Your Support Is Needed: California Healthy School Meals Bill
January 17, 2022
Hosted by Jane Velez-Mitchell
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Guest Information
Episode Description
In California in January of 2022, AB 558, the Child Nutrition Act of 2022, authored by Assemblymember Adrin Nazarian and cosponsored by Social Compassion in Legislation, Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, and Friends of the Earth, which incentivizes K-12 public schools across the state to offer healthier, climate-friendly plant-based meals and beverages, passed the California Assembly Education Committee by a vote of 5-0. Under the grant program set up by the bill, schools could apply to receive additional state funding for serving a plant-based entrée and plant-based milk. Visit SocialCompassioninLegislation.org to get on the team. Visit UnchainedTV,com for hundreds of healthy, low-carbon-footprint, plant-based recipes. “AB 558, “The Childhood Nutrition Act of 2022,” passed its first hurdle after it passed in the Education Committee with a 5 to 0 vote. The Childhood Nutrition Act of 2022 will seek to improve the quality of food our kids eat while reducing greenhouse gas emissions through incentivizing healthy, all-inclusive diets. This bill will also assist school districts to adequately address the hunger needs of younger children who are not yet of school-age to have access to food, specifically breakfast, to guarantee that they are fed the most important meal of the day. As the bill moves forward in the process, we are excited to continue fighting for Childhood Nutrition!” stated Assemblymember Nazarian. Multiple studies show that a plant-based diet is more sustainable and environmentally friendly. Shifting to more plant-based options reduce our carbon footprint by reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and requires less land and water for food production. “California serves an astounding 540 million school lunches each year. The policies that the State implements around what foods are served has an enormous impact not only on our students’ health, but also, and less obviously, an equally enormous impact on our environment and climate change," stated Nickolaus Sackett, Director of Legislative Affairs for cosponsor Social Compassion in Legislation. "By creating incentives for schools to reduce the carbon footprint of half a billion meals, we will see a massive and immediate impact in our State’s fight against climate change.” While numerous school districts across the state want to increase plant-based offerings, many face cost barriers since animal-based foods and cow’s milk are heavily subsidized by the federal government relative to plant-based options. "More and more people my age understand that if you love animals, you don't eat them. But it can be hard to find something to eat at school," said Genesis Butler, Social Compassion in Legislation Board Member, who, at age 12, became one of the youngest people ever to give a TED Talk. "I'm glad California is giving us more options to help us, animals and the earth."
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UnchainedTV offers you a new way of living. It’s like being born again, but it’s not religious. Our host, New York Times bestselling author as well as TV and social media journalist who heads UnchainedTV.com, Jane Velez-Mitchell, helps you turn on the lightbulb and jump to the next phase of human evolution. There is a peaceful, joyous way of living out there. The secret is simple: don’t look for peace, practice it in your daily choices. You might say, peace begins right on your plate. Tune in to UnchainedTV, live every Monday at 10 AM Pacific Time on the VoiceAmerica Influencers Channel.
Jane Velez-Mitchell
Jane Velez-Mitchell is the founder and editor of JaneUnChained.com, a digital news network focusing on animal rights and the vegan/compassionate lifestyle. Jane has won four Genesis Awards from the Humane Society for her reporting on animal issues. VegNews named her Media Maven of the Year in 2010. In 2013, Mercy for Animals awarded her their Compassionate Leadership Award. In 2014, Jane was honored for fighting animal abuse by the Animal Legal Defense Fund. In 2015, she received the Nanci Alexander Award at PETA's 35th anniversary. In 2017, she received Last Chance for Animals’ Sam Simon Award and Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary’s Woodstock Warrior award.
For six years, Jane hosted her own show on CNN Headline News, where she ran a weekly segment on animal issues. Before that, she reported for the nationally syndicated Warner Brothers/Telepictures show Celebrity Justice, where she did numerous stories on animal issues championed by celebrities, and was also a news anchor/reporter at KCAL-TV in Los Angeles and WCBS-TV in New York. Velez-Mitchell is a graduate of New York University and began her career with reporting stints in Ft. Myers, Florida, Minneapolis and Philadelphia.
Velez-Mitchell is the author of four books, including two New York Times bestsellers, and directed and produced the documentary Anita Velez: Dancing Through Life which won a Gracie award in 2001. She lives with her partner, Donna Dennison, and their 4 companion animals in Los Angeles.