Mayor Michael Bloomberg was dealt a stinging blow on Monday when a state Supreme Court Judge quashed his plan to ban the sale of large sugary drinks in the city's restaurants and other venues.
At a late afternoon news conference, Mr. Bloomberg and the city's top lawyer, Michael Cardozo, said they believed the judge erred in his ruling and vowed to appeal. The decision was both lauded and criticized by city officials and others.
It would be irresponsible not to try to do everything we can to save lives, said Mr. Bloomberg, who earlier in the day called for jurisdictions across the nation to follow suit.
The judge ruled the regulations are fraught with arbitrary and capricious consequences, noting how there would be uneven enforcement within a single city block. The regulations didn't affect the Big Gulp at 7-11 because supermarkets and convenience stores are regulated by the state, not the city.
He wrote that regulations exclude other beverages that have significantly higher concentrations of sugar sweeteners and calories on suspect grounds. The regulations don't limit patrons from getting refills; that provision, the judge said, appears to gut the purpose of the rule.
Full article