This is a winning idea for food banks, state think tanks and advocates of the poor to advance: the permanent repeal of grocery sales taxes. Help all financially struggling families. Foster atypical alliances. The Arkansas Policy Foundation helped move that idea along and freshman Democratic Gov. Mike Beebe signed into law the largest tax cut in that state’s history: a 50 percent reduction in the state grocery tax.

The Tennessee Center for Policy Research advocated the same in a commentary, “Refund Surplus by Cutting Grocery Tax.” The last I heard, the idea of a sales tax “holiday” on groceries in The Volunteer State was getting serious consideration.

This past session, Wyoming Gov. Dave Freudenthal permanently eliminated the sales tax on food in The Equality State. "Food is the most basic need of the people of Wyoming," remarked former State Rep. Ann Robinson at the signing, "and it is not a place for collecting taxes." Also quoted in the March 1, 2007 Wyomingnews.com article was Sen. John Barrasso, R-Casper, one of the bill's Senate sponsors. He noted, "The best thing we can do for working people is keep taxes low and keep money in their pockets."

Eliminate sales taxes on groceries. With that, we can all eat, drink and be much merrier – at a lower cost.