Lawmakers in one US state have a sweet idea to fund universal school lunches: taxing sugary drinks like Coca-Cola and Pepsi.
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Indeed, Connecticut lawmakers are eyeing a two-cent-per-ounce tax on sugary drinks to pay for universal free school meals, as reported by NBC Connecticut and WFSB.
That might be tough to swallow for Connecticut residents who enjoy their sugary drinks. If the proposal passes, that 2-liter bottle of soda could jump from about $1.99 to $3.35, and a 12-pack of root beer could go from $6.50 to over $11.
The tax would fund free breakfast and lunch for all students in public school districts.
Some students, like 11-year-old Alexandra Ford, are all for it. “I believe everyone deserves it, no matter their financial state,” she told WSFB.
Her mother, Yolande Ford, agrees, highlighting research that shows “when kids eat, they perform better.” She also notes that students’ “behavior is more favorable” when they’re well-fed.
At least one lawmaker agrees with Alexandra and her mother.
“School meals are an important part of the day for the young people, that level of nutrition, and we believe that all students should have it,” Sen. Gary Winfield told NBC Connecticut. “And a way of supporting it was thinking about the sugary drinks that we have.”
Not All Connecticut Residents Willing to Swallow Taxing Coca-Cola, Pepsi, and Other Sugary Drinks
However, not everyone is sweet on the idea.
Bob Rybick of Geissler’s Supermarkets thinks the proposal is a sweet idea, but the timing is sour.
“It seems to be a recurring issue every single year. I think the intent of this, to fund school lunch, is admirable, but there are other ways to go about it. Taxing consumers when we are already in a high-inflation environment and an affordability crisis, and when everyone is talking about the prices of food being high in general, is not the time to do it,” Rybick told WSFB.
East Granby resident Myra Daughney said she’s not willing to swallow the extra cost.
“I am old,” Daughney insisted to WSFB. “I don’t have any little kids; I already paid all those prices. Daughney bluntly added, “I don’t want to do it some more.”
However, Rybick and Daughney appear to be in the minority.
A recent survey found that 93% of respondents support free school meals, and nearly 80% believe a tax on sugary drinks is an acceptable way to fund them. While lawmakers have held public hearings on the proposal, they have not yet voted on it.