Last week, the beverage industry sued the City of Oakland, alleging that ballot measure language stating “the tax is not paid by your local grocer” was incorrect. However, on  Friday, an Alameda Superior Court Judge ruled in favor of the Yes on HH campaign and rejected Big Soda’s claims. The measure language will be printed in voter ballot guides as written.  

The ballot argument states “The tax is not paid by your local grocer” and clarifies that the soda tax  is a one penny per ounce tax on distributors of sugary drinks and not on grocers or groceries. This language is  intended to clarify that despite Big Soda’s opposition campaign, this is NOT a grocery tax.

Big Soda has already spent $9.5 million dollars on mailers, television, and digital ads trying to mislead and confuse voters. Thankfully, the judge saw through these blatant lies and the industry’s intimidation tactics, and ruled that our ballot argument text was not false or misleading,

Measure HH Champion, Vice Mayor Annie Campbell Washington summed it up well in a quote published in the East Bay Express, “A court just declared what I've been saying — that soda's entire $10 million campaign is a lie."

Read the full article and other coverage at the links below: 

 http://www.eastbayexpress.com/SevenDays/archives/2016/09/02/big-soda-loses-in-court-to-oakland

http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Judge-Oakland-s-proposed-sugary-drink-tax-is-9200973.php