Berkeley passes the first soda tax in the nation

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Nov 5, 2014

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Berkeley passes the first soda tax in the nation

The city of Berkeley has passed the nation's first soda tax. Measure D won three-quarters of the vote. It will place a 1 cent per ounce tax on soft drinks.

A picture taken on September 8, 2011 in Paris shows cans of various sodas. After the French government announced on August 24 to tax these products as part of its austerity plan to reduce the national debt, professionals of the industry contested the measure, last of which the US giant Coca-Cola who suspended a 17 million euro (23.780 million US dollars) investment in France. French President Nicolas Sarkozy insisted on September 7 he was determined to push through a balanced budget amendment called "golden rule" despite reports that he might drop the contested plan. AFP PHOTO JOEL SAGET (Photo credit should read JOEL SAGET/AFP/Getty Images)

The city of Berkeley has passed the nation's first soda tax. Measure D won three-quarters of the vote. It will place a 1 cent per ounce tax on soft drinks.

Tuesday night, America's first-ever tax on soda in the nation passed, right here in California.

In the liberal bastion of Berkeley, three-quarters of the votes cast were in favor of Measure D. The measure places a 1 cent per ounce tax on soft drinks.

Meanwhile, in nearby San Francisco, a similar soda tax (Prop. E) failed.

San Francisco Supervisor Scott Wiener, an author of Prop. E, and Berkeley City Councilmember Laurie Capitelli, who brought Measure D before the Berkeley City Council, join Take Two for their reaction to the election results.