CHICAGO (CBS) — A judge has lifted an injunction on Cook County’s sweetened beverage tax, allowing the county to begin collecting the penny-per-ounce tax as soon as it wishes.
Cook County Circuit Judge Daniel Kubasiak had blocked the tax on June 30, one day before it was to go into effect, after opponents filed a lawsuit claiming the tax is unconstitutionally vague, and isn’t applied uniformly to the same drinks.
At a hearing Friday afternoon, Kubasiak dismissed the lawsuit and lifted the injunction, but it was not immediately clear how soon the county would implement the tax.
The tax would add a penny per ounce to the cost of buying all sugary soft drinks, lemonades, teas, sports drinks, and sweetened powders and syrups used for fountain drinks in Cook County. It also would include drinks made with artificial sweeteners.
County officials have estimated the tax would generate $17 million a month in revenue.
While the tax was blocked, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle had directed all county offices to cut 10 percent of their budgets, and more than 300 county employees were laid off earlier this month.
Cook County Commissioner Richard Boykin, who voted against the tax, claimed Preckwinkle “bullied” the court into lifting the injunction.
Developing…
from CBS Chicago http://ift.tt/2eUhS0n
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