Posted Mar 7, 2010
From a nickel a can to a penny an ounce, there are numerous proposals for taxing soda pop on both a state and federal level.
Already, 25 states levy a special tax on soft drinks, and the Arkansas surgeon general and the New York City health commissioner have joined others in backing a federal penny-per-ounce tax on sugary beverages. That would apply not only to soft drinks, but also energy drinks, sports beverages, many juices and tea.
Exempted from the tax would be diet, sugar-free drinks. They contend that this would help raise $14.9 billion towards health care reform as President Obama and congressional leaders struggle to find ways to pay for the reform.
The Center for Science in the Public Interest recently issued a report urging state legislatures to impose a 5-cent per-12-ounce tax on sugary beverages, which would generate an extra $125 million in Minnesota. Soda pop sold in Minnesota is already subject to the state sales tax.
Walz, Norton open to ideas
While the soda pop tax is not in any of the health care reform legislation, 1st District DFL Rep. Tim Walz said he is open to the idea. But Walz tends to favor options that encourage healthy behavior instead of punishing unhealthy choices.
“Part of reforming our health care system is taking personal responsibility and making healthy choices, and I include myself in that,” Walz said. “I have said that this legislation must not add to the federal deficit, and I am open to different options on how to pay for health care reform, but I’m more interested in using carrots than sticks and to make sure that southern Minnesotans have access to the preventative care that is so important to keeping costs down.”
Rochester DFL Rep. Kim Norton also said she is open to the idea of a soda pop tax but has plenty of concerns. She questions whether it makes sense to exempt diet soda from such a tax given that it is not considered healthy either.
She also said that if the federal government chose to impose such a tax, she is fairly certain the state would not want to pass such a tax. But she said she does expect the issue will get some discussion as part of the Childhood Obesity Working Group she co-chairs.
“In these tough times these are the kind of ideas that come out. Nobody likes to start taxing everything we eat and drink because lots of things are really bad for you,” she said. “So I think we have to think long and hard about whether we want to walk down that path. On the other hand, money has to come from somewhere.”
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