Supermarkets, gas stations forced to advertise Pritzker tax ‘relief’ July 1

By Dylan Sharkey

07/01/2022

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.

TAGS: gas prices, gas tax, grocery tax, JB Pritzker, motor fuel tax, taxes

Illinois drivers pay $35 more to fill up on gas than one year ago

By Patrick Andriesen

06/30/2022

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.

TAGS: gas prices, gas tax, JB Pritzker, motor fuel tax, taxes

Illinois drivers pay 54 cents more per gallon than rest of U.S. ahead of July 4 travel

By Dylan Sharkey

06/29/2022

Independence Day travel will return to pre-pandemic levels this weekend, reminding Illinoisans they pay the most for gas in the Midwest thanks to high taxes.

TAGS: free speech, gas prices, gas station, gas tax, inflation, JB Pritzker, taxes

Illinois gas stations display Pritzker gas tax hikes to counter election propaganda

By Dylan Sharkey

06/28/2022

Illinois gas station owners lost their legal fight over the requirement to advertise the delay in Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s annual gas tax hike. Stations now will post the mandated signs July 1, but are also telling drivers how much state leaders raised the gas taxes.

TAGS: gas station, gas tax, JB Pritzker

Biden may suspend federal gas tax as Pritzker sets up double hike for 2023

By Dylan Sharkey

06/23/2022

President Biden will call on Congress to suspend the federal gasoline and diesel tax for three months. Instead of suspending it, Gov J.B. Pritzker delayed the next motor fuel tax hike until after the election, hitting Illinois drivers with two hikes in 2023.

TAGS: Amendment 1, gas prices, gas tax, JB Pritzker, Joe Biden, taxes

Taxpayer pension costs exceeded Illinois projections by $13.7 billion since 2013

By Justin Carlson

06/17/2022

Unrealistic assumptions and missed investment returns have meant Illinois taxpayers paid $13.7 billion more for public pensions than state leaders projected five years earlier. Unless the estimates improve, taxpayers will pay an extra $21.3 billion during the next decade.

TAGS: debt, JB Pritzker, pension reform, pensions

Pritzker hands businesses $650M in taxes, fee hikes during pandemic

By Dylan Sharkey

06/13/2022

Since taking office, Gov. J.B. Pritzker has passed 24 tax and fee hikes worth $5.24 billion. Of that, $650 million directly targeted businesses as they fought through a pandemic economy.

TAGS: COVID-19, fees, JB Pritzker, taxes

Pritzker: No ‘silver bullet’ for pension crisis

By Dylan Sharkey

06/08/2022

Gov. J.B Pritzker touted his record on pensions, claiming his administration reduced pension debt. He cites an analysis of state pension data but fails to mention its conclusion suggesting reform.

TAGS: JB Pritzker, pensions

Unions backed doubling gas tax, now push disguised tax hike amendment

By Hannah Max

06/02/2022

The same unions that supported doubling the gas tax in 2019 donated $15 million to politicians who voted for Amendment 1, a proposed tax hike sold as a “workers’ rights” amendment.

TAGS: Amendment 1, gas tax, government unions, JB Pritzker, taxes, workers rights

Pritzker fact check: Illinois population isn’t ‘booming’

By Dylan Sharkey

05/24/2022

A Census survey intended to estimate the accuracy of the 2020 Census is being used to project an Illinois population increase. While there may be more Illinoisans than originally thought, that does not mean they aren’t leaving at an accelerating pace.

TAGS: JB Pritzker, outmigration, population, U.S. Census Bureau