Soda tax heads to Santa Cruz city ballot

SANTA CRUZ >> Santa Cruz city voters in November will decide whether to tax the distributors of soda and other sugar-sweetened beverages to discourage consumption and potentially raise $1.3 million annually for city services.

Berkeley has had a similar soda tax since 2014 and San Francisco since 2018, but a state law since 2018 has stopped other California cities from pursuing soda taxes. Santa Cruz City Councilmember Martine Watkins and others challenged the constitutionality of the state law in court. An appeals court upheld a ruling in their favor last year.

“The goal of this measure is to improve community health and support investments that advance community health and wellness in the City of Santa Cruz,” wrote Santa Cruz City Councilmembers Watkins, Sonja Brunner and Shebreh Kalantari-Johnson, in a city report.

In June, the Santa Cruz City Council voted unanimously to put the measure on the Nov. 5 ballot. However, Mayor Fred Keeley said he feared a potential lawsuit from soda makers or their allies if the tax is adopted.





https://santacruzlocal.org/es/2024/08/01/soda-tax-heads-to-santa-cruz-city-ballot/