is the latest installment in the Empire State’s less-than-proud tradition of officials meddling in the most minute details of the lives of their citizens. (Remember the sugary-drink tax?) These technocrats see themselves as divinely appointed to organize and direct the day-to-day decisions of the people they govern, a kind of therapeutic nanny-state. In this case, as Stefanik’s press release points out, an edict from on high to eliminate flavored milk from the lunches of New York City schoolchildren would hurt dairy farmers in the often overlooked upstate regions of New York.
Plus, it’s a testament to the utterly bleak, joyless world that progressive central planners would inflict on us all, if given the chance. We’re talking about chocolate milk here — a staple of American childhood. (If New York Democrats care so much about children’s health, they can start by not pushing puberty blockers on eight-year-olds.) Plant-based alternative beverages with your kid’s peanut-butter sandwich? No way. Let our students drink chocolate milk!