Philadelphia’s tax on sweetened drinks is legal, a state judge ruled Monday, delivering a significant triumph to Mayor Jim Kenney’s controversial law that has for months been under siege in court.
“It is a victory for Philadelphians, who have waited far too long for investment in their education system, in their neighborhoods,” Kenney said in a statement. “I urge the soda industry to accept the judge’s ruling and do the right thing for the children of Philadelphia, many of whom struggle in the chilling grip of pervasive poverty.”
Common Pleas Judge Gary Glazer dismissed all of the arguments presented by attorneys for the American Beverage Association who sought to dismantle the soda tax by claiming it would unfairly hit lower-income consumers the hardest and duplicate the state sales tax. But Glazer cast aside those contentions.
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