By: Ted Dabrowski and Nick Binotti
If you’re mad about Illinois gas prices as you prepare for your Independence Day travels, blame Gov. J.B. Pritzker and the lawmakers who voted to double motor fuel taxes back in 2019. Not only did they double those taxes, they made sure they go up every year with inflation.
As a result, Illinois’ motor fuel tax will increase to 47 cents per gallon on July 1, up from 45.4 cents per gallon today.
Add up all the other gas taxes imposed at the pump and Illinoisans now pay the nation’s second-highest gas taxes in the country. The most recent state-to-state comparison put Illinois’ total state and federal tax at 85 cents, only behind California’s. Illinois’ taxes are also far higher than those of its neighboring states.
Those big gas taxes are also a reason why Illinois’ overall gas prices are currently the highest in the country east of the Rockies and the nation’s sixth-highest overall.
Illinois’ gas price on June 19 averaged $3.82, while the prices of its neighbors were: Missouri, $3.05; Iowa $3.18; Kentucky $3.21; Wisconsin $3.30; Indiana $3.50; and Michigan $3.54.
For many years, Illinois’ motor fuel tax was at 19 cents per gallon. Then on July 1, 2019, Gov. Pritzker and the Illinois legislature doubled it to 38 cents when they voted for a $45 billion capital spending bill. And after five years of automatic hikes based on inflation, Illinois’ motor fuel tax will total 47 cents per gallon, 28 cents higher than it was back in 2019 – a 147% increase.
Illinois also charges a sales tax on the price of gas – one of just a handful of states to do so. That means as gas prices jump – they’re up about 60 cents per gallon since January – the sales tax charged on gas jumps along with it.
Layer on Illinois’ local government gas taxes and they all compound to inflict major pain at the pump.
So if you’re driving through Kentucky and you see gas prices 60 cents cheaper there, or you’re in Missouri, where it’s 75 cents lower, remember who’s responsible.
Read more from Wirepoints:
- Here’s what Chicago voters will need now: School report cards by district
- Dolton’s mayor gets all the attention, but what about the failure – and high pay – of Dolton’s school admins?
- Illinois government’s $100K salary and pension club: 140,000 members and rising
- States across the country are cutting taxes. Illinois just raised theirs by nearly $1 billion.
A mess of uncertainty and litigation is sure to follow.
With $162 billion more from taxpayers, couldn’t you deliver a few bond upgrades, too
Florida just lowered the sales tax on rentals, leases and license to use real property from 4.5% to 2%. Isn’t it funny how the liberals say that Florida is horrible.
Maryland is lowering their motor fuel tax this year.
https://marylandmatters.org/2024/05/30/gas-tax-to-decrease-slightly-in-july/
And to no ones surprise our increased motor fuel taxes are being used to bailout Chicago, not pave our roads.
A never ending tax, applied without notice every July. An absolute wet dream for every democrat politician in the state. Meanwhile, talk with a voter who votes for democrats and complains about the gas taxes and explain to them that the democrats passed this tax. The look you get is comparable to a puppy that just soiled the carpet. The next thing they do is wave their hand and say they don’t want to talk about it.
Or you’ll get a bunch of hot air from someone sporting the blue colored glasses about the “ great quality of life “ in IL. Yeah, high taxes, immigrants buzzing through social services, openly corrupt politicians brazenly stuffing their pockets and misspending revenues left and right, a perpetually aggrieved underserved class committed increasing violent crimes, non- demonized “ yutes “ causing mayhem whenever more than four of them gather, etc. Hooray for IL.
Right, if the state raised the motor fuel tax 9 cents per gallon this year, everyone would notice. But a couple cents, couple cents there, shoulder shrug. Complain about it one year and you’re mocked for whining about 2 pennies. Yet it’s all adding up.
It’s the boiling frog experiment, except we’re in the pot.
I pretty much agree with Boomer, Hello, and Nick above. On the other hand, if your gas tank holds 15 gallons, you will pay $.24 more to fill it up next month.
Then there is the adage, “don’t complain unless the person you’re complaining to can remedy your complaint.”
WP missed the other half of the story. In Michigan there isn’t a single toll road in the entire state! Yep, it can be done even in a blue state.
There is no denying it. The gasoline tax in Illinois is ridiculously high. Just like the property taxes in Illinois are ridiculously high. As other states reduce taxes, the overall tax burden in Illinois continues to go higher. What do Illinois residents get for these ridiculously high taxes? Apparently nothing but poor services. The long term solution is obvious. Leave as soon as you can. It is only going to get worse. Follow the science as the awful Governor of Illinois says! Taxes will continue to rise, and that’s a guarantee.
If you live in IL and want to stay…… how about voting out this wind bag……….it can be done !! He only wants to feather his own nest and doesn’t care at all about the people paying his salary or the bills
Ride a bike. Save the planet. Just like Fatboy and BJ do. Otherwise youze disgusting sinful destroyers of the planet must suffer.
Gotta pay those pensions.