A proposed one-cent tax on beverage containers in New Hampshire is dead.
The extra penny per container would have been charged to wholesalers. The House voted it down yesterday, despite exemptions for milk, baby formula, wine and liquor. The tax would have applied to soda, juices and bottled water.
Supporters tried to pass the penny off as a small fee that would pay for programs to manage trash and for recycling efforts by the state and communities.
Opponents said it wasn’t fair to tax the beverage industry when its products are more likely to be recycled than many others. They said the tax would put New Hampshire businesses at a competitive disadvantage with those from nearby states.