Distilled Spirits Council of the U.S. (DISCUS) Speaks Out Against a Proposal in Cook County, Illinois

(this news brief was posted by Shanken News Daily on October 27, 2011) The Distilled Spirits Council of the U.S. (DISCUS) is speaking out against a proposal in Cook County, Illinois to raise spirits taxes by 25%, calling it a job-killing measure for the local hospitality industry. Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle has proposed an increase of the county excise tax on spirits to $2.50 per gallon, up from the current $2.00 per gallon. According to DISCUS, the hospitality industry in Chicago is still down 13,000 jobs from when the recession began. The city has had three tax hikes in recent years—two city tax increases in 2005 and 2008, and one state excise tax increase in 2009—which have nearly doubled spirits taxes.