Honourable members of the Alabama Legislature,

There are bills before the House and Senate to remove the 4% state tax from groceries. Sadly the definition of groceries in this bill includes sodas, chips, cookies, candy, and other such items usually referred to as “junk food”.

You have an opportunity to change our state for the better. Please consider leaving the tax on junk foods, but removing it from produce, cheese, fish, meat, and other things recognisable as actual food. This will provide extra funds in the state budget to provide fresh, seasonal, Alabama grown produce to our children in school.

The First Lady, Michelle Obama, is campaigning against childhood obesity and against the health problems that this causes. Jamie Oliver, a famous British Chef, has pointed out that the current generation of elementary and high school students may be the first generation to have a shorter lifespan than their parents.

Honourable legislators, you have a wonderful opportunity here to put Alabama on the national stage as a state that puts the health of its children first. You have a chance to use junk food to pay for healthy food for our children. You have a chance to provide jobs for Alabama’s farmers.

You have a chance to put Alabama on the map for something very positive – improving the health of our children.

Please take this opportunity.

Respectfully yours,

Stuart Carter