Proposal calls for Illinois gasoline tax suspension for two years | MyStateline

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WTVO) – Illinois residents pay the second-highest gasoline tax in the country, after California, at 45 cents per gallon.

In July it will rise to 47 cents per gallon. In 2019, the state introduced automatic annual fuel tax increases to account for inflation.

Six years ago, the gas tax was 19 cents per gallon, according to The Center Square.

A new proposal, House Bill 5252would suspend the automatic increase for two years to help residents suffering the effects of high inflation.

Lawmakers said the pause would have no impact on transportation projects already planned, but officials at the American Council of Engineering Companies of Illinois warned it could jeopardize funding for future projects.

In July 2022, the state froze the gas tax for six months as part of a package of tax relief legislation as the economy recovered from state-mandated COVID-19 shutdowns.

The first reading of the bill took place on Tuesday and it was referred to a Rules Committee.