HR0567 100TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

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

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.