Pritzker’s latest gas tax hike greets Independence Day travelers

Just in time for Independence Day travel, drivers will face Illinois’ latest gasoline tax hike. Gov. J.B. Pritzker has added 29 cents per gallon since 2019 – costing the average driver $143 more per year.

Independence Day travel is expected to set a record in Illinois, with 4.2 million total travelers and most of them – 3.86 million – hitting the roads.

That makes Gov. J.B. Pritzker happy: his latest gas tax hike to 48.3 cents per gallon hits July 1. The holiday travel will translate into $3.82 million in state gas taxes, based on U.S. averages for fuel efficiency and holiday mileage.

That is, if drivers buy their gas in Illinois. Buying gas in Wisconsin or Iowa would save about 50 cents a gallon. Missouri gas was 64 cents cheaper and Indiana 22 cents cheaper heading into the holiday travel period.

The difference is taxes, with Illinois charging the nation’s second-highest rate.

Pritzker doubled the state gas tax from 19 cents in 2019 and set an automatic annual inflation adjustment so state lawmakers would no longer be held responsible for the unpopular tax hikes. With the July 1 hike, motorists are paying 29 cents a gallon more than before Pritzker’s boost to support his $45 billion infrastructure bill.

Each year, Pritzker’s gas tax hike costs drivers $143 more than they paid before he imposed it.

It gets worse: Pritzker’s tax hike is atop existing federal and state gas taxes. Before this July’s tax hike, Illinoisans paid just about 85 cents per gallon in total federal and state taxes and fees. Now with this increase, the tax burden per gallon will be about 86 cents.

Illinois also double taxes drivers, charging taxes on taxes. Illinois is one of three states that applies the state’s general sales tax on top of the price of gasoline, after federal taxes have been added.

If you buy gas in Chicago, the tax burden is even worse because drivers pay additional sales taxes to the city and the county. Drivers pay an additional 1.75% of the base price of gasoline, plus federal taxes and underground storage fees, to Cook County. They pay another 1.25% in sales taxes to Chicago.

Chicagoans are not done paying yet: They must also pay additional set amounts of motor fuel tax. They pay 8 cents a gallon to the city and 3 cents to the county.

Fuel taxes hurt some drivers more than others. They eat a larger share of low-income drivers’ budgets, plus those drivers often have older vehicles that are less fuel efficient. Families often have no choice but to pay these taxes so they can go to work, take children to day care or try to enjoy a little independence during a holiday weekend.

This Independence Day weekend, Illinoisans can take a stand against government tyranny and foster a little rebellion by filling up out of state. State politicians just set a record for state spending at $55.2 billion, so maybe they need to be reminded they are spending other people’s money so freely.