Santa Cruz, California voters will soon decide on a soda tax initiative designed to challenge a statewide ban on new local soda taxes, potentially leading to a significant legal battle.
Will McCarthy reports for POLITICO.
In short:
- Santa Cruz's Measure Z proposes a two-cent-per-bottle tax on sugary beverages, which could provoke a lawsuit testing the constitutionality of California’s 2018 ban on new soda taxes.
- The soda industry has mounted a campaign against Measure Z, using a familiar anti-tax message and highlighting potential legal costs for the city.
- Activists compare the soda fight to past battles with Big Tobacco and Big Oil, aiming to curb sugary drink consumption to address public health concerns.
Key quote:
“What they did is just not right, they took away our democracy and our right to vote on something that’s a policy for good, all because they don’t want to lose money.”
— Lolis Ramirez, Santa Cruz campaign leader.
Why this matters:
Sugary drink taxes have become a public health strategy to reduce obesity and diabetes. If Santa Cruz’s tax passes and is upheld in court, it could inspire other cities to follow, challenging soda companies’ influence over local health policies.
Related: Commentary: Coca-Cola’s “war” with the public health community
