West Cook News

Illinois State Rep. Brad Stephens (R-Rosemont) is criticizing House Democrats for passing temporary tax relief in the FY 2023 budget while Illinoisans shoulder the largest tax burden in the country.

The Illinois legislature advanced the Fiscal Year 2023 budget early in the morning on April 9, WIFR reported. The Senate advanced the $46.5 billion budget by a vote of 34-19, and the House advanced it by a vote of 72-42. The budget allocates $12 billion for education spending, $8.8 billion for Human Services, $2.2 billion for public safety and $1 billion for the state’s rainy day fund.

"After decades of reckless state spending, Democrats are now patting themselves on the back for temporary tax relief, all while struggling Illinois families continue to pay the highest effective tax rates in the nation," Stephens wrote in an April 13 Facebook post. "Illinois needs responsible fiscal leadership, not election-year gimmicks."

Gov. J.B. Pritzker doubled Illinois' gas tax from 19 cents to 38 cents in 2019, according to Fox 32 Chicago News. Pritzker also instituted an annual gas tax increase. A provision in the recently-passed state budget will postpone this year's scheduled gas tax increase of 2.2 cents from July to January. The measure will require gas stations to put stickers on gas pumps notifying Illinoisans of the postponement. Gas stations will be fined $500 dollars per day if they refuse to display the stickers.

Josh Sharp of the Illinois Fuel and Retail Association called the mandatory stickers "free election year advertising for the governor."

The budget will suspend Illinois' 1% grocery tax for a year, and grocery stores will also be required to notify customers of the change, either through signage or by printing a message on shoppers' receipts, WMIX reported. State lawmakers also used the budget as an opportunity to give themselves more than $485,000 in pay raises. FY 2023 begins July 1.

A recent WalletHub report found that Illinoisans shoulder the highest tax burden in the nation, Illinois Policy reported. On average, an Illinois household pays $9,488 in taxes each year – almost 39% more than the national average. Illinoisans pay the second highest gas tax and second highest effective property tax rate, but Illinois' public services do not reflect the high level of taxation. Illinois has the worst pension debt in the country as much of the state's taxpayer dollars go toward paying the debt.