State lawmakers vote down future taxes on sodas

The beverage industry scored a defining victory in its battle against soda taxes last week as California lawmakers voted to bar future local taxes on sugary drinks.

The state had been a hotbed for the soda tax movement, passing laws designed to slash soda drinking in four jurisdictions. But under the fast-moving ban introduced June 23 and signed into law five days later, no new food or beverage taxes can be passed in the state until 2031 at the earliest.

The American Beverage Association, the trade group for soda companies, argues that will protect consumers and retailers from unexpected price hikes. Stores in cities that passed soda taxes have faced sharp sales declines, risking jobs, ABA has said. The group has also argued that soda taxes disproportionately affect lowincome shoppers, who spend a larger portion of their income on food and beverages.

But public-health advocates argue the state pre-emptions undermine the will and health of voters, pointing out that similar tactics have been embraced by tobacco companies and fast-food chains to fend off everything from cigarette taxes to menu labels.

Soda is a primary source of calories and added sugars in the American diet, and cities that have passed taxes — such as Berkeley, Calif., which became the first in 2014 — have seen consumption fall. According to the American Heart Association, eight cities now have soda taxes on the books, four of them in California, and a number of other cities in the state were readying ballot measures.