A new tax on sugary drinks designed to generate revenue for cash-strapped Cook County .......

illinoispolicy.org ^ | 06/28/17 | Robert Brutvan

[sleeper-has-awakened]

Full Title: A new tax on sugary drinks designed to generate revenue for cash-strapped Cook County will be the third burdensome tax applied to soda prices in Chicago, making a $4 12-pack of soda in the city cost $5.97.

Beginning July 1, residents of Cook County may notice their grocery bills growing as a penny-per-ounce tax on artificially sweetened beverages takes effect.

The new tax will be added on top of Chicago’s highest in the nation sales tax of 10.25 percent and the city’s 3 percent tax on non-alcoholic beverages. With the new sugary beverage tax, soda in Chicago will be some of the most expensive in the nation as a $4 12-pack of soda will cost $5.97, an effective tax rate of nearly 50 percent.

The new tax on sugary beverages will also affect fountain drinks, energy drinks, tea, coffee, diet soda and juices that aren’t 100 percent fruit of vegetable juice.

The Illinois Retail Merchants Association filed a lawsuit against Cook County June 27 in an effort to stop the penny-per-ounce tax on sugary beverages. Retailers filed to halt the tax, claiming that the tax is unconstitutionally vague and not uniform in what it taxes. A statement released from the Illinois Retail Merchants Association claims that the Sweetened Beverage Tax creates illegal and unsubstantial classifications of beverages, such as differentiating a bottled Frappuccino sold in a convenience store, which would be taxable, from a Frappuccino prepared in a coffee shop, which would not be subject to the tax.

[sleeper-has-awakened]

A judge blocked this a couple days before it was to begin but a different judge has reinstated, to begin on Wednesday 08/02/17. Looks like a boost in business for all the store just over the Cook county line.

[ClearCase_guy]

I just love how coffee is considered a “sugary drink”.
It seems vaguely racist.

[Ken522]

Remember, in a command economy demand is not affected by price .... /s

[Salgak]

Sounds like a boon for stores just over the Cook County line. . .

[FatherofFive]

Hey Chicago, watch out for the next Al Capone of soda.

[GrandJediMasterYoda]

“Sugary drinks” a faggy sounding phrase invented by lisping nanny state former Mayor of New York city Mike Bloomturd. Just another example of how leftists change words around in an attempt to deceive. It’s freakin SODA. That’s what we call Coke or Pepsi, SODA, we call it SODA! Normal people do not call it “sugary drinks” because some half a fag Mayor in NYC did. We don’t go a ballgame and order a hot dog hot dog and a sugary drink. If leftists want to be so anal about shifting words around may I suggest we start calling them “Enemies of freedom” because that’s exactly what they are.

[Sacajaweau]

When will someone discover that 100% juice is a high calorie “sugar” drink just like soda.

[Surrounded_too]

Whole thing is racist and anti-lower bracket people. Regressive, greedy government aiming to moderate behavior.

[neverevergiveup]

They’re politicians. They caused the budget issues, and now they have to find more money. They want to raise taxes, but have to find a way that will not hurt them politically. They choose to tax ‘sugary’ drinks, because they can sell it by saying they’re only concerned about the health of their constituents. In reality, if they could put a tax on milk and not get slammed for it they would do this too.

[joshua c]

Give them what they want. Leave it on the shelves.

Crook county will get no money and the soda companies will beat up the pols until this is repealed.

Win Win

[txrefugee]

Soft drinks are not a dietary necessity. In fact, they are bad for your health, so that may be a good thing.

[Socon-Econ]

Maybe Cook County socialists are starting to run out of other peoples’ money to spend.

[yldstrk]

I thought it was some British bs

[from occupied ga]

so that may be a good thing.

I think you're lost. DU is over there to the left.

[Sacajaweau]

I'm 73...When I was a kid, we bought Coke from a machine at the gas station. We also learned what slugs were. :-)

We didn't get fat. We also drank WHOLE milk, ate eggs, bread, meat, potatoes, vegies, very little fruit except when is season.

What we didn't do....was sit around on our butts all day.

Soft drinks bad for your health? Not any worse than OJ.

[NonValueAdded]

So how'd that work in other jurisdictions /s

It won't come close to generating the revenue they forecast, but what it will generate is a nice bump to the revenue projection so they can over-spend a little bit more. It's such a game.

[upchuck]

Since the RATS have singled out "sugary drinks," I assume the tax doesn't apply to diet soft drinks?

Eat Drink your heart out, Chi-town.

[traderrob6]

Legislating against undesirable choices...what a novel idea.

Government infringing on liberty via oppressive taxation....always a “good thing”.

[puppypusher]

The way to get around these burdensome taxes is to not buy the product being taxed.

These government entities will soon discover that they’re taking in less tax money than they planned.

Whether that will kill the tax remains to be seen,but I would refuse to pay it.

[Blennos]

There are more grams of sugar in 1 cup of grape juice(36) than in 1 cup of coca cola (26). Same for apple juice. It’s best to avoid all fruit juices.

http://www.livestrong.com/article/450038-juices-with-the-highest-sugar-content/