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No one has yet proposed it, but it came up at Saturday’s At-Large debate anyhow: should D.C. follow New York’s lead in imposing ban on large soft drinks? During the debate, both Councilmembers Michael Brown (I-At Large) and Vincent Orange (D-At Large) said yes, as did independent challenger David Grosso. Only Republican Mary Brooks Beatty dissented.

As for other key officials in the D.C. government, WTOP hunted them down for thoughts on a Big Apple Big Soda Ban:

“If I could get the votes to do it I would certainly try to put that in place,” [Ward 3 Councilmember Mary] Cheh tells WTOP.

“I would consider legislation to do that, I would like to see that done,” she added.

While Cheh, Orange and Brown are the only three elected officials to come out in support of the ban, several others say they are open to a ban, including Mayor Vincent Gray.

“I think there probably are some good health reasons to support something like that,” Gray said. “We’ll be happy to look at it, we haven’t taken a position on that one way or another.”

Council Chairman Phil Mendelson agreed it’s an idea worthy of consideration.

“The issue of nutrition is of critical importance to public health. We need to look at different strategies so people understand what the effect is of the large volume of soft drinks they’re drinking,” Mendelson said.

Councilmember Tommy Wells (D-Ward 6) also was open to considering a ban.

“I am open to anything that will help young people be healthier,” Wells said.

Could the ban pass? It would certainly be close—a 2010 bill proposed by Cheh that would have imposed a proposed a one-cent tax per ounce of soda failed by a single vote. The council instead opted to apply the six percent sales tax to sodas, which until then had been exempted.

If it came up, D.C. legislators would face an additional challenge: the New York ban was passed by the Board of Health, insulating the city’s legislators from future political attacks on the issue. Our local councilmembers likely wouldn’t have the same luck, and they’d have to directly face up to plenty of opposition. In 2010, the American Beverage Association put $313,000 into lobbying, so just imagine what it would sink into killing a soda ban. According to WTOP, Councilmember Jack Evans (D-Ward 2) and Muriel Bowser (D-Ward 4) have already expressed skepticism with the proposal.

Stock up on those big sodas just in case, D.C.