Assembly Panel Shelves Soda Tax Bill Designed To Help Curb Obesity
On Monday, the Assembly Committee on Revenue and Taxation shelved a bill (AB 669), by Assembly member Bill Monning (D-Carmel), that would have imposed a tax on sodas and other sugary beverages to fund obesity prevention programs, the Fresno Bee reports.
Members of the Assembly panel said they placed the bill in a suspense file because product consumption is an issue involving parental and individual responsibility. Although AB 669 technically is still alive, Monning said he does not expect the bill to move forward.
Bill Details
The legislation would have imposed a tax of one penny per fluid ounce on sugary beverages (Anderson, Fresno Bee, 4/25).
Several public health and medical groups supported the bill (Hoppin, Santa Cruz Sentinel, 4/25).
Opponents said the legislation would have unfairly targeted one industry in an effort to combat obesity (Fresno Bee, 4/25).
Next Steps
Monning said committee members will not move the legislation out of the suspense file unless they believe the bill would obtain a two-thirds majority vote in the full Assembly. He said, "I would acknowledge that it's an uphill struggle."
However, Monning said he will continue to promote education about obesity prevention and the risks of sugary drinks (Sanders, "Capitol Alert," Sacramento Bee, 4/25).
Genoveva Islas-Hooker -- coordinator of the Central California Regional Obesity Prevention Program -- said the failure of a statewide soda tax could spur advocates to promote sugary beverage taxes at the county or city level (Fresno Bee, 4/25).
Broadcast Coverage
On Monday, Capital Public Radio's "KXJZ News" reported on Monning's soda tax legislation (Bartolone, "KXJZ News," Capital Public Radio, 4/25).
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