Cook County Tries To Up Tax On Sugary Drinks — Retailers Say ‘Stop Right There’

The nutrition label on a can of soda with the ingredient high fructose corn syrup. Cook County is considering a penny-per-ounce tax of sugary drinks, like sodas, sports drinks and artificially sweetened lemonades.
The nutrition label on a can of soda with the ingredient high fructose corn syrup. Matt Rourke / AP Photo
The nutrition label on a can of soda with the ingredient high fructose corn syrup. Cook County is considering a penny-per-ounce tax of sugary drinks, like sodas, sports drinks and artificially sweetened lemonades.
The nutrition label on a can of soda with the ingredient high fructose corn syrup. Matt Rourke / AP Photo

Cook County Tries To Up Tax On Sugary Drinks — Retailers Say ‘Stop Right There’

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In an attempt to make revenue, and help public health, Cook County is joining other cities in the effort to bump up taxes on sugary drinks. The tax is scheduled to go into effect this Saturday, but the Illinois Retail Merchants Association has filed a lawsuit on behalf of its members to halt the tax. There was a hearing on the lawsuit Wednesday. 

WBEZ’s Mike Puente has been covering the beverage tax at the County Board and he joins us to break down what this would mean for consumers. Plus, a reporter from the Philadelphia Inquirer how that city managed to get past a similar lawsuit to enact the tax.