On an NFIB/Illinois Special Ballot, 97% of those responding said they oppose legislation that would eliminate the gas tax and impose a 1.5 cents per mile driven for Illinois motorists.
The good news is the legislator who proposed the idea–Senate President John Cullerton–decided to pull the bill from consideration given the opposition.
Initially, the Senate President said because more motorists were buying hybrids, electric and fuel efficient vehicles, the state has been losing revenue on the gas tax. This loss in revenue impacts the state’s ability to maintain roads and move forward with large-scale construction projects, according to proponents of the measure.
The proposal called for miles to be tracked by a device installed in the vehicle, generating a lot of privacy issues.
