Monning promoting California sweetened drink tax
April 25, 2013
Bill Monning
Democratic State Senator Bill Monning, who represents San Luis Obispo County, is sponsoring a bill that would place a one-cent per fluid ounce tax on all sweetened beverages. [Monterey County Weekly]
Monning introduced the bill, SB 622, in February, and it passed the Senate Government and Finance Committee Wednesday by a 5-2 vote. The proposed sweetened drink tax now moves on to the health committee.
The state senator sponsored a similar bill while in the assembly that died two years ago in committee.
“This is the first time this state committee has passed a bill that would place a tax on sugary drinks and the first step toward stemming the epidemic of childhood obesity,” Monning said in a statement.
Monning’s bill would tax beverages like soda, energy drinks and sweet teas and would use the revenue to provide funding for the Children’s Health Promotion Fund and other programs designed to prevent childhood obesity.
“By taxing these products we will be able to implement programs that will assist in preventing disease among children and begin to address a public health crisis, whose rising health costs affect all Californians,” Monning said.
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