Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller is looking forward to kick a decade-old statewide ban on deep fat fryers in public schools. He put back the decision-making into the hands of Texas school districts, saying that it was not about french fries, it’s about freedom.

The Texas Department of Agriculture, within the next couple of months, could be suspended to repeal a state policy that banned deep fat fryers and soda machines on school campuses and placed limits on the time, and placed that junk food can be sold there.

Furthermore, Miller has proposed an increase in the number of allowed fundraiser days, when cupcakes and other sugary, fatty foods can be sold during the school day, from one to six per school year.

His critics have said that Miller’s actions are counterproductive in a state that is struggling to contain child obesity rates.

But according to the commissioner repealing these parts of the Texas Public School Nutrition Policy will simplify things, and will pull the state into line with less-strict national standards. At present, there are no federal restrictions imposed on deep fat frying as a preparation method.

While referring to the policy changes, Miller wrote in a statement, “It’s simple. If a school district doesn’t agree with any of these changes, then they don’t have to implement them. That’s the beauty here”.

In January, Miller hinted that his priorities may include deep fryers, and in March, he officially proposed the change.

A public comment period was closed in the beginning of this month, and now Miller’s nutrition team is reviewing over 200 comments.

It is expected that he will announce this summer whether the commission will move forward with the changes or not.