AUSTIN, Texas - Amid tense debate over education funding, Texas House members paused to take up a matter dear to school kids everywhere: cupcakes.
Legislators in an unanimous vote Wednesday cleared the way for public school students to once again nibble on the sweet treats — complete with candy sprinkles — to celebrate their birthdays.
"We have an opportunity to really make the children happy here," said Rep. Jim Dunnam, asking fellow House members to approve the measure requested by his school-age daughter, Lauren.
Texas Agriculture Commissioner Susan Combs, whose agency oversees the state's school lunch program, imposed new healthy food rules beginning this academic year aimed at limiting or eliminating junk food and food that competes with cafeteria fare.
In August, soon after setting the new rules, Combs issued a "cupcake clarification" stating that cakes and cupcakes could be brought to school for birthdays.
Lawmakers Wednesday couldn't resist making jokes.
"If we vote for this, can we all call you 'Cupcake?' " Republican Rep. Peggy Hamric asked Dunnam.
"As long as I can call you 'Sugar Plum,'" Dunnam replied
ok...its kinda sad that it comes down to legislatures having to clarify if it is ok for students to have cupcakes b/c of some stupid lunch ladies rules on junk food.
"I'm the Princess and your not...any questions???"
new healthy food rules beginning this academic year aimed at limiting or eliminating junk food and food that competes with cafeteria fare.
I don't know about your highschool, but nobody would be needing to compete with cafeteria fare (which students GLADLY pay MORE for), if the food they served didn't have to have the grease poured off into a bowl first.
Seriously, all this stuff in the news about healthy lunch programs- if they'd serve halfway edible foods it wouldn't matter. I'm not crazy about the dining hall food here usually, but it's definitely edible and at least acceptible most of the time, and some things they actually make VERY good!
And cupcakes for a birthday? C'mon now - lighten up people, let the kids be kids.
I'm probably going to homeschool/private school any kids I have if public schools keep going the way they're going. I remember when they wouldn't let people bring in home-made brownies and shit because of the "hepatitis outbreak". The outbreak is over, yet the rule is still in place. They just used the outbreak as a tool to impose a new rule that would've been hard to pass otherwise. Now they're banning junk food and shit; it won't be long before kids aren't even allowed to bring their own lunches to school. They make the school lunch mandatory for the "health and nutritional well-being of the child". Then some parents are like, "Fuck that. We don't want to pay for your shitty mandatory lunches." and the schools are like, "Well you don't have to, we'll just raise everyone's taxes." It's gonna suck, unless I'm elected president.
