Colorado’s public schools would be required to include healthy snacks and beverages in vending machines under a bill approved Thursday by a House panel.
At least half of the choices in vending machines would need to meet nutritional standards adopted by the state – a move that would reduce the number of candy bars and potato chips in the machines.
“Just like you wouldn’t put bad fuel in a high-performance car, there’s no reason not to fill them up properly when asking them to perform,” said House Majority Leader Alice Madden, D-Boulder, the bill’s sponsor.
House Bill 1056 strengthens an existing law that “encourages” schools to stock at least half of their vending machines with healthy snacks and beverages.
The bill passed the committee 10-3, with Republican Reps. Keith King of Colorado Springs, Joshua Penry of Grand Junction and Al White of Winter Park voting no. The bill now goes to the full House for consideration.
Opponents expressed concern about taking control away from local school districts, some of whom rely on vending-machine contracts for revenue.
The bill would require the change by 2008 unless a school district had an existing contract. In those cases, the district could defer the change until the contract ends.
The bill won support from parent organizations, a retired physical education teacher, the American Heart Association and Colorado dairy farmers.
Becky Creighton, the mother of a first-grader at Bradford Elementary in Littleton, said she supported the bill because she’s concerned about her son’s health. The school lets students buy cookies for a quarter from a vending cart.
“He’s mad at me,” Creighton said about her decision to testify. “But he’ll get over it.”
The bill would not block such carts, but it would give parents ammunition to convince school officials to discontinue that practice, she said.
Vicki Newell, public policy director of the Colorado Parent Teacher Association, said it was inconsistent to control nutrition in hot-lunch programs and offer unhealthy choices in vending machines.
And then she chided lawmakers about their lunch choices in the state Capitol.
“I know that even in your own cafeteria that it’s sadly lacking in healthy things,” Newell said to lawmakers, who had two cans of Diet Coke, a can of Sierra Mist, three bottles of water and a package of potato chips on the table in front of them.
“That’s next year’s bill,” joked Rep. Tom Massey, R-Poncha Springs.
Staff writer Mark P. Couch can be reached at 303-820-1794 or mcouch@denverpost.com.
