Rep. Sydney Jordan on free school meals bill that helped get Tim Walz VP nomination

She authored the bill that helped get Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz the vice presidential nomination.

Now, Minnesota state Rep. Sydney Jordan (D-Hennepin) didn’t take credit for the bill Thursday on La Crosse Talk PM, but she did tell the story of that day — Walz surrounded by students, signing the bill in Jordan’s district (you can see her crying in the background), giving free school meals to students across the state, followed by fist bumps and hugs.

La Crosse Talk PM airs weekdays at 5:06 p.m. Listen on the WIZM app, online here, or on 92.3 FM / 1410 AM / 106.7 FM (north of Onalaska). Find all the podcasts here or subscribe to La Crosse Talk PM wherever you get your podcasts.

Jordan was asked about three weeks ago to join the show and talk about an immensely important plastics bill that she got through the Legislature and to Walz’s desk. Then something happened earlier this week that also seemed important — Walz getting the vice presidential nomination from Kamala Harris.

Along with the free school meals and plastics bill, Jordan also talks about Republicans pinning “Tampon Tim” on Walz, and how Democrats love it, because it’s due to their legislation to provide free menstrual products in public school bathrooms across the state. 

One other thing Jordan talked about was Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, who — if Harris and Walz win the election — would become the first Native American governor in US history and the first female governor in Minnesota. Flanagan is already the highest-ranking Native American ever elected to office.

Jordan was elected right before 2020 during a special election and has experienced being the only state in the country with a split Legislature, before then being a part of Democrats taking full control of state government and passing incredibly dynamic legislation that has helped boost Walz’s profile for Democrats as the VP candidate.