Judge dismisses lawsuit, allowing tax to begin.
Cook County, Ill.—which includes Chicago and surrounding areas—is set to implement a penny-per-ounce tax on sweetened beverages beginning Aug. 2.
According to an article in the Chicago Tribune, on Friday, July 28, Cook County Circuit Judge Daniel Kubasiak dismissed a lawsuit that challenged the county tax as unconstitutional and also removed the temporary restraining order that had stopped the tax from going into effect on July 1, clearing the path for the tax to begin.
The tax will affect both sugar- and artificially sweetened drinks.