The bill filed this week is sponsored by state Representative Julia Howard of Davie County. It calls for a two-year moratorium on new contracts giving a soft drink bottler exclusive rights to sell their product on a school campus. Howard's bill also sets up a ten-member commission of legislators, dentists, pediatricians and nutrition experts. The commission would study current laws on foods with minimum nutritional value and review medical research. Proponents of the soft drink contracts say the money helps schools with their educational programs.
Opponents say the drinks contribute to tooth decay and obesity.
Already, several systems have signed big contracts. The fines are among the largest ever imposed by the county's sedimentation and erosion control office. City-county zoning committee member Steve Bocckino says the mess at the sites was the worst he'd ever seen in the county. Officials say silt control fences had been knocked down and mud ran into streets and streams and creeks. Builders are required to get permits for grading that removes the vegetation that normally controls runoff.