Another year in the Legislature, another battle against the soft drink industry.
State Sen. Bill Monning, D-Carmel, had been trying to tackle a growing obesity problem by taxing sweetened drinks, an effort he tried twice, in 2012 and 2013. Both times, his penny-per-ounce excise tax failed.
Last year, the former assemblyman took a different tack from his new seat in the state Senate, and introduced a bill to put warning labels on sodas. (Think of the health warnings that appear on cigarette cartons for comparison.)
That bill, SB 1000, passed out of state Senate but died in the Assembly health committee.
Today, Monning takes up the battle against sugary drinks yet again, by introducing SB 203.
"The state of California has a responsibility to inform consumers about products proven to be harmful to the public’s health,” Monning said in a statement.
The bill would require a warning label on the front of beverage containers with added sweeteners with 75 or more calories per 12 ounces. (That's most soda, sweetened bottled teas, sports drinks and energy drinks.)
The label would read: "STATE OF CALIFORNIA SAFETY WARNING: Drinking beverages with added sugar(s) contributes to obesity, diabetes, and tooth decay."
“This bill will give Californians the at-a-glance information they need to make more healthful choices every day,” Monning said.