School junk-food limit fails

By Maura Possley and Christi Parsons
Chicago Tribune staff reporters

SPRINGFIELD -- Gov. Rod Blagojevich suffered another setback Tuesday in his attempt to limit junk food in Illinois public schools when a legislative review panel rejected his proposal to change state rules on school vending machines.

But Blagojevich vowed to "go back to the drawing board" with his embattled plan in hope of passing it in time for the next school year.

Lawmakers on the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules said they don't oppose the governor's goals, just his strategy. They voted 10-1 against his plan to prohibit the sale of soda pop, chips and candy before and during the school day for children up to 8th grade.

Some lawmakers didn't think the governor's plan was sweeping enough because, for example, it didn't cover what can be served in school lunch lines.

"Members are laudatory of what the governor is trying to do," said Rep. Larry McKeon (D-Chicago), who voted against the plan. "We would like to move forward with a more comprehensive approach to the broader issue of nutrition in schools."

Aides said children's-health advocates had urged Blagojevich to propose a small change in the rules and tackle other problems later.

The governor has been pushing to ban junk food in schools for more than two years. After the legislature refused to enact his ban on junk food in all schools, he retooled the proposal last fall and asked the State Board of Education to prohibit unhealthy snack sales at elementary and middle schools.

"How could they possibly think that we ought to have junk food in schools?" Blagojevich said. "We're talking about making sure that kids learn the right lessons in schools."

Steve - it is tough to read between the lines here. Even small changes, which Blagojevich proposed, would be helpful. Although, as we said when we were quoted in the Pioneer Press, the changes fall short. It seems like the panel said all the right things about why they turned it down. They wanted a broader plan with more sweeping changes. The skeptic in me is a bit wary of this. Stay tuned...