TRENTON, N.J. — Saying it would "burden hundreds of school districts in New Jersey," Gov. Chris Christie on Thursday vetoed legislation that would require schools to take students' cultural food preferences into account when planning cafeteria menus.
The bill (A3360) would have required middle and high schools to issue forms on which students could indicate food preferences and concerns.
If students indicated the need for change — and it was not "de minimis in nature" — the schools would have been required to set up advisory committees that would recommend school breakfast and lunch dishes that would "better reflect the cultural food preferences of the student body."
The committees — made up of school administrators, kitchen staff and students — would have been tasked with recommending menu changes. Their opinions were not to be binding.