A proposed $1.7 billion tax on sweetened beverages got a sour reception Monday at a key Sacramento hearing.
Amid outcry from business organizations, restaurant and beverage groups, grocers and more, an Assembly taxation committee effectively killed the bill. Sponsored by Assemblyman Bill Monning, D-Carmel, whose district includes parts of Santa Cruz County, it would have taxed sodas, energy drinks, sweet teas and other sugary beverages, directing the money toward youth education and obesity-prevention programs.
Monning said he was disappointed in the decision, but would continue to champion the cause. The tax, which has the support of a panoply of public health and medical groups, has now been proposed twice, failing both times to advance.
"The long term health of California's children is at risk and we must work together to avoid a future influx of chronically ill adults into our already overstressed healthcare system," Monning said.
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