SACRAMENTO – Eighth time is a charm?

The Associated Press reports that Democratic lawmakers’ eighth attempt in six years to change Californians’ sugar habits has hit the wall in the state Legislature.

AB2782 would have imposed a two-cent-per-ounce fee on sugary drinks, writes the news source, noting that the additional money would have been used to benefit clinics that address obesity, diabetes and oral health.

Assemblyman Richard Bloom, author of the proposal, did not have enough support from members of the Health Committee to move the bill forward, and there are no plans to resurrect the measure, according to Bloom’s spokesperson, Sean MacNeil.

Opponents of the plan say that soda taxes or warning labels are not likely to change behavior and may adversely affect low-income residents.