DES PLAINES, Ill. – Continuing his fight to protect working families from unfair taxes, state Rep. Marty Moylan, D-Des Plaines, is pleased to see Cook County officials vote to repeal and remove the “penny-per-ounce” Sugar-Beverage tax on Wednesday.

“It’s been a long, tough battle, but I’m glad the Cook County Commissioners listened to local residents and were finally able to repeal the terrible Sugar-Beverage Tax,” said Moylan. “We were out there every day, going door-to-door, and it feels great to be able to come together and ‘can the beverage tax.’”

Last November, the Cook County Board of commissioners ultimately voted in favor of adding an extra tax on sugar sweetened beverages throughout Cook County. The “penny-per-ounce” beverage tax was set to start on July 1^st of this year until a lawsuit pushed the tax back to August. Moylan was one of the first elected officials to come out against the tax and immediately kicked off a petition drive against the tax and raised awareness for constituents to voice their opinions to the Cook County Board.

“Most of the residents that I have talked to can’t afford any new taxes, and the cost for many of the small businesses in the area was starting to become unbearable,” said Moylan. “I’m glad we were able to send a strong message to the Cook County officials who were trying to nickel and dime working families. I would also like to thank everyone who signed my petition against the Sugar-Beverage Tax and helped us fight the good fight.”

In August, Moylan co-sponsored House Bill 4083 which would eliminate the beverage tax and prohibit any local government in Illinois from implementing such taxes in the future. For more information about this issue, or any questions relating the repeal of the Sugar-Beverage Tax, please contact Moylan’s full-time constituent office at 847-635-6821 or email StateRepMoylan@gmail.com.

DECATUR, Ill. – State Rep Sue Scherer, D-Decatur, is calling for a new state law prohibiting additional taxes on fruit juices, flavored waters and sodas from being enacted at the local level.

“Taxing everyday purchases like fruit juices, flavored waters and sodas only adds to the burden of families who are already struggling to make ends meet,” said Scherer. “As we’re seeing in Cook County, the beverage tax is a misguided effort to increase costs for working families, and I refuse to allow such taxes to be implemented in our communities.”

Scherer is working to give residents a break from high taxes and level the playing field for local businesses by co-sponsoring House Bill 4083, which prohibits any local government in Illinois from implementing a “penny-per-ounce” tax on sweetened beverages, including orange juice and vegetable juices, certain coffees and teas, flavored waters and diet sodas.

“Increasing beverage taxes would disproportionally impact low-income families, hurt local small businesses, and destroy jobs,” Scherer said. “The effect on the local economy would be devastating. Instead of over-taxing consumers and putting jobs at risk, we should be prioritizing job creation and economic growth as the means to getting our state back on sound financial footing.”

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – To address growing concerns about Cook County’s regressive penny per ounce sweetened beverage tax, state Rep. Sam Yingling, D-Grayslake, is sponsoring new legislation to prevent local governments from implementing similar beverage taxes in Lake County.

“The hard-working people I represent can’t afford new taxes on their groceries,” Yingling said. “The solution to government’s financial woes cannot be at the expense of struggling and middle-class families. A grocery tax unfairly increases the tax load carried by middle-class families. My bill will prevent our local governments from copying Cook County’s beverage tax and nickel and diming local consumers.”

Yingling is continuing his push to give residents a break from high taxes by sponsoring House Bill 4083 in response to Cook County’s penny per ounce tax on sweetened beverages, which hikes taxes on some orange juice and vegetable juices, certain coffees and teas, flavored waters and diet sodas in addition to sugar-sweetened beverages. Yingling’s measure would prevent any municipality or county from implementing a similar tax in the future.

“Instead of regressive taxes, we must modernize and reform our tax code so that people who make more pay a higher rate and people who make less pay a lower rate. That way, we can provide an environment where small businesses can grow and middle-class families can thrive,” Yingling continued. “I fought to ensure a beverage tax wasn’t included in any state budget plan, and I’ll continue to fight for the taxpayers of Lake County.”

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Continuing to stand up against harmful taxes impacting residents, state Rep. Marty Moylan, D-Des Plaines, is sponsoring legislation to repeal the Cook County Beverage Tax.

“Many of the residents I have spoken to cannot afford to pay any new taxes,” Moylan said. “This beverage tax is just another attempt by out-of-touch politicians to nickel and dime hard-working families in Des Plaines, Elk Grove Village, and Park Ridge.”

Earlier this month, the Cook County Sweetened-Beverage tax took effect and taxes all sweetened beverages within the county at the rate of one cent per ounce. Moylan believes this is an unfair tax pushed through by Cook County and Chicago politicians. The county’s tax raises the average cost of a 2-liter soda by 67 percent, and raises the average cost of a bottle of fruit juice or iced tea by 43 percent.

Moylan’s House Bill 4083 would eliminates Cook County’s “penny-per-ounce” tax on sweetened beverages, which even raises taxes on orange juice and vegetable juices, certain coffees and teas, flavored waters and diet sodas. His measure would also prohibit any local government in Illinois from implementing such taxes in the future.

“This tax greatly increases the cost of groceries and adds yet another tax burden to local families,” Moylan said. “Even more concerning is that this tax will hurt local businesses and jeopardize jobs in our community, by pushing residents to shop outside of Cook County. I encourage all residents who disagree with this tax to sign my petition so we can show Cook County officials that we cannot afford to continue to pay these taxes.”

For more information about this issue, or to sign and/or circulate a petition for the repeal of the beverage tax, please contact Moylan’s full-time constituent office at 847-635-6821 or email StateRepMoylan@gmail.com.

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – State Rep. Michelle Mussman, D-Schaumburg, is fighting to repeal the Cook County beverage tax by calling for a new state law eliminating the county’s additional tax on fruit juices, flavored waters and sodas, and prohibiting these taxes statewide.

“The middle-class families I represent are sick and tired of being nickeled and dimed at every turn,” Mussman said. “I oppose the county’s tax, because as a mother of three boys I know that fruit juices, flavored waters and sodas aren’t luxuries, they’re everyday purchases which now further add to the burden of families that are already stretched thin. It’s time to correct Cook County’s mistake and provide local families with some much-needed relief.”

Mussman is working to give Cook County residents a break from high taxes and level the playing field for local businesses by introducing House Bill 4083. Mussman’s bill eliminates Cook County’s “penny-per-ounce” tax on sweetened beverages, which even raises taxes on orange juice and vegetable juices, certain coffees and teas, flavored waters and diet sodas. Mussman’s bill would also prohibit any local government in Illinois from implementing such taxes in the future.

In addition to fighting against Cook County’s beverage tax, Mussman has successfully opposed new state taxes on groceries. The county’s tax raises the average cost of a 2-liter soda by 67 percent, and raises the average cost of a bottle of fruit juice or iced tea by 43 percent.

“Middle-class families and seniors living on fixed incomes can’t afford new taxes every time politicians need money, and small businesses in our area can’t afford another tax that pushes customers across the county line for even their most basic purchases,” Mussman said. “Repealing Cook County’s tax and stopping these taxes statewide makes our community and all communities in Illinois better places for families to live and a better places for small businesses to grow.”