iradiophilly | News - PA Supreme Court Uphold Soda Tax; Body Found in Plastic in Fairmount; Couple Charged in Baby's Death

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PA Supreme Court Uphold Soda Tax; Body Found in Plastic in Fairmount; Couple Charged in Baby's Death

by: iradioal - Philadelphia, PA
started: 07/18/18 4:33 pm | updated: 07/18/18 4:34 pm

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled in favor of the City of Philadelphia and upheld the city's tax on sweetened beverages. The so called 'Soda Tax' is 1.5 cents/ounce. The beverage industry argued that the tax is in violation of the 1932 Sterling Act that gave Philadelphia its own tax authority, but also prohibits it from taxing anything already taxed by the state. Since beverages are already subject to a 6% sales tax they argued it can't be taxed again. The city argued that the tax is not on the beverages themselves but on the distribution to the retail outlets. The PA Supreme Court agreed with the city and ruled 5-2 that the beverage tax does not duplicate another tax. The beverage tax brought in $79 million in its first year, well below its $92 million estimate.

"I am grateful to the Justices of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court for their fair and careful review of this case. We maintained from the day we proposed the tax that it stood on solid legal footing, and the Justices, like two courts before them, agreed. Beyond the legal resolution, today's decisive ruling offers renewed hope for tens of thousands of Philadelphia children and families who struggle for better lives in the face of rampant poverty," Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney said in a statement.

Philadelphia Police are investigating after the body of a man was found wrapped in plastic in a home in the Fairmount neighborhood. The discovery was made by contractors. The body was found just after 9:30 a.m. in a bedroom of a second-floor apartment on the 1900 block of Mount Vernon Street. He has only been identified as a 47-year-old man. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The investigation is underway. No arrests have been made.

The parents of a 4-month-old boy are now charged with murder after he suffocated to death in a Burlington County motel. 42-year-old William Herring and 22-year-old Brianna Brochhausen are charged with murder and conspiracy to commit murder. It happened on February 14th at the Hilltop Motel in the 100 block of Route 68 in Springfield Township, NJ, where the family had been living. The couple was frustrated because their son, Hunter, would not stop crying and decided to place him in 'time out.' They put the child on his stomach on the bed and pulled the comforter over him. They then went outside to smoke a cigarette. When they returned 10 minutes later, Hunter was not breathing. He was taken to Virtua Hospital in Mount Holly and transferred to Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Hunter died on March 3rd after being taken off life support. The couple was initially charged with endangering the welfare of a child back in March, but the investigation led authorities to upgrade the charges.

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by: iradioal - Philadelphia, PA | responded: 07/18 4:34 pm

42-year-old William Herring and 22-year-old Brianna Brochhausen

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