MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) — A Vermont House committee voted Wednesday to advance legislation calling for a penny-an-ounce tax on sugar-sweetened beverages.
The House Health Care Committee voted 7-2, with two members absent, for the tax bill that would raise an estimated $27 million to support state health programs. Supporters say it will also discourage consumption of products that are big contributors to obesity.
"We have an obesity epidemic and the scientific data is clear that sugar-sweetened beverages have a unique place in contributing to this epidemic," said Rep. George Till, D-Jericho, a doctor and member of the Health Care Committee.
He said reliable studies have shown the tax would "substantially reduce the average 44 gallons a year of sugar-sweetened beverages we drink in Vermont."
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