By Melanie Hicken, NEW YORK (CNNMoney) — New York City’s planned ban on the sale of large sugary drinks won’t go into effect Tuesday after a state judge blocked the restrictions, calling them “arbitrary and capricious.”
“The court finds that the regulation herein is laden with exceptions based on economic and political concerns,” Justice Milton Tingling wrote in the decision.
The lawsuit was brought by the American Beverage Association and other business associations who said that, among other things, the rules would disproportionately hurt small, minority-owned businesses.
The ban is meant to combat obesity and encourage residents to live healthier lifestyles, according to New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s office. But many have decried the ban as a sign of the growing “nanny-state” and an unfair intrusion on personal freedom.
The mayor’s office quickly tweeted that it plans to appeal the judge’s decision:
We plan to appeal the sugary drinks decision as soon as possible, and we are confident the measure will ultimately be upheld.—
NYC Mayor's Office (@NYCMayorsOffice) March 11, 2013
