UPDATE: House Bails on Bake Sale Ban Idea [Poll]

The Massachusetts House of Representatives has reportedly abandoned a ban on bake sales after statewide public outrage, the Boston Herald is reporting.

Originally, high calory sweets were to not be allowed to be sold in schools during -- or 30 minutes before or after -- school hours. And state health officials were pushing for that ban to extend at all times, including during weekend events.

Proponents of the ban said it is a bold yet necessary step to fight childhood obesity, which reportedly affects nearly a third of the state's kids. But opponents say a ban would be government overreach and will hurt financing for clubs and athletic groups which depend on bake sales for funding.

"As a mother of an elementary school aged son, I hope that our local School Committee uses common sense and does not enforce this option," Selectmen Chair Tracy Watson said. "I would also hope that they would hold a public hearing prior to making any decisions that would make such a sweeping change to the way PTO's, clubs, teams, etc., raise money. These organizations rely heavily on monies made at bake sales to enrich all their other programs. All schools across the state do."

Watson added that she shares many parents' frustration over the Department of Education focusing on bake sales as a way to crack down on obesity.

"Bake sales do not make children fat," she said. "I would prefer that the Department of Education actually spend as much time on school lunch menus and how we could improve them than wasting time on such trivial items as bake sales. I wish they would spend more time on how we could add more physical activity to the day for our kids than worrying about a PTO selling a cupcake. I find the whole thing indicative of how big government has gone awry."