‘A Pick-Your-Poison Kind Of A Situation’: California Passes Soda Tax Ban To Avoid Costly Ballot Box Fight
"The soda industry has deep pockets and used them to push the legislature into a no-win situation," said California state Sen. Bill Monning. Arizona and Michigan have also capitulated to the industry, which is backing a ballot initiative in California that would make it more difficult to raise taxes.
The Associated Press:
California Bows To Beverage Industry, Blocks Soda Taxes
A new push by the beverage industry is slowing the expansion of soda taxes in California and elsewhere. California cities pioneered soda taxes as a way to combat obesity, diabetes and heart disease, but the Legislature and Gov. Jerry Brown on Thursday bowed to pressure from beverage companies and reluctantly banned local taxes on soda for the next 12 years. (6/28)
Reuters:
California Prohibits City Soda Taxes Through 2030
The law, signed by Governor Jerry Brown as a compromise in the face of a soda industry-backed ballot initiative, prevents any local government from imposing future taxes on groceries including carbonated and noncarbonated nonalcoholic beverages through 2030. So-called soda taxes gained traction in the San Francisco area in 2014 and 2016. (Prentice, 6/28)
California Healthline:
Under Pressure, California Lawmakers Ban Soda Taxes For 12 Years
“The industry is aiming basically a nuclear weapon at government in California and saying, ‘If you don’t do what we want, we’re going to pull the trigger and you’re not going to be able to fund basic government services,'” said state Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco). “This is a ‘pick your poison’ kind of a situation, a Sophie’s Choice, if you will.” (Young, 6/28)
Capital Public Radio:
Soda Tax Ban Becomes Law, Industry Groups Yank California Ballot Measure Threatening Government Services
Wiener urged health advocates “not to criticize the Legislature for making a perfectly reasonable choice to protect the ability of local governments to fund services, but to criticize this rogue industry that is willing to burn down the house to get what it wants.” Republicans snapped back. “I find it comical that trying to avoid being overtaxed is considered a shakedown by some members of this Legislature, but that’s just the general nature of the population that’s seated in this body,” said Asm. Matthew Harper (R-Huntington Beach). (Adler, 6/28)