Gas prices in Illinois hit another record high last week – a gallon of regular gas cost $4.92 on average. | Gene Gallin/Unsplash
Gas prices in Illinois hit another record high last week – a gallon of regular gas cost $4.92 on average. | Gene Gallin/Unsplash
State Rep. Chris Bos (R-Lake Zurich) wants his colleagues to bring financial relief to Illinois families who are trying to stay afloat amid record inflation and rising gas prices.
Bos posted on social media to make a call for action from other lawmakers in Springfield – particularly those on the other side of the aisle.
"Democrats' temporary six-month suspension of the gas tax increase does not go nearly far enough to provide relief for struggling Illinois families," Bos said in a recent Facebook post. "Our residents are facing the highest effective tax rates in the nation as well as the rising costs of food, fuel, and just about everything else. It's time for true, lasting tax relief for the people of our state."
Gas prices in Illinois hit another record high on Wednesday; a gallon of regular gas cost $4.92 on average, according to AAA. That price is up from $3.25 a year ago. Lake County's average price for fuel was $4.92 for a gallon of unleaded gasoline and $5.20 for diesel.
It has been three years since Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D-Ill.) doubled the state's gas tax, bringing it to 38 cents. Pritzker also instituted an annual gas tax increase. Democrats recently passed legislation that will postpone this year's scheduled gas tax increase of 2.2 cents from July to January, Fox 32 Chicago reported.
The bill will require gas stations to put stickers on pumps notifying Illinoisans of the postponement; the gas tax increase will commence after the election. Gas stations will be fined $500 per day if they do not display the stickers.
Josh Sharp, CEO of the Illinois Fuel and Retail Association, called the mandatory stickers "free election-year advertising for the governor," according to Fox 32 Chicago.
The move to delay the tax increase was part of a bundle of tax rebates and delays in the record $46.5 billion Fiscal Year 2023 budget, according to Illinois Policy. The tax rebates and delays are estimated to save the average Illinois family $556. Illinois residents will be charged the gas tax starting in January. That will be followed by another increase of approximately 3.8 cents a gallon the following July, bringing Illinois' total gasoline tax up to 45.2 cents per gallon.
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