Foes Of Bottle Law Spending $5M To Defeat Ballot Question

Opponents of proposed expansion of the state's deposit law have already pumped more than $5.4 million into a campaign to defeat the question on the November ballot.

Nearly all the money - $5 million - came from the Washington-based American Beverage Association, a trade association representing the non-alcoholic beverage industry.

The ballot question would expand the current law to include bottled water and other non-carbonated beverages not included in the original law. It is Question 2 on the ballot.

Supporters of the question have raised about $293,000. The bulk of that has come from the Massachusetts Sierra Club.

The Sierra Club and other environmental groups say updating the decades-old law will reduce litter and encourage recycling.

Critics say it will hurt small businesses by forcing them to handle an increase in bottle returns.