Calif. Senate committee kills bill to ban sales of soft drink on school campuses

SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - Ignoring nutritionists who warn that school children are becoming more obese, a Senate committee killed a bill Tuesday that would have banned the sale of soft drinks on California school campuses. <br> <br> The Senate Education Committee defeated the bill 6-1; it needed eight votes to pass. <br> <br> If the measure had become law, California would have been the most populous state to begin phasing out junk food in schools. <br> <br> Texas is trying to limit junk food sales, while Maine, New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Colorado, Nebraska and Idaho already do. In Florida, snack food sales are prohibited on elementary school campuses. <br> <br> The soft drink and food industries opposed the bill, as did the California Teachers Association, the state&#39;s largest teachers union. <br> <br> Industry advocates said it would limit students&#39; choices to eat and drink what they want. The teachers&#39; union said that with $1.7 billion in education money being shifted from this budget year to next because of tight finances, now is not the time to be taking money from schools. <br> <br> ``If you ban soda on school campuses, they will just go off campus and buy it at the gas station across the street,&#39;&#39; said union President Wayne Johnson. ``I don&#39;t think you will accomplish much except hurting school funding.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> Many schools rely on income from soda and snack food sales. Nationwide, schools get about $750 million a year from companies that sell snack or processed food in schools, an industry study found. <br> <br> The Oakland Unified School District would have lost about $650,000 a year, while the San Diego City Unified School District would have lost about $500,000. <br> <br> In San Diego, soft drink sales already are limited to high school campuses. If the bill had passed, the district planned to make up for the lost money by selling juice and milk. <br> <br> The California Alliance for Consumer Protection, a soft drink industry lobbying group, said the bill only hinted at the fundamental problem of overweight children. <br> <br> ``What about all the other crappy food they (schools) sell?&#39;&#39; said lobbyist Michael Ross. ``To pick on one thing is wrong.&#39;&#39;