SACRAMENTO, CA ? A California Assembly committee shelved a proposal to tax sodas, sweet teas, sport drinks, and other sugary beverages, the Sacrament Bee reports.�
Assembly Bill 669 was held without a vote, so the bill technically remains alive, though lawmakers conceded it is unlikely to advance.
Indeed, Assemblyman Bill Monning, who drafted the bill, said the committee would not move AB 669 to the Assembly floor unless it can win a two-thirds vote there, which is not yet the case.��
"I would acknowledge that it's an uphill struggle," Monning said.
Monning drafted the bill to generate revenue for obesity prevention programs, seeking to assess a one penny per fluid ounce tax on sugar drinks distributed in California.�
"I remain committed to continuing to pursue this issue and educating the public about the dangers of sugary drinks ? the biggest contributor to current obesity trends," Monning said after the bill failed to gain movement. "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.
Opponents to the bill maintained it would harm the beverage industry and that sugar drink consumption is a matter of personal responsibility and parental authority.�
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