Illinois state Rep. Rep. David McSweeney (R-Barrington Hills)
Illinois state Rep. Rep. David McSweeney (R-Barrington Hills)
With news that Illinois taxpayers were forced to pay out $100 million more in gas taxes during the first month of last summer's new rate hike, Illinois state Rep. David McSweeney (R-Barrington Hills) pointed out a bitter irony of the situation.
“Bipartisan Springfield insiders doubled your gas tax and raised legislators’ pay,” McSweeney posted on Facebook. “I voted 'Hell no.' Do you agree that we need to cut Illinois taxes, not raise them?”
On average, Illinois taxpayers are reported to have each paid out $100 more in gas taxes during the first month of the state's new levy where taxes jumped from 19 cents to 38 cents per gallon. The Illinois Department of Revenue reports that state drivers paid a total of $203.7 million in gas taxes in July 2019.
Illinois state Sen. Martin Sandoval (D-Chicago)
“We need to stop hurting our families and small businesses in Illinois and cut taxes now,” McSweeney said in another post.
Sparking the ire of many is the fact that the raised gas tax rates took effect just before federal agents raided the home and offices of longtime state Sen. Martin Sandoval (D-Chicago) as part of an ongoing and widening corruption probe. As chairman of the Senate Transportation Committee, Sandoval was one of the architects of the gas rate hike that Gov. J.B. Pritzker is now painstakingly trying to assure taxpayers is on the up and up and will be used to fund the state’s infrastructure plan.
Part of the House Counties and Township Committee, McSweeney’s 52nd District includes Cook, Lake, McHenry and Kane counties and includes Cary and Barrington.
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