Study: Soda Tax Could Bring $117 Million to Orange County Schools

A recent study by a state public health advocacy group finds that that a one-cent tax per ounce on soda and other sugared drinks would bring in an estimated $1.7 billion annually to support public schools, improve the health of California’s children, and address the childhood obesity epidemic.

The Davis-based California Center for Public Health Advocacy found in a study that most of the tax money raised—85 percent or $1.4 billion, would be returned to counties in proportion to their populations.

In Orange County, the soda tax could bring in $117.1 million. Of that figure, $68.9 million would go directly to classrooms and $24.1 million would go to healthy lunch and physical exercise programs, according to the CCPHA figures.

An additional $24 million would go to local children's programs, the study indicates.

Assembly Bill 669, authored by Assemblyman Bill Monning (D-Santa Cruz) would, on and after July 1, 2012, "impose a tax on every distributor, as defined, for the privilege of distributing in this state bottled sweetened beverages, at a rate of $0.01 per fluid ounce and for the privilege of distributing concentrate in this state. The tax would be administered by the State Board of Equalization and would be collected pursuant to the procedures set forth in the Fee Collection Procedures Law," the bill reads.