Proposed state-wide soda in schools ban passes House committee

Measure keeping drinks out of vending machines squeaks by committee

Andrew Villegas, (Bio) avillegas@greeleytribune.com
March 21, 2008

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If your kids like having a sugary soda with their lunch, they probably won't like what state legislators are doing.

A bill being carried by Rep. Jim Riesberg, D-Greeley, that would bar schools across Colorado from serving high-calorie sodas and other drinks passed out of the House Education Committee by a narrow vote Thursday despite protests from Republican lawmakers that school districts should be able to choose for themselves what they can serve in their schools.

SB 129 -- which passed the committee on a mostly party-line 7-6 vote -- would force the Colorado state Board of Education to adopt a policy by November 2008 that would keep full-calorie sodas such as Pepsi and Coca-Cola from vending machines and cafeterias in favor of healthier choices such as juice, water and milk. Schools would then have until July 2009 to comply if the bill passes the full house and is signed by Gov. Bill Ritter.

"The problem is 25 million children age 2-19 are overweight or in danger of being overweight," Riesberg told the education committee, adding that the bill is aimed at helping eliminate that childhood obesity.

Several school officials and health professionals from around Colorado spoke in favor of the bill saying reducing the number of empty calories children consume while at school is essential to public health.

"This will not remove vending from schools," said Erin Bertoli, government affairs director for the mountain region American Heart Association. "One-twenty-nine simply asks that we stock vending machines with healthful options."

Dick Brown, executive editor of the Colorado Beverage Association, said his group also is in favor of the bill and that beverage companies are already starting to work with school districts to provide healthy options to children.

Tony Salazar, a representative for the Colorado Education Association, also voiced support for the bill.

Not everyone was convinced, however.

Rep. Tom Massey, R-Poncha Springs, expressed concern that vendors could lose money if the bill passes and Rep. Karen Middleton, D-Aurora, said that schools should focus on increasing physical activity instead of limiting choices. Both voted against moving the bill forward in Thursday's committee meeting.

Other members of the committee who voted against passage of the bill said school districts alone should have the freedom to choose which beverages are suitable for their students.

Under the bill, sodas and other "junk" beverages will not be prohibited from concession stands at school sporting events and other places where adults will be present.

The bill now moves to the full House for a second reading. If it passes, amendments will be heard in the Senate -- where the bill already passed in late February -- before going to the governor for approval.