Gregory B. Hladky, " House OKs bill to ban school junk food sales", New
Haven Register, May 19, 2005,
Link:
http://www.nhregister.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=14552144&BRD=1281&PAG=461&dept_id=517515&rfi=6
State House lawmakers, worried about the epidemic of childhood obesity
and diabetes, voted Wednesday to ban sales of high-sugar soda and junk
food in public schools in Connecticut.
In a last-minute compromise, the House approved an amendment that would
permit diet soda and sports drinks such as Gatorade to be sold in
school vending machines, along with milk, water, fruit juice and other
approved drinks and snack foods.
The bill would also require that all students in kindergarten through
fifth grade get at least 20 minutes of recess a day.
Debate over the bill turned into a partisan marathon lasting more than
eight hours, with Republicans angrily offering amendment after
amendment even though they were doomed to defeat.
The House eventually voted 88-55 to send the amended bill back to the
Senate. The Senate passed a different version of the measure 24-11.
Critics charged that the bill would interfere with local control of
schools and parents' authority, potentially rob after-school and
athletic programs of badly needed money, and wouldn't have any real
impact on obesity.
But supporters of banning soda and junk food vending machines during
school hours insisted that the health of children created an overriding
need for the bill.
"We know that some Connecticut children are being shortchanged on
exercise and nutrition," said state Rep. Mary M. Mushinsky,
D-Wallingford. "Our loyalty should be to these children first."
State Rep. Vicki Orsini Nardello, D-Prospect, said the sale of
high-sugar sodas and junk food snacks in Connecticut schools was often
permitted only because it brought in revenue for school programs.
"It's not good for kids, but it was a good thing for schools hard-up
for cash," Nardello said.
The legislation triggered a massive lobbying war, with soda giants
Coca-Cola and PepsiCo hiring some of Connecticut's most influential
lobbyists to work for the bill's defeat.
But many other groups, from high school coaches associations to some
school administrators and boards of education, also opposed the
legislation because of fears of lost revenue.
Voting on the bill and a key amendment broke generally along party
lines, with most Democrats in favor and most Republicans against.
State Rep. Themis Klarides, R-Derby, criticized the backroom
negotiations that led to the compromise allowing diet soda and
electrolyte-replacement drinks in school vending machines.
"We need to take them all out," insisted Klarides. "If I hear one more
time that it's 'for the kids,' I'll scream. ... They're all
just as bad."
Other opponents insisted that mandating that all schools provide
kindergarten through fifth grade at least 20 minutes of recess or that
amount of time to exercise could cut into needed time for academics.
Gregory B. Hladky can be contacted at [email hidden] or (860)
524-0719.