California Lawmaker Wants To Bring Back Sales Tax On Snacks

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) - A leader of the movement to exempt tampons from California's sales tax is now proposing to reinstate the tax on candy and snack foods.

Assemblywoman Cristina Garcia said Friday she will seek a constitutional amendment to undo California voters' 1992 decision to classify candy and snacks as tax-exempt essential food items.

The Bell Gardens Democrat says consumption of fatty, ultra-processed foods has exploded since the sales taxes were repealed.

Grocers and bottled water producers supported the tax repeal 24 years ago. It faced no organized opposition.

The California Grocers Association says it's reviewing Garcia's proposal.

The announcement comes one day after the release of a UCLA study that estimated 46 percent of Californians are prediabetic. On Wednesday, Democratic Assemblyman Richard Bloom of Santa Monica proposed a fee on sugary beverages.