Philadelphia could become 1st major US city with soda tax

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Philadelphia could soon become the first major U.S. city with a sugary drinks tax after a city council committee voted Wednesday to approve an amended version of a soda tax proposal that would set a 1.5 cent-per-ounce tax on sugary and diet drinks.

Afterward, Clarke expressed concerns about how the tax would be implemented, such as including diverse labor participation in recreation center building projects and ensuring that Philadelphia's most vulnerable children benefit from pre-k expansion.

Philadelphia's proposal has drawn national attention, with former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg jumping into the fray and spending thousands of dollars on ads supporting the measure.

Both sides dug in hard ahead of Wednesday's vote, with people shouting "No new tax!" and "Kids can't wait!" across the council chamber.