Cleveland sues state over city's trans fat ban

Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson filed a lawsuit last week claiming that a state law that forbids municipalities from regulating ingredients in prepared foods infringes on the city’s home rule rights (Source: “Cleveland files in court to keep its ban on trans fats,” Cleveland Plain Dealer, Jan. 3, 2012).

At issue is a law passed by Cleveland City Council in April that bans restaurants from using cooking oils containing trans fats. However, the Ohio Senate, at the request of restaurant lobbyists, amended the state budget to ban municipalities from regulating ingredients.

"The health and well-being of Cleveland is the responsibility of the City of Cleveland, and we are taking proactive steps to help make everyone in Cleveland healthier," Jackson said at the news conference.

Jarrod Clabaugh, spokesman for Ohio Restaurant Association's, countered that this city’s ban  " would have made it extremely difficult for existing restaurants to grow their business and would have made our state less attractive to outside economic investment.”