Restaurant and bar owners this afternoon filed an amended lawsuit against Allegheny County's drink tax.

Cris Hoel, attorney for several restaurants that had previously filed suit, said the complaint has been amended into a class action representing every liquor license holder in the county.

"The hospitality industry has exhausted all its options" in negotiating with county Chief Executive Dan Onorato and county council, he said.

In addition to the lawsuit, filed in county Common Pleas Court, the establishments will concentrate their efforts on a referendum to be placed on the fall ballot. They will begin collecting signatures for that in June.

They also will pusue agenda initiatives, collecting signatures to put proposed ordinances on the agenda to force county council to repeatedly vote for or against repeal of the tax.

More details in tomorrow's Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.