Plenty of Illinoisans will be on the road this holiday season, with record-high travel across the nation. Filling up for the trip is pricey in Illinois and will get even pricier after Jan. 1.
A bill in Springfield proposes delaying the Jan. 1 state gas tax hike. If it fails, drivers will see two gas tax hikes in 2023, expected to take the tax to over 45 cents a gallon.
AAA predicts nearly 55 million people will travel for Thanksgiving this year, only 2% less than Thanksgiving travel in 2019. Illinoisans hitting the road should try to fill up in other states.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s re-election ad praises him for fictional tax relief, hinting he repealed the grocery tax and lowered the gas tax. Neither is true.
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker touted a six-month delay in the next automatic gas tax hike as “tax relief.” But since he assumed office, the gas tax he raised has taken an extra $277 from every person in Illinois.
State workers are out enforcing Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s mandate that all gas pumps carry a sign noting his delay in the next automatic gas tax hike. The Illinois Fuel and Retail Association is in state court fighting the mandate and $500-a-day fines.
July 1 marks the start of the suspended state grocery tax and delay in the automatic gas tax hike. Both industries are required by law to display signs reminding customers of the suspensions, but only gas stations face $500-a-day fines if they fail to comply.
Drivers are now paying $35 more to fill-up on regular gasoline and $65 more for diesel than they were a year ago. Gas taxes eat more than one-fifth of every tank.
After years of enhanced revenue from federal aid, a return to the basic principles of budgeting can put Illinois on the path to long-term financial stability