‘Moral failure’: Legislative session ends with ‘essential’ food security initiatives failing

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — The 2025 Oregon Legislative session has come to an end, with several food security initiatives failing in the Ways and Means Committee.

Advocates of those bills say families who rely on state funding for food may now have to depend on federal funding — which is also in jeopardy under President Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill.”

Senate Bill 611 — which would have ensured food access regardless of immigration status — and House Bill 3435 — which would have required all school districts to offer free lunch and breakfast to students regardless of household income were just two of the bills that failed this session. Additionally, two other bills addressing hunger and housing insecurity on college campuses were also rejected.

The non-profit Partners for a Hunger-Free Oregon calls it a quote “moral failure” by lawmakers, with one in eight Oregonians experiencing hunger.
 
On Saturday, the U.S. Senate voted to advance “Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill,” which proposes shifting more of the financial burden of the “Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program onto individual states.

If the bill passes, Hunger-Free Oregon says 108,000 Oregonians would be kicked off the SNAP program and $850 million in costs would be shifted onto Oregon.

“In a time where people are wondering if they will have food stamps next year, if they will be able to access Medicaid, it’s the state’s responsibility to step up and protect Oregonians, not cut essential programming and step away from opportunities to pre-empt some of these attacks,” said Alex Aghdaei with Hunger-Free Oregon.

The non-profit says they are looking to get the failed food security initiatives back in front of state lawmakers in the 2026 short session.

If you or someone you know is experiencing food insecurity, there is still help available. You can call 211 or go to foodfinder.org to find free meals and food locally.