Soda Makers, Grocers Dump Millions Into Anti-Tax Ballot Initiatives

Route Fifty: Major soft drink companies and large grocery firms have pumped millions of dollars into campaigns for two ballot measures in the Pacific Northwest that would block future increases in state and local taxes that could affect their lines of business.

The state initiatives, one in Washington and the other in Oregon, are on the Nov. 6 ballot.

Both are framed as efforts to protect consumers. But there are currently no immediate plans to impose widespread taxes on most grocery items in either state, and critics portray the measures as largely attempts by corporations to secure favorable tax treatment.

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