Bill Text: IL HR0567 | 2017-2018 | 100th General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Opposes the Cook County sweetened-beverage tax.

Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill

Status: (Failed) 2019-01-08 - Session Sine Die [HR0567 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2017-HR0567-Introduced.html

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HR0567 LRB100 13723 MST 28444 r
HOUSE RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, The taxpayers of the State of Illinois are
currently facing a tremendous financial hardship due to the
ever-increasing tax burden that is being placed upon them;
homeowners and business owners are fleeing this State in order
to escape the dismal economic climate; and
WHEREAS, Illinois has the second-highest property taxes in
the country, and adding to this, the General Assembly recently
approved a 32% increase in the income tax rate, in addition to
adding a back-door sales tax increase to E10 gasoline, which
will have a negative impact on families across this State; and
WHEREAS, In addition to the State creating a difficult
financial situation for taxpayers, certain local units of
government are exacerbating the problem; and
WHEREAS, The Cook County Board of Commissioners passed a
sweetened-beverage tax on November 10, 2016 (Ordinance Number
16-5931) that, beginning July 1, 2017, would impose a
sweetened-beverage tax at the rate of one cent per ounce on
sweetened-beverages, including soda, fountain drinks, certain
sweetened juices, ready-to-drink sweetened coffee drinks, and
sports and energy drinks, purchased in Cook County; and

HR0567 - 2 - LRB100 13723 MST 28444 r
WHEREAS, The tax is unnecessary and injurious to Illinois
families that are already facing difficult economic times; and
WHEREAS, This tax negatively impacts the State's economy by
directly hurting the Illinois beverage industry; and
WHEREAS, The sweetened-beverage tax has been the subject of
much public criticism and legal challenge; businesses have
challenged the legality of the law (both under the uniformity
clause of the Illinois Constitution and its overly vague
construction); while the legal challenge brought forth delayed
the implementation of the tax, the ordinance went into effect
on August 2, 2017; therefore, be it
RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE
HUNDREDTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we
strongly oppose the imposition of the sweetened-beverage tax
and urge the Cook County Board of Commissioners to immediately
repeal the sweetened-beverage tax for its negative effect on
the already over-taxed residents of Cook County.