ChangeLab Solutions celebrates the passage of Measure Z, a sugary drink tax, by voters in Santa Cruz, California. The Measure Z victory builds on a successful lawsuit, supported by both ChangeLab Solutions and the American Heart Association, against an illegal California law backed by the beverage industry. ChangeLab Solutions and the American Heart Association also co-authored a recent op-ed in support of Measure Z.
Measure Z passed despite massive spending by the beverage industry to defeat it. Its passage is a blow to the beverage industry’s lobbying and a rejection of corporate influence in politics. Passage of Measure Z also helps clear a path for other cities in California that wish to vote on sugary drink taxes. Through Measure Z, Santa Cruz voters have approved implementation of a proven public health measure that will raise funds to support the local community.
ChangeLab Solutions and the American Heart Association supported a successful 2020 lawsuit that challenged the deceptively named 2018 Keep Groceries Affordable Act, a California law that was heavily backed by beverage industry operatives and passed using shady political tactics. The Keep Groceries Affordable Act tried to prevent cities from voting on new sugary drink taxes.
The penalty provision of that 2018 law was declared unconstitutional by an appeals court in 2023. This court decision paved the way for voters in cities like Santa Cruz to once again exercise their democratic right to vote on sugary drink taxes for their community. This local win for Measure Z, although by a narrow margin, is an exciting step that affords California communities the ability to better fund their public health initiatives and public spaces.
Voters in Berkeley, California, also voted to make their sugary drink tax permanent. Berkeley’s was the first sugary drink tax in the United States when first passed in 2014. The Berkeley soda tax was not opposed by the beverage industry (this time) because voters overwhelmingly supported its renewal. Berkeley’s sugary drink tax revenues have been used to support many community-based initiatives and school garden programs.
Approval of Santa Cruz’s Measure Z is a testament to the power of grassroots advocacy in the face of industry lobbying, as well as the dedication of Santa Cruz's Yes on Z partners, whose efforts helped bring home this victory for community health and local democracy.
12/12/2024
