OSCPA, CAT coalition files amicus brief in Grocers Association challenge of the CAT.

• Position: Advocacy & Lobbying

A coalition of business groups led by OSCPA has filed a second amicus brief with the Ohio Supreme Court in support of the state's position in Ohio Grocers Association v. Wilkins.

In the case originally filed in 2006, the Ohio Grocer's Association, et al, filed suit against the state claiming that applying the CAT to off-site consumption of food is unconstitutional. Last year, the 10th District Court of Appeals ruled that the CAT is an excise tax and, therefore, cannot constitutionally be applied to grocery stores and fast food restaurants, among others. In the first amicus filing, OSCPA joined other business groups in successfully filing an amicus brief supporting acceptance of the case by the Supreme Court.

Five additional briefs were also filed in support of upholding the CAT, including The Ohio Business Roundtable, a coalition of education groups, a labor union alliance, a group representing political subdivisions and a coalition of anti-poverty interests. They join OSCPA, the Ohio State Medical Association, the Ohio Dental Association, the Ohio Manufacturers' Association and the Ohio Chemistry Technology Council in support of...