5 Sweet tax.

• Position: Vermont sales tax on soft drinks - Stateline - Brief article

A sugary fix is costing Vermonters a bit more these days. A new 6 percent sales tax on soft drinks, part of a $30 million package of fees aimed at closing a $113 million budget gap, took effect July 1. The tax is estimated to generate revenue of $7.9 million, of which $5.1 million will go to general operations and $2.8 million to education, according to the Vermont Department of Taxes. Customers who use food stamps are exempt from the tax. Lawmakers hope that, besides creating revenue, the tax will discourage unhealthy food consumption, which...