The new statewide sugary drink tax, on top of Cook County’s similar tax and Chicago’s highest-in-the-nation sales tax, would make soda prices in the city skyrocket.

The Illinois Senate’s budget “compromise” hits Illinoisans with more than $5 billion in tax hikes, continued budget deficits and no real reforms.

Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle cast the tie-breaking vote in favor of new tax on sugary and artificially sweetened beverages.

The “Sweetened Beverage Tax” bill – proposed legislation before the Illinois Senate – would impose a tax of one cent per ounce on all “bottled sugar-sweetened beverages” – has already started to receive a lot of attention. According to the bill’s authors, the tax would result in “a 23.5 percent reduction in sugar-sweetened beverage consumption” and “a...