Thursday, November 21, 2024
Hawai'i Free Press

Current Articles | Archives

Friday, February 27, 2015
Hawaii Rejects Sugary Beverage Labeling, Tax
By Andrew Walden @ 5:28 PM :: 6020 Views :: Health Care, Taxes

by Andrew Walden, Heartlander, February 27, 2015

Legislation in Hawaii requiring sugary beverages include warning labels was rejected by the Health Committee of the Hawaii House of Representatives after witnesses including many small businesses and consumers testified against the measure.

The House and Senate Health committees decided in mid-February to defer HB1438 and SB1270 which would have required sugary beverages to include a warning on beverages stating “Drinking beverages with added sugar contributes to obesity, diabetes, and tooth decay.”  Deferring the bills effectively killed them for this legislative session.

A few days later the Senate Health Committee deferred SB1256 prior to a February 20 legislative deadline, also effectively killing the bill for the legislative session.  SB1256 and its House counterpart, HB1439, which was not heard by the House Health Committee, would have imposed a tax of $1.28 per gallon of beverage that has sugar added to it, or one cent per fluid ounce.

For the proposed tax hike, this marks the fourth failure in five years. Supporters of the legislation say the bills will help fight obesity.

House Republican Leader Beth Fukumoto Chang, a member of the Health Committee, criticized the bills for singling out beverages that have added sugar.

"It makes more sense to take a more holistic approach to calories and sugar consumption,” Fukumoto Chang said. “Labeling only sugary beverages could lead to consumer confusion and the belief that restraining from sugared drinks alone is enough for a healthy lifestyle."

‘Don’t Need More Laws’

Those testifying argued Hawaii already has one of the nation's highest costs of living, and increased taxation of consumer goods and regulation of small business hit low income families hard.

Pointing to the known correlation between poverty and obesity, Blane Tasaka of Paradise Beverage told legislators the proposed laws could actually increase obesity by increasing poverty.

“We don't need more laws and regulations on this issue, people will make their own choices, and this is just another example of governments over-involvement in personal choices...at the expense of businesses and the economy,” Tasaka told the House committee. “The best thing to help people live healthier is to grow business and the economy, it is at that point that they can afford to make meaningful healthy decisions.”

Andrea Gall-Krasnick, president of Aloha Friday Beverage Company, highlighted what she called the unintended effects of the labeling rules. Her vitamin-enhanced waters use low-calorie natural sweeteners and have only five calories per serving and 10 calories per bottle.

“While my drinks are safe for children, and even people with diabetes to drink, somehow my beverages would be unfairly lumped in with high-sugar drinks based solely on my very low calorie count,” Gall-Krasnick told the House Committee. “Putting warning labels on beverages with only five calories per serving is an arbitrary benchmark – it defies common sense.”

Negative Economic Impact

Others raised the negative impact on the Hawaii economy the warning labels would impose. Lauren Zirbel, executive director of the Hawaii Food Industry Association, argued the labels would drive up beverage costs for consumers.

“Mandating labeling of this kind at the state level creates a situation where producers must either stop supplying products to Hawaii or drastically increase the price of these, and possibly other products, in order to cover the cost of creating Hawaii specific labels,” said Zirbel. “Health and safety labeling is mandated at the national level in order to avoid placing consumers and producers in this type of situation.”

No hearings were held on the tax measure, but a coalition of individuals, families, businesses and community organizations calling themselves No Hawaii Beverage Tax explained the case against the one cent per ounce tax on sugary beverages.

“Hawaii’s obesity problem is bigger than soda,” the group explained on their web site. “Science shows that calories from all foods count. Placing a discriminatory tax on beverages will not change behaviors or teach children about a healthier lifestyle.”

No Hawaii Beverage Tax also points to the economic impact of the proposed tax. “At a time when unemployment is high and the economy is unsteady, adding a new tax on common grocery items like beverages will put well-paying jobs at risk. It would also hurt small businesses, like neighborhood grocery stores and convenience stores that will be harmed by shrinking sales.”

---30---

Andrew Walden (Editor@HawaiiFreePress.com) edits www.HawaiiFreePress.com.

Links

TEXT "follow HawaiiFreePress" to 40404

Register to Vote

2aHawaii

Aloha Pregnancy Care Center

AntiPlanner

Antonio Gramsci Reading List

A Place for Women in Waipio

Ballotpedia Hawaii

Broken Trust

Build More Hawaiian Homes Working Group

Christian Homeschoolers of Hawaii

Cliff Slater's Second Opinion

DVids Hawaii

FIRE

Fix Oahu!

Frontline: The Fixers

Genetic Literacy Project

Grassroot Institute

Habele.org

Hawaii Aquarium Fish Report

Hawaii Aviation Preservation Society

Hawaii Catholic TV

Hawaii Christian Coalition

Hawaii Cigar Association

Hawaii ConCon Info

Hawaii Debt Clock

Hawaii Defense Foundation

Hawaii Family Forum

Hawaii Farmers and Ranchers United

Hawaii Farmer's Daughter

Hawaii Federation of Republican Women

Hawaii History Blog

Hawaii Jihadi Trial

Hawaii Legal News

Hawaii Legal Short-Term Rental Alliance

Hawaii Matters

Hawaii Military History

Hawaii's Partnership for Appropriate & Compassionate Care

Hawaii Public Charter School Network

Hawaii Rifle Association

Hawaii Shippers Council

Hawaii Together

HiFiCo

Hiram Fong Papers

Homeschool Legal Defense Hawaii

Honolulu Navy League

Honolulu Traffic

House Minority Blog

Imua TMT

Inouye-Kwock, NYT 1992

Inside the Nature Conservancy

Inverse Condemnation

July 4 in Hawaii

Land and Power in Hawaii

Lessons in Firearm Education

Lingle Years

Managed Care Matters -- Hawaii

MentalIllnessPolicy.org

Missile Defense Advocacy

MIS Veterans Hawaii

NAMI Hawaii

Natatorium.org

National Parents Org Hawaii

NFIB Hawaii News

NRA-ILA Hawaii

Obookiah

OHA Lies

Opt Out Today

Patients Rights Council Hawaii

Practical Policy Institute of Hawaii

Pritchett Cartoons

Pro-GMO Hawaii

RailRipoff.com

Rental by Owner Awareness Assn

Research Institute for Hawaii USA

Rick Hamada Show

RJ Rummel

School Choice in Hawaii

SenatorFong.com

Talking Tax

Tax Foundation of Hawaii

The Real Hanabusa

Time Out Honolulu

Trustee Akina KWO Columns

Waagey.org

West Maui Taxpayers Association

What Natalie Thinks

Whole Life Hawaii