State Rep. Mark Tisdel, R-Rochester Hills, on Thursday opposed legislation to tax more food and drink sales in Michigan.

Under Michigan law, food and nonalcoholic drinks are exempt from sales and use taxes, except for prepared products intended for immediate consumption. In a party-line vote, the House on Thursday passed House Bills 4377 and 4378, which would create a complicated, expanded definition of “prepared food” to tax more prepackaged foods and beverages.

“Lansing politicians are serving up a distasteful tax hike cooked up by tax bureaucrats,” said Tisdel, who serves on the House Tax Policy Committee. “Taxing more foods and beverages — in an extremely convoluted way — will eat up more of Michiganders’ hard-earned income. At the same time, small businesses in our communities will have to navigate the confusing tax policy to figure out which food and drink items are taxed. I’ll keep fighting for Michiganders and small businesses against new, unfair taxes.”

The new requirements proposed under the bills would set many arbitrary distinctions between taxable and untaxable goods: how utensils or napkins are made available to customers; whether a bottled soft drink is sweetened or contains milk or juice; how much of a business’s total food sales are prepared food; and other criteria.

HBs 4377 and 4378 now advance to the Senate for consideration.