Happy Meal Ban Officially Passes in San Francisco

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San Francisco says it's time to put away your toys
With a thump of his gavel moments ago, Board President David Chiu noted "This ordinance is finally passed." What's more, it passed 8-3 -- a veto-proof majority against a promised rebuke from Mayor Gavin Newsom.

The legislation in question was an ordinance that will ban restaurants from handing out toys with their meals unless said meals meet strict nutritional requirements. While the ordinance's sponsor, Supervisor Eric Mar, described it as a "small step" toward combating the nation's childhood obesity problems, it could also be a large step toward triggering a lawsuit from McDonald's or other fast food behemoths.

This was actually the second vote on the ordinance; it originally passed last week (all San Francisco ordinances must survive two votes; had Supervisor Bevan Dufty changed his mind, the veto-proof majority would have been ruined).

Late last week, McDonald's spokeswoman Danya Proud refused to rule out potential litigation during a phone interview with SF Weekly. "Certainly, we're evaluating our options," she says. "Parents are telling us this is their right and responsibility, not the government's. What's next?"

Perhaps that's a question best left for the Board of Supervisors.

Follow us on Twitter at @TheSnitchSF and @SFWeekly  


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