Campaigning ahead of Tuesday’s primary election in Pennsylvania, Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton said “I’m very supportive” of the 3-cent-an-ounce soda tax proposed by Mayor Jim Kenney, reported CNN. Kenney included the tax as part of on overall city budget package, expected to go to a final vote in the city council in May. “I’m very supportive of the mayor’s proposal to tax soda to get universal pre-school for kids,” Clinton said at a forum sponsored by a gun control group. “I mean, we need universal pre-school. And if that’s a way to do it, that’s how we should do it.” Clinton has a sizable lead over Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders in public opinion polls of voters in the state.
Only one city has a soda tax at present, Berkeley, Calif., with a 1-cent-per-ounce levy, so Philadelphia would have the highest rate. “Does it have to be so stiff?” asks philly.com. “An analysis done by the City Council, which would need to approve the tax, found that a 2.5-cents-per-ounce tax could actually bring in slightly more revenue, as it would trigger a smaller decline in soda sales.” The difference was small – the 3-cent tax is estimated to generate $95 million and a 2.5-cent tax would bring in $95.2 million.
“Several City Council members and staffers, speaking not for attribution, said it’s unlikely that a 3-cents-an-ounce tax would pass,” said philly.com