Gas prices drop, but taxes make Illinois pricier than Midwest neighbors

By Jim Talamonti | The Center Square
The Center Square

(The Center Square) – Although Illinois drivers are now paying less at the pump, a state lawmaker says prices would be lower if not for the state’s high gas taxes.

According to AAA, the average price for a gallon of regular gas in Illinois dipped below $3 a gallon Friday to $2.99, down from $3.27 one month earlier.

State Rep. Brad Halbrook, R-Shelbyville, said gas prices in his district range from the mid $2.40’s to the upper $2.70’s and low $2.80’s.

“You know, kind of central and east-central Illinois, the prices that we’re seeing now, I’ve not seen in a long time,” Halbrook told The Center Square.

Even with the price drop, Illinois remains the most expensive state in the Midwest for motor fuel.

“If we had not doubled the gas tax in 2019, we would see prices another 30 cents or so less than that. We could see some prices in the $2.15-$2.20 range if it wasn’t for the gas tax doubled,” Halbrook said.

Last July 1, Illinois’ motor fuel tax rose 1.3 cents to 48.3 cents per gallon as part of an automatic inflation adjustment.

The Land of Lincoln currently has the second-highest gas tax in the nation.

Iowa and Wisconsin are among AAA’s top 10 least-expensive gasoline markets. Iowa’s per-gallon gas price on Friday was $2.47 and Wisconsin’s was $2.50.

When asked if Illinois lawmakers might consider lowering gas taxes, state Sen. Celina Villanueva, D-Chicago, said affordability is always part of the discussion.

“Whether it’s that, property taxes, whether it’s the cost of eggs, whether, you know, we’re bringing enough business into the state of Illinois for there to be jobs available for people, we’re constantly having those conversations,” Villanueva told The Center Square.

The Chicago Democrat said lawmakers in Indiana and Wisconsin could take care of what happens in their states, but she cares about what happens in Illinois.

“That’s a constant thing, I think, for us in Springfield is, like are things actually affordable. It’s always a constant conversation,” Villanueva told The Center Square.

Greg Bishop contributed to this story.