Cook County, Illinois was supposed to join the parade of localities (that started in Berkeley, of course) taxing sugary soft drinks today, but thanks to a temporary restraining order issued by Circuit Judge Daniel Kubasiak, shoppers in Chicago and surrounding suburbs can guzzle as much Pepsi and Coke as they wish, without paying a penny per ounce special tax.  The basis of the lawsuit that led to the TRO is quite intriguing. Becky Yurak reports in the Chicago Tribune: The ruling by Circuit Judge Daniel Kubasiak to grant a temporary restraining order came days after the Illinois Retail Merchants Association and several grocers filed a lawsuit against the Cook County Department of Revenue seeking to block the tax, which they argue is unconstitutional and too vague. (snip) The retailers have argued that, under the Illinois Constitution, similar objects should be taxed uniformly. Under the sweetened beverage tax, drinks in a bottle or from a fountain machine are...(Read Full Post)