The Blue Ribbon Tax Structure Commission in Vermont – an independent body formed in 2009 to evaluate the state’s tax system and recommend reforms – abandoned a soda tax in findings it released yesterday.  As a way to counterbalance the loss of sales of all products to neighboring states and growing internet sales, the commission recommended the expansion of the wide-reaching state sales tax, which covers a variety of non-food items.

It’s a growing trend – we are seeing more and more state governments turn away from proposing discriminatory and regressive taxes like the discriminatory soda tax, which would increase the price of common grocery items like soft drinks, teas, juice drinks and other beverages.  Hard-working families are holding their own in this economy, but they can’t afford higher grocery prices—and many lawmakers are clearly listening to them.

When it comes to solving crucial issues like clearing the state deficit, lawmakers should trim their own spending before adding to the burden of hard-working families in Vermont.