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 As many Illinoisans hit the road this holiday weekend, they’ll be faced with
exorbitant gas taxes. But if some politicians get their way, it won’t stop
there. One candidate for governor has floated the idea of a vehicle miles
traveled, or VMT, tax.
“It’s only fair if you’re on a road and traveling on that road then you should
pay your fair share on the road like everybody else is paying,” Democratic
gubernatorial candidate J.B. Pritzker told the Daily Herald in January. More
recently, however, Pritzker has denied having a VMT tax plan, telling the
Illinois Farm Bureau on Aug. 22, “I don’t have a proposal for a mileage tax.”
This is not the first time an Illinois politician has suggested a per-mile
driving tax. In 2016, Senate President John Cullerton introduced a bill that
would have required all Illinois motorists to pay a VMT tax. That tax would have
come on top of the state’s current gas tax of 34 cents per gallon, but with
drivers receiving a tax credit from the state to cover the number of miles
driven per month.
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Additionally, Cullerton’s proposal would have
required drivers to either install a tracking devices to monitor
mileage or pay a flat annual rate of $450. Facing major opposition,
the Senate leader was ultimately forced to kill his own bill.
In light of these efforts, a group of 16 House
members have signed on to a resolution opposing a VMT tax. As
pointed out in the language of the resolution, “[a VMT tax] would
impose undue hardship and disproportionally impact rural Illinoisans
who must drive longer distances for work and school.”
Per-mile gas taxes raise serious privacy concerns. As Cullerton’s
bill illustrated, drivers may be required to install devices to
monitor miles driven in the event of a VMT tax. Not to mention that
a VMT tax would only add to Illinoisans’ already-punishing tax
burden.
Springfield should reject further calls for a VMT tax. Lawmakers
must introduce real fiscal reforms rather than continuing to lean on
overtaxed residents.
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