CHICAGO – Illinois families will notice a substantial hike at the grocery checkout if a new tax on sugary drinks to be voted on this week in the Illinois Senate becomes law.
The new statewide tax will add a one cent per ounce tax to sugary drinks such as soda pop, fruit drinks, flavored drink powders and chocolate-flavored drink.
The proposed one cent per ounce tax will double the Cook County one cent per ounce tax that is already poised go into effect in July 2017.
The so-called soda pop tax will increase the cost of a gallon of chocolate drink by $1.28 statewide and $2.56 in Cook County.