California Governor Jerry Brown has signed the Keep Groceries Affordable Act, a statute preventing local agencies in the state from imposing taxes or fees on groceries, including “carbonated and noncarbonated nonalcoholic beverages,” until January 1, 2031. The law, which exempts taxes that do not specifically refer to groceries as a target classification, also invalidates any “tax, fee, or other assessment on groceries imposed by a local agency after January 1, 2018,” but will not invalidate taxes on sugar-sweetened beverages in San Francisco and Berkeley.

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For decades, manufacturers, distributors and retailers at every link in the food chain have come to Shook, Hardy & Bacon to partner with a legal team that understands the issues they face in today's evolving food production industry. Shook attorneys work with some of the world's largest food, beverage and agribusiness companies to establish preventative measures, conduct internal audits, develop public relations strategies, and advance tort reform initiatives.

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