Posted on September 14, 2016 | Forbes by Nancy Fink Huehnergarth
As expected, the beverage industry filed a lawsuit in Philadelphia’s Court of Common Pleas on Wednesday seeking to have the city’s 1 ½ cent per ounce tax on soft drinks declared “unlawful”. Lawyers for the plaintiffs are also seeking an injunction to halt the implementation of the tax on January 1st.
The beverage tax, which will be levied on both sugary and diet drinks, was passed by Philadelphia’s City Council and signed into law by Mayor Jim Kenney in June. Kenney proposed the tax in early 2016 as a way to raise about $92 million a year for universal pre-K and other Philadelphia programs and services.