Opponents of the measures say they are fundamentally misleading because neither Washington nor Oregon has a plan to tax groceries. “This is simply the soda industry trying to protect its profits at the expense of public health and local democracy.”The industry has momentum — and money — on its side. Here in Washington, the industry has spent more than $20 million to promote Initiative 1634, according to state finance filings. The outcome in Oregon and Washington, political analysts say, could determine the future of the country’s soda tax movement by encouraging soda companies to embrace ballot measures in states across the country. “It’s hard to overstate the chilling effect of having soda taxes barred from the whole West Coast, where so many progressive policies are born.”Opponents of the approach criticize it as overreach.

Source: New York Times November 02, 2018 20:05 UTC