Soda tax bill draws divided testimony

By Derrick DePledge

POSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Feb 07, 2013

~~<p>Public-health advocates on Wednesday called on state senators to approve a steep new fee on soda and other sugar-sweetened beverages to raise money to combat obesity, but beverage, restaurant and retail interests argued that singling out soda is unfair.</p>
<p>The Abercrombie administration has proposed a fee of 1 cent per ounce — or $1.28 a gallon — on distributors that would be passed along to retailers and consumers. The administration estimates that the fee would reduce consumption by 8 to 10 percent and generate about $37 million a year for childhood obesity prevention and oral health programs.</p>
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Public-health advocates on Wednesday called on state senators to approve a steep new fee on soda and other sugar-sweetened beverages to raise money to combat obesity, but beverage, restaurant and retail interests argued that singling out soda is unfair.

The Abercrombie administration has proposed a fee of 1 cent per ounce — or $1.28 a gallon — on distributors that would be passed along to retailers and consumers. The administration estimates that the fee would reduce consumption by 8 to 10 percent and generate about $37 million a year for childhood obesity prevention and oral health programs. Login for more...