Provo Herald: Lawmaker Looking at Taxing Carbonated Drinks to Fund Education

Welcome to the expanded "nanny state," people

In local Emerald City news, The Provo Herald is reporting that Ogden GOP Leg. 10 State House Representative Dixon Pitcher is working his fingers to the bone to run a bill which would create a new Utah "Sin Tax."

Here's the lede:

A Utah lawmaker is once again looking at creating a tax on carbonated beverages to help fund Utah's education programs. Rep. Dixon Pitcher, R-Ogden, is in the early stages of drafting a bill that would levy a tax on soda pop, energy drinks and sports drinks. Pitcher introduced the bill during the 2011 legislative session but the bill was never given consideration. Pitcher now is working to bring it back in the 2012 session.

"I've had a really good response to the idea," Pitcher said. "A lot of people say to me, 'I really shouldn't be drinking the poison.'"

Pitcher said he is working to line up a coalition of medical professionals who will give support to his plan to put a tax on soda. Local medical experts say if the tax can truly deter people from drinking the sugar-based drinks, it could mean an increase in healthy Utahns.

Read the full story here:

• Lawmaker looking at taxing carbonated drinks to fund education

It won't be long before Utah "soda pop junkies" will be making weekend runs to Evanston, West Wendover, Mesquite and other Utah border towns to stock up on "poisonous" and evil brews like Mountain Dew, Diet Coke and Seven-up, along with the usual booze, cigarettes, fireworks and lottery tickets, we suppose.

Welcome to the expanded "nanny state," people, brought to you courtesy of another wacked out Utah GOP legislator.

Surely at least a few of our gentle readers will be motivated to comment about this. Don't let the cat get your tongues. (We know you're out there; we can hear you breathing.)

"These people must be stopped," according to GOP Rep. Pitcher:

Evil "Coke-Heads"