Following the nutrition presentation, the NAMA government symposium shifted to state legislative initiatives. Elaine Arena, a lobbyist for the Arizona Automatic Merchandising Association, described how the Arizona association responded to an effort to restrict school vending. Enlisting the support of other organizations was critical, she noted.
The state school board launched a pilot program for one year in middle and elementary schools, from which they concluded that the standards should apply to all schools. The bill banned any foods considered “minimum nutrition value.”
Arena said the bill’s opponents, which included the vending and beverage industries, convinced the state school board not to endorse the measure, mainly on the grounds that it undermined local control.
The vending association got involved in an organization called State Action for Healthy Kids which included industry representatives. The coalition met with newspaper editorial boards, participated in radio talk shows and wrote letters to newspapers.
The coalition emphasized the impact the restrictions would have on school sports programs.
It also brought students to meet with legislators, a tactic borrowed from the opposition that proved very effective, Arena said. “We were able to do the same thing from our side,” she said. “It was really key to bringing in what we call regular folks.”
The final bill exempted vending in high schools, which the association considered a major accomplishment.
The bill also allowed sports drinks in middle schools, and also it allowed for commercial advertising.
The association’s effort continued through the implementation phase of the bill, which Arena said was important. She said the high school exemption was challenged along the way, but the industry coalition managed to maintain it.
