MONTPELIER - Last week a Vermont House committee put the brakes on legislation that would have levied a new tax on sugar-sweetened beverages.

A tie vote among committee members essentially "killed the bill the committee had spent weeks drafting," writes the Time Argus. The bill would have tacked on a penny-an-ounce tax on sugar-sweetened drinks, which was expected to raise $27 million to support state health programs.

Opponents of the bill included Gov. Peter Shumlin, who said it would prompt Vermont residents to shop in neighboring states. "Philosophically, I don't believe you change human behavior when it comes to what we eat, what we consume based on tax policy," he said, adding, "I just don't believe that works."