Legislature to consider taxing snacks
A tax on snacks may soon be back.
A bill introduced by Assemblywoman Cristina Garcia, D-Bell Gardens, would roll back the sales and usage tax exemptions for certain, less-nutritious, snack foods.
The measure, part of Garcia’s agenda to highlight inequities in the tax code, requires a heavy lift to become law. In 1992, voters repealed a tax on snacks, leaving most candy and junk food exempt from sales tax. The measure requires two-thirds majority and a vote of the people.
Garcia’s office estimates the measure would bring in around $1 billion in tax revenue annually.
While the additional revenue could fund any number of priorities, Garcia has long sought to make a point that snacks with little nutritional value are not taxed, while necessities — feminine hygiene products like tampons — are.
“As I took a closer look at our tax code, it became apparent that while California’s policy is to tax luxury items, the reality is that it’s inconsistent,” Garcia said in a statement. “We tax necessities like tampons but exempt chocolate bars.”
Anti-tax groups are already lining up against the measure, arguing that it was an “administrative nightmare” to tax some items and not others.
“California voters repealed the snack tax 25 years ago by a resounding two to one margin,” said David Wolfe, legislative director for the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association. “They stated very clearly then that they didn’t want a regressive and punitive billion dollar tax that predominantly targeted low-income individuals. Nothing has changed.”
15 comments
Write a comment
Related Articles
CA debates outsourcing inmates
MAY 21, 2010 By KATY GRIMES In what felt more like a night court at times than a Capitol hearing
Sweeping new legal challenge to bullet train
A massive California Environmental Quality Act lawsuit was filed June 4 in Sacramento Superior Court over the newly certified environmental
State Sen. Rod Wright convicted of perjury, voter fraud
State Senator Rod Wright, D-Inglewood, has been found guilty on eight counts of felony voter fraud, perjury and filing a
Comrades
Use tax death slowly by a thousand cuts…..free health care getting expensive!
Good grief. This is why people are leaving this State in droves. Do we really need full time legislators who do nothing but find new ways to Tax?
Actually, I’m in agreement with this proposal. To be fair, taxes should be equitable. Exemptions for junk food seems like a stupid law to me. It makes eating snack food seem like a good deal.
Can’t even enjoy an occasional treat without a Demonrat grabbing your wallet so….
Tax’em good and hard then tax’em again!
Tax the shiite outta ’em!
Tax’em to the stone age, son!
I love the smell of tax increases in the morning.
And remember, no matter how much money the politicians steal from you it will never be enough.
Comrades
Plutocrats feel nothing, no emotion, no reality, no compassion….the taxing snow ball grows larger rolling down the Toltalitarian Hill to consume all assets for the State!
The communist demorats have not caught on yet. The day is coming when there will be 2 groups of people in this utopia. Govt employees and people on welfare and food stamps. So are the govt employees going to pay all the taxes to fund the utopia? Oh, I forgot their retirement fund is going broke too. $2 billion mistake is looming too and no demorat in the WH to bailout the demorats here. You would think CA could print money like the federal govt. Or should I say the Federal Reserve thieving bank.
Governor Jerry Sandusky Brown has it under control. He still thinks we are in a 300 year drought.
A Hot Air Tax to be paid by all the enviroemntalists and their hollywood supporters as well as Moonbeam Brown sure better then stupid tax on soda pop and always leave it up to the Stupid Jackass Party(Demacrats)to come up more stupid taxes
Comrade Spurned
Paying the State and globalist barons on every human activity is your future…..
Not bleak just life in the sunshine!
Yeah, it’s for the gummyment…and who’s gonna love you more than a politician and bureacrat?
You guys crack me up.
My opinion still stands: either all food should be taxed or none. No exceptions.
Although I hesitate to call gummybears food, but that is just my opinion.
Bon appetite!
We get it. You’re essentially the standard pro-tax and spend California Democrat.
If a new tax doesn’t hit you personally, then you’re all for it.
Never realizing of course that if we don’t push back on ALL new taxes sooner or later you are going to be facing a tax that DOES affect you.
Apparently you’re too damn dumb to understand this is the standard tactic of the tax and spend D-Rats.
Divide, separate and demonize groups and tax the hell out of groups we don’t like while the entire state hurtles down the road to tyranny.
Comrade Rickitee
Well said….pushing back futile. Let the Visigoths stir once tax the rich becomes tax the people through these nitty use taxes….Netflix downloads are next on tap…
Why do the California constituents continue voting for obsolete idiots representing the demoratic socialist party? Those illegitimate leftist politician have no business representing the hard working California citizen. You all are living under a near communist state…….
Just wait for the Dumb-O-Crats to prepose taxing us for every mile we drive a day Someone needs to beat the jackasses brains out what little it there