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 Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker is encouraging road trips just in
time for drivers to catch the next boost in the state’s gas tax.
The law that doubled Illinois’ state portion of the gas tax also automatically
boosts the tax every July 1 based on inflation – a move that saved state
lawmakers from the political backlash of voting for future gas tax increases.
The gas tax is next set to increase by one-half penny per gallon starting July
1, according to the Illinois Department of Revenue.
The boost will mean the average driver in Illinois will be paying $105.67 more
per year than they did before the gas tax doubled.
July 1 will mark Illinois’ third motor fuel tax increase in as many years. Rates
doubled to $0.38 per gallon from $0.19 in July 2019, then to $0.387 in 2020 and
will hit $0.392 on July 1.
After the last automatic increase in 2020, Illinois’ average gas taxes ranked
third highest in the nation. Illinois is one of the few states that charge sales
taxes atop all the other taxes and fees, essentially taxing the taxes on a
gallon of gas.
Pritzker is currently pushing Illinoisans and drivers from
neighboring states to take a road trip in Illinois. The “Time For Me to Drive”
campaign is a $6 million initiative aimed at jump-starting state tourism.
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“After an incredibly difficult year in which the
pandemic kept us all close to home and staying apart, lifesaving
vaccines are bringing us back to life and heading toward a summer of
fun and venturing out,” Pritzker said May 12.
Pritzker has predicted Illinois will “fully reopen” by June 11, with
mask mandates still in place.
Illinois has options other than continually, automatically
increasing gasoline taxes. Funding state infrastructure through a
targeted, merit-based approach that prioritizes renovations and
helping the greatest number of drivers – rather than based on which
politician gets a photo op next to a shiny new bridge – delivers
better taxpayer value. House Bill 253 proposes just such a system,
similar to Virginia’s SMART Scale program.
Contact your state lawmaker and ask that they co-sponsor HB 253 to
support smart road, bridge and infrastructure spending in Illinois.
Then they can repeal the state’s too-high gasoline taxes.
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