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Proposal to Tax Athletic shoes 25 cents

A Cook County judge has been found not guilty by reason of insanity on a misdemeanor battery charge in connection with an altercation with a sheriff's deputy. Judge Cynthia Brim in March was accused of throwing a set of keys and shoving a sheriff's deputy at a security checkpoint.

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SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — New athletic shoes could cost 25 cents more in Illinois.

State Rep. Will Davis from the Chicago suburb of Hazel Crest wants the new tax to pay for a youth job preparation program. According to published news reports, the Democratic lawmaker wants to raise about $3 million and most consumers wouldn't notice it. The 25 cents per pair of athletic shoes would go to the state's YouthBuild programs.

Davis says he sees it "as a uniquely creative way of helping youth."

There is opposition to the plan. The Illinois Retail Merchants Association says it will fight the proposal because it creates paperwork for store owners.

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