Illinois drivers enjoying Americans For Prosperity temporarily slashing gas prices

[May 27, 2022] By Greg Bishop | The Center Square

(The Center Square) – As Illinois drivers filling up at the pump prepare for the Memorial Day holiday weekend, some Springfield-area drivers were able to take a trip down memory lane with gas prices slashed nearly in half.

Americans For Prosperity paid the difference for the two-hour event Thursday. AFP Illinois State Director Jason Heffley said they’ve done this in several areas of Illinois and are looking to do it elsewhere.

One price slashing event took place in Kankakee when President Joe Biden visited the area. AFP paid the difference for the price to reflect what it cost per gallon before Bident took office. The group was in Peoria Wednesday with a similar event with plans to visit a location in southern Illinois in the near future.

Drivers in Springfield Thursday saw the price drop and began lining up around the block and beyond. Elenore from Springfield appreciated seeing the price drop from $4.69 to $2.38 a gallon.

“When it’s coming to filling up my tank, versus paying 80 bucks and I can get it filled up right at $35, it helps me out,” she said.

It costs AFP about $5,000 each event, Heffley said.

"We've had people almost in tears," Heffley said. "When people are living paycheck to paycheck, that is a huge amount of money in their pockets to do things in their everyday life."

Lamont from Springfield said he saw the Moto Mart price drop from $4.69 a gallon to $2.38 and instantly called family.

“I thought I was tripping,” he said. “I swear I thought they [were] tripping about the prices. Had to turn around and see for myself.”

The events around the state are an effort to raise awareness that federal policies need to change, Haffley said.

“Unleash our energy producers,” Haffley said. “We’ve tied their hands, and then we throw up our hands and say, ‘I don’t know how this happened,’ but it’s clear that the policies in Washington are what’s causing the prices to double in the last 18 months.”
 

Lamont said policy makers should do something about the high price.

“It would be nice, a lot of people will appreciate that and it would help a lot of people,” he said. “Look at all these people that’s been in and out of here in the last ten minutes. They needed this.”

The state’s high gas taxes are also compounding costs for drivers, Haffley said.

“We’re just pouring it on our consumers with bad policy after bad policy after bad policy,” Haffley said.

The national average Thursday was $4.60 a gallon. The average price of gas in Illinois as of Thursday is $4.96 a gallon, according to AAA. A year ago, it was $3.23 a gallon.

Greg Bishop reports on Illinois government and other issues for The Center Square. Bishop has years of award-winning broadcast experience and hosts the WMAY Morning Newsfeed out of Springfield.