Advocates of a 2-cent per ounce tax on distributors of soda and other sugary drinks in Boulder, Colo., won a court verdict that clears the way for the proposal to appear on the Nov. 8 ballot, said the Daily Camera newspaper. Three California cites — San Francisco, Oakland and Albany, all in the Bay Area — have soda-tax referendums on their general election ballots.
District Judge Norma Sierra rejected arguments by Mark Gelband, a frequent critic of the city government, that petitions for a referendum were misleading about the tax. Gelband went to court after city officials refused to keep the tax off the ballot. The Colorado Beverage Association, which paid the fees for Gelband’s attorney, said, “We will support any further challenges to this misleading measure,” reported the Daily Camera.
Boulder Healthy Kids, the group that circulated petitions for the soda tax, said the court decision put the city “one step closer to passing a tax on unhealthy sugary drinks that will increase access to healthy foods and activities for kids in our community most at risk for obesity,” said the Daily Camera. The group says the tax revenue would be dedicated to health programs in Boulder.
Berkeley, Calif., was the first U.S. city, in 2014, to enact a soda tax, with proponents saying it was a public health measure against obesity and related diseases. The Philadelphia City Council approved a soda tax this summer to pay for prekindergarten and other city services.