What groceries people buy and their role in society's ills came under lengthy debate, as a House Memorial advanced asking the feds to prohibit soda purchases with government food assistance.
But that did not go down easily with Democrats, who were united against the measure (HM 581) that Republican Rep. Ralph Massullo filed. He brought his authority as a doctor to champion the measure in front of the House Children, Families and Seniors Subcommittee.
The memorial would put the House on record with a request that soft drinks be added to the list of items that can't be purchased using federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) funds.
There's a lot at stake, Massullo declared. It goes beyond soft drinks being the No. 1 purchase item, which accounts for 5% of the $70 billion in SNAP funds the government expends.
"And what do we have from that?" he asked rhetorically. "We have a society today, particularly our young people, in this state of Florida, that by 2035, 50% will be obese. Fifty percent. Those figures are even higher in the local socioeconomic strata, which often includes minorities."
And that's only the beginning of the slippery slope wetted with carbonated refreshment, Massullo contended.
"What does that translate to? Higher rates of hypertension, higher rates of diabetes and there's been studies to show that these individuals end up being less productive in our society and often on further government programs as they age."
If the feds heed the Legislature's recommendation, soda would get on the same list as alcoholic beverages, tobacco and hot items designed for immediate consumption, which also can't be bought with SNAP funds.
Democrats appeared thirsty for debate on this, however. Discussion of using public funds for beverage purchases went on for more than 30 minutes.
Rep. Rita Harris said that when she and her husband were in financial difficulties, nights in front of the TV with soda and popcorn were a treasured and inexpensive escape.
"I don't want to get into a conversation about what people on these benefits can and can't buy," the Orlando Democrat said.
Rep. Dotie Joseph, who went on record as a vegetarian — a much healthier choice, she said — held aloft a can of Mountain Dew, saying that she drinks this instead of coffee for the caffeine, eliciting a lighthearted warning from the Committee Chair, Republican Rep. Traci Koster.
"We're not allowed to use prompts without prior approval from the (House) Rules (Committee) Chair," Koster said. "I'm just going to assume you're really thirsty."
An identical memorial (SM 814) from Republican Sen. Joe Gruters is on the Senate Agriculture Committee agenda next week.
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