Nanny staters are gonna nanny state.
Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s meddlesome agenda was dealt a blow Wednesday when Illinois’ Cook County voted to repeal its soda tax just months after it was adopted.
Liz Harrington at the Free Beacon:
Billionaire Michael Bloomberg’s crusade against soda has met another failure, as Chicago voted to end its taxation Wednesday.Cook County commissioners voted 15-2 to repeal the 1-cent per ounce tax on soda, diet soda, sweetened coffees and teas, and sports drinks. The editorial board of the Chicago Tribune called the tax “highway robbery.” The tax added a $1.28 tax for a gallon of zero-calorie iced tea.The vote is the latest in a series of losses for Bloomberg, who has poured millions into anti-soda campaigns.The former New York City mayor spent at least $5 million on ads supporting the Cook County tax and vowed to spend “whatever it takes” to reelect commissioners who supported it.Ultimately, only two commissioners voted against the repeal, which ends the tax officially on Dec. 1. The tax will be in effect for just four months.
Bloomberg has taken his anti-soda campaign nationally with little success.
The contentious tax was met with an abundance of drama and a legal battle before being implemented.
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