* Higher gas prices are generating unexpected sales tax revenues. So, there’s talk about diverting $150 million in excess money to state operations. Not everyone is happy about that…

The Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition (ICJC) understands that as part of discussions on the FY 2027 state budget, one proposal under consideration is to redirect revenue in excess of the FY27 estimate of $860 million from the sales tax on motor fuel from transit operations to general revenue purposes. In response, the ICJC released the following statement:

“The ICJC urges legislative leaders to commit to this being a one-time measure taken in this extraordinarily challenging budget year. We need to treat mass transit service as a critical function of state government that enables the most vulnerable Illinoisans to access work, education, and healthcare. Failure to fund transportation for everyone has ripple effects that undercuts our shared goal of an Illinois that works for everyone.

“It would be a mistake to set this as a precedent, recognizing transit operating costs are rising too as a result of fuel prices and transit is the affordable solution to the household transportation cost crisis for Illinoisans. This action would put the reforms in the Northern Illinois Transit Authority (NITA) Act into peril before they’ve even had a chance to take effect. The General Assembly worked around the clock last fall to find a solution to the transit fiscal cliff and stabilize long-term funding for transit operations.

“Recognizing how many Illinoisans are struggling under the cost of a transportation system designed primarily for single-occupancy vehicles, any revenue from the sales tax on motor fuel above $860 million that is utilized for transportation infrastructure should be dedicated to bolstering the Illinois Transportation Enhancement Program, an oversubscribed statewide program that funds low-cost alternatives to car transportation including sidewalks and bike lanes.

“Sales tax on motor fuel is a highly variable revenue source. There is no guarantee that a surplus this year won’t be followed by a shortfall the next. It would be a mistake to undermine the fiscal stability that was so hard fought before the transformational reforms in the NITA Act even take effect.