New York City is normally a trend-setter for American culture, but it doesn’t look like Mayor Michael Bloomberg is setting a nationwide trend with his (failed) soda ban.
In fact, his ban is having the opposite effect in one Southern state.
“The Anti-Bloomberg Bill” has won support across party lines in Mississippi, passing the state Senate, 50-1, and the state House, 92-26.
Republican Gov. Phil Bryant is anticipated to sign the bill that would not only ensure everyone in Mississippi could drink the largest Coke they wanted, but would also block any regulation from banning toys from kids’ meals or mandating calorie information.
“If you look at how menus have changed, whether it be in fast food or family dining, you are seeing more and more healthy options,” Mike Cashio, executive director of the Mississippi Hospitality and Restaurant Association, told National Public Radio. “Not because of legislative mandates or regulatory mandates, but because of consumer demand. Our industry has always been one to respond to the marketplace.”
While this bill was very popular in the state legislature, not all local elected officials are happy with the legislation.
“It is not up to the state to tell the people at the local level what to do,” Chip Johnson, mayor of Hernando, Miss., told NPR . “They’re just using this to mask what the bill is really about, which is about taking away home rule.”
In the end, however, it looks like New York City may have something in common with Mississippi after all. On Monday, New York Supreme Court Judge Milton Tingling blocked Bloomberg’s bill, legislation that would have banned all sugary drinks larger than 16 ounces.
Liberty and free Big Gulps for all. Well, they’re not free — but you’re free to buy them!
