* Gov. JB Pritzker was asked today about his thoughts on the gas tax during this spring’s huge price spike…
Yeah, it’s a good question. First of all, Donald Trump has added about $1.50 a gallon to every gallon of gas that you fill your tank with, $1.50. It’s a war of choice that’s led to that. He took us into that war, he should get us out of that war. So that’s the very first and most important thing that we can do to lower gas prices.
I think, secondly, we in the state can look at doing what I already did a few years ago, which is to suspend the increase in the gas tax, the automatic increase, and look at other ways to lower gas tax, gas costs.
For example, I authorized E 15 as an additive in our state, that’s something that really hadn’t ever been done before. It lowers the cost of gasoline by about 15 cents a gallon, so that’s something that can be done.
And look, anything that we can do to lower the cost, the high costs that are being imposed on families across our state, to make sure that we’re addressing affordability, like lowering the cost of homeowners insurance, auto insurance, and the rest - those are all things that we’re focused on, but we for sure should be looking at what can we do to diminish the impact of high gas prices. We can’t do anything about ending the war here in Illinois, other than protest and make our voices heard, but what we can do is also consider the impact of whatever changes we make on building roads and bridges. As you know, we now are one of the best states in the country for infrastructure, but that’s because we’re making the investments that come from the motor fuel tax that gets imposed.
I think we can, we have enough here so that we could make some sort of pause. But I think that’s something the legislature is going to consider over the coming week. We’ll see.
Please pardon any transcription errors.
- Ducky LaMoore - Tuesday, May 26, 26 @ 1:07 pm:
They’ve got to protect their phony baloney jobs, gentlemen. Give the governor a harumph.
- Steve - Tuesday, May 26, 26 @ 1:15 pm:
Thank you Rich this is the post of the day. JB is starting to sound like some MAGA person complaining about high gas taxes which are mysterious in Illinois. I can’t stop laughing.
- Overbay - Tuesday, May 26, 26 @ 1:25 pm:
Cue Local 150 in 3….2….1….
Meanwhile, Indiana and Missouri’s gas is more than $1 per gallon less.
- Demoralized - Tuesday, May 26, 26 @ 1:35 pm:
==Meanwhile, Indiana and Missouri’s gas is more than $1 per gallon less.==
So what? I get so sick and tired of the constant comparisons.
- Annon'in - Tuesday, May 26, 26 @ 1:36 pm:
Hopefully someone reminds JB that previous effort to slow or create difference in pump prices have generally failed. Retailers & refiners just plop extra cash in their pockets and blame IRAN/ TACO’s war, etc.
- Friendly Bob Adams - Tuesday, May 26, 26 @ 1:37 pm:
Ducky +1… just saw that scene over the weekend. Governor Lepetomane speaks for all bureaucrats everywhere.
- Lurker - Tuesday, May 26, 26 @ 1:37 pm:
I’m not a fan of suspending the gas tax, as I think others just use it to keep the price at the pump almost the same and just fill their own coffers. But, I am a fan of stopping the regular annual increase, and not just temporarily. Gas taxes are simply too high in Illinois.
- Think Again - Tuesday, May 26, 26 @ 1:42 pm:
Need to stay even or ahead of Trump in the affordability war - makes sense - and I drive a ton, so it will be a meaningful savings
- It's always Sunny in Illinois - Tuesday, May 26, 26 @ 1:52 pm:
I’m a fan of lowering the gas tax significantly and letting mass transit pay it’s own way/justify it’s existence.
- City Zen - Tuesday, May 26, 26 @ 1:59 pm:
==Donald Trump has added about $1.50 a gallon==
And JB has added about 10 cents a gallon on top of that because, unlike most states, Illinois has a sales tax on motor fuel.
Forget pausing the inflation increase. Cap the sales tax at $3/gal.
- Rich Miller - Tuesday, May 26, 26 @ 2:13 pm:
===I’m a fan of lowering the gas tax significantly and letting mass transit pay it’s own way===
So, go back to the days of lower gas taxes and very little road work while continuing to spend hundreds of billions to keep petroleum shipping lanes open. Meanwhile, public transit has to pay its own way.
Right.
Sheesh.
- Demoralized - Tuesday, May 26, 26 @ 2:52 pm:
==justify it’s existence.==
Are you kidding me? You want mass transit to have to justify it’s existence? Spoken like someone who doesn’t use mass transit.
- Archpundit - Tuesday, May 26, 26 @ 2:58 pm:
==Meanwhile, Indiana and Missouri’s gas is more than $1 per gallon less.
And their roads show it. Missouri’s keep getting worse every time I drive through and I didn’t think it was possible.
- Squints - Tuesday, May 26, 26 @ 3:01 pm:
Speaking of all those 150s, it’ll be interesting to see what Local 150 thinks about all of this. If memory serves they do not like it when politicians play with the road fund.
- Huh? - Tuesday, May 26, 26 @ 3:13 pm:
A temporary gas tax holiday, even if it is a inflation increase is a dubious pandering to the public. According to google, the increase MFT on gasoline is supposed to increase $0.013/gallon. Oh gee. Oh, golly. 20 cents on a 15 gallon fill up.
This is as insulting as the $1.27 property tax relief.
- It's always Sunny in Illinois - Tuesday, May 26, 26 @ 3:46 pm:
Increased Fuel tax evidently was generating enough tax revenue for road Repairs that $1.5 billon could be diverted/spent on Non road Construction transit.
No, I don’t use mass transit. Should justified, be paid for by those who utilize it.
- StarLineChicago - Tuesday, May 26, 26 @ 4:08 pm:
==justify it’s existence==
CTA delivered 28.7 million trips in March alone; Metra delivered another 3 million on top of that.
If you think northeastern Illinois’s roads can absorb an extra million trips a day without major issues, I have some bad news for you.
- Archpundit - Tuesday, May 26, 26 @ 4:10 pm:
==I have some bad news for you.
Or the parking or the people who need transit to get to jobs.
- It's always Sunny in Illinois - Tuesday, May 26, 26 @ 4:58 pm:
CTA delivered 28.7 million trips in March alone; Metra delivered another 3 million on top of that.
If you think northeastern Illinois’s roads can absorb an extra million trips a day without major issues, I have some bad news for you.
The riders that make the trips should pay their fair share and make the system financially viable, just like the drivers do on the roads they drive on through the fuel tax.
- Rich Miller - Tuesday, May 26, 26 @ 5:49 pm:
===The riders that make the trips should pay their fair share===
It’s my contention that drivers gain a lot from public transit because traffic would be a whole lot worse and dangerous with that many more cars on the road.
Consider it an anti-congestion fee, or whatever. But that’s how it works.
Also, the government has a vested interest in lowering air pollution, reducing reliance on gasoline (hence the hundreds of billions spent to keep shipping lanes open and attempting to conquer or hem in oil-rich countries) etc.
Also, by your logic, only people with kids in school should have to pay the education portion of their property taxes. It is a universal societal benefit.
Not everything revolves around first grade arithmetic.
- curtis - Tuesday, May 26, 26 @ 8:16 pm:
Don’t like gas prices…drive an electric car. Stop trying to subsidize the President’s ill advised war of choice.