A piece of legislation that would have banned food trucks from parking near schools was dropped by Assembly Member Bill Monnings.
While it was initially aimed at helping keep school children from unhealthy foods it could have been viewed as a threat to the popular food truck industry in California.
The now-defunct legislation AB 1678, introduced into the California State Legislature on Feb. 14, would have restricted “mobile foot and beverage vending” near schools while in session.
To be exact – food trucks could not sell within 1,500 feet of schools from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Bill authors argued that mobile food vending “diminishes participation in the school nutrition programs” and “increases students’ access to foods and beverages that are calorie rich, nutrient poor and contribute to negative health outcomes like being overweight and obesity.”
Not true, argues Dyann Manning, Executive Chef for Devilicious, just one of the many food trucks that operate around San Diego County.
“If we were to ban food trucks from a 1500-foot radius of elementary or secondary school then should we not also shut down all fast food restaurants and convenience stores within those same parameters?” Manning said adding that most food trucks offer handmade, preservative-free street food.
Word spread through the industry and among food truck fans, and it seems the outrage worked. The bill didn't obtain enough votes.
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