COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Republican lawmaker behind a proposal to remove Ohio’s constitutional ban on food and beverage excise taxes says the 30-year-old voter-approved protection was “a mistake.” But repealing it could open the door to new grocery taxes on Ohio families.

Sen. Louis W. Blessing III, R-Colerain Township, is sponsoring Senate Joint Resolution 9, which would repeal a 1994 constitutional amendment prohibiting wholesale excise taxes on food and non-alcoholic beverages.

“I’m introducing SJR 9 to remedy a situation that, as time has passed, has proven to be a mistake,” Blessing said.

If approved by lawmakers and voters, the repeal would not automatically create a new tax. However, it would eliminate the constitutional barrier that currently prevents the General Assembly from imposing excise taxes on food and drinks — something voters overwhelmingly banned three decades ago.

Blessing argues the change is necessary to combat obesity.

“Ohio has been struggling with obesity, and it’s even worse with children,” he said, calling obesity “second only to smoking in terms of preventable death.”

He described excise taxes as “a tool that can be used to discourage bad behavior,” and said he would like to pursue “a modest, per-ounce, sugary drink excise tax.”

But removing the constitutional prohibition would not be limited to soda. As written, the repeal contains no restrictions on what could be taxed in the future.

That reality raises concerns that lawmakers — now or in years to come — could expand excise taxes beyond sugary drinks, potentially affecting everyday grocery items. Opponents of food taxes have long argued such policies are regressive, disproportionately impacting low- and middle-income households who spend a larger share of their income on food.

Blessing has said revenue could be used to support Medicaid and nutrition programs, arguing the approach would “move the ball in the right direction.”

Still, voters in 1994 decisively chose to shield food and non-alcoholic beverages from excise taxation. Reversing that decision would require three-fifths support in both legislative chambers before going to voters in 2027.

If the measure advances, Ohioans would once again decide whether food remains constitutionally protected from state excise taxes — or whether lawmakers regain the power to tax it.