Nov 16, 2016

By: Elizabeth Tansing, Director, State Government Relations, Food Marketing Institute

Vote SignThe 2016 Election is over, and while the world is still discussing and speculating what the results of the 2016 U.S. presidential election will mean, state ballot outcomes can give us an idea for possible trends looking ahead.

We recently reported on key ballot measures that addressed taxes, minimum wage, alcohol and plastic bags. In Oregon, Measure 97: The Oregon Business Tax Increase Initiative would have been the largest tax increase in state history by removing the cap on the corporate gross sales tax and establishing a 2.5 percent tax on gross sales that exceed $25 million. Fortunately for our industry, voters did not approve the measure largely due to the efforts of the Northwest Grocers Association and other coalition members who supported the efforts to defeat the tax.

In Oklahoma, State Question 792: The Oklahoma Regulations Governing the Sale of Wine and Beer Amendment was passed, which will allow grocery stores and convenience stores to sell full-strength beer and wine seven days a week.

In California, Proposition 65: The Dedication of Revenue from Disposable bag sales to Wildlife Conservation was rejected, allowing retailers to now keep a portion of the 10-cent bag fee, in order to cover the cost of providing carryout bags, as well as for additional state-approved purposes. Proposition 67: The California Plastic Bag Ban Referendum was approved. Proposition 67 prohibits grocery stores from providing single-use carryout bags, and would mandate a 10-cent fee that stores must charge for recycled, compostable and reusable grocery bags. Proposition 67 upholds legislation (SB 270) that was passed in 2014 but was suspended when the referendum qualified for the ballot.

There were over 150 state ballot initiatives in this year’s election, and the aforementioned issues just scratched the surface. To learn more about additional state measures and how they could affect the grocery industry, visit FMI’s State Ballot Measure Guide for the Grocery Industry. To stay updated on local and state affairs, sign up for FMI’s Local Monitoring Report and State Issues Report. 

Photo Credit: By Erik Hersman via Wikimedia Commons