The Oregonian - Oregon House values [the] meal by approving calorie counts on restaurant chain menus, but some lawmakers doubt it will change bad eating habits

By Bill Graves

A bill requiring chain restaurants to list calorie facts in plain view next to each dish on their menus moved a step closer to law Friday after a spirited debate on the House floor.

The House voted 44-14 in favor of House Bill 2726, modeled after a Multnomah County ordinance that took effect in March. The bill, which heads next to the Senate, would require any Oregon restaurant with 15 or more outlets in the nation to post calories on menus and menu boards, including drive-through displays, or face up to a $1,000 fine.

"This bill will remind consumers of the health consequences of their choices," said Rep. Tina Kotek, D-Portland, a sponsor of the bill.

The bill, which would take effect Jan. 1, 2011, would allow Oregon diners to immediately weigh the calorie content of selections on restaurant menus -- for example, to compare a 170-calorie taco with a 600-calorie bean burrito special. Health advocates say the information would lead at least some Oregonians to choose healthful, less-fattening food and help the state fight its obesity and diabetes epidemics. The proposed law would affect 181 restaurant chains in Oregon, 132 of which already have at least one outlet in Multnomah County.

In a 2007 survey for the Northwest Health Foundation, 69 percent of Oregonians said they want calorie counts on menus. Restaurant owners have questioned the effectiveness of listing calories on menus and have objected to the cost.

In a lively 36-minute debate on the bill, Rep. Nick Kahl, D-Portland, said he was opposing the bill because it bars local laws on menu labeling, thereby pre-empting and effectively delaying Multnomah County's recent requirements. The ban on local laws ensures consistent standards statewide.

"Colleagues, I urge you to support this bill," Kahl said. "I cannot."

Rep. Bill Garrard, R-Klamath Falls, said the law is another example of Portland and the Willamette Valley imposing their will on the rest of the state. Other legislators called the law an unfunded mandate and questioned whether it would change behaviors.

"I have some trouble with the idea we are going to solve our problems by posting calories on menus," said Rep. Suzanne VanOrman, D-Hood River.

But Rep. Mitch Greenlick, D-Portland, said it is difficult to make good choices in restaurants without calorie and other nutritional information. Rep. Sara Gelser, D-Corvallis, said the bill would foster good habits among youths.

"This is about shaping the behavior of the next generation of Oregonians before they develop the habits that we have already developed," she said.

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