An increase to West Virginia’s soft drink tax, which has remained stagnant for more than 60 years, could serve as another way to bolster the state’s flagging tax revenue while discouraging soda consumption, according to local policy experts. Read
Tara Holmes, the summer research associate for the West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy, told a group of stakeholders Wednesday during the group’s regular Lunch and Learn that an increase in the state’s existing soft drink tax, currently 1 cent on every single soft drink up to 16.9 ounces — anything larger is subject to another penny in tax — could equal millions in revenue that could be allocated to higher education, the state’s Medicaid fund, or another public program.
