Separately, state Rep. Mike Zalewski, D-Riverside, Illinois Fuel and Retail Association’s Josh Sharp, state Sen. Elgie Sims, D-Chicago, and Senate Minority Leader Dan McConchie, R-Hawthorn Woods, talk about tax policies
New Illinois law forces gas stations to campaign for Pritzker
A new crop of political signs is sprouting across Illinois, but rather than decorating the roadsides, these are on gas pumps. They contain a lot of legally-prescribed words, but here’s the gist: “Save 2.2 cents a gallon for six months. Vote for J.B.”
Still, the content of the signs isn’t quite as important as the message being delivered to Illinois’ gas station owners: “Push our campaign agenda, or we’ll treat you like a criminal and fine you $500 per day.”
Some explanation is in order.
State lawmakers passed their record $46.5 billion budget April 9 – an achievement for both size and the fact that even propped up with billions in federal pandemic cash, Illinois is still projected to spend more than it takes in for the 21st consecutive year. As state leaders touted their fiscal responsibility, they also spread a little campaign cheer by including tax rebates and delays that amount to $556 for the average Illinois family.
One of those “breaks” was a six-month delay in the next, automatic gas tax hike worth 2.2 cents per gallon. Note: It is a delay, meaning the tax hike scheduled for July 1, 2022, won’t hit until six months later and will give drivers two tax hikes in 2023 as the delayed one is followed by the regular one. The second bump in 2023 likely will be a whopper: 3.8 cents a gallon, taking the tax up to 45.2 cents based on economists’ inflation predictions.
Read more here.
Fuel retailers approve suing over Illinois gas tax sticker requirement
The Illinois Fuel and Retail Association plans to challenge the constitutionality of the requirement that gas stations promote a delay in the gas tax increase that Gov. J.B. Pritkzer signed into law Tuesday.
As part of the largest spending plan in Illinois state history, signed into law is a series of tax policy changes totaling $1.8 billion that found bipartisan support, though Republicans criticized the temporary measures as not real relief. Among those are one-time income and property tax rebates, tax credits for earned income and teachers. There’s also a sales tax holiday for school supplies set for a week in August.
Other tax changes include temporarily reducing to zero the state’s 1% tax on groceries and delaying the cost of living increase on the state’s gas tax of about 2 cents a gallon. The grocery tax would be zero for a year. The gas tax delay would be for six months. Both policies don’t kick in until July 1 after the governor signed the measures into law Tuesday.
Appearing with the governor in Chicago, state Rep. Mike Zalewski, D-Riverside, said the approved tax measure helps working Illinoisans.
“We were able to help people at the grocery store,” Zalewski said. “We were able to help people at the gas pump. We were able to help teachers who go out of their way to purchase school supplies for their kids every year.”
Read more here.