Will County Gazette

Illinois Rep. Jackie Haas has been highly critical Democrat lawmakers for their approach to gas taxes as the Illinois Fuel & Retail Association threatened to sue the state over a new sticker mandate.

Haas took to Facebook to express her dissatisfaction.

"Illinois Democrats should be addressing the structural issues that have caused our state to have the highest effective tax rates in the nation rather than expecting accolades for a 6-month pause on the gas tax increase," Haas said in a Facebook post.

Three years after Gov. J.B. Pritzker doubled the gas tax from 19 to 38 cents and instituted an annual gas tax increase, Democrats recently passed legislation that would postpone this year's 2.2-cent-per-gallon increase set to begin in July, Fox 32 Chicago reported. In addition, gas stations would be required to post stickers on pumps about the delay or face a $500-per-day fine should they choose not to.

"This industry won't be forced into offering free election year advertising for the Governor," Josh Sharp, CEO of the Illinois Fuel & Retail Association, told Fox 32 Chicago. "Ordering businesses to take part in speech that is compelled by the government under the threat of fines and criminal penalties is unwise and unconstitutional."

The fuel marketers and retailers cooperative plans to file a lawsuit over the sticker requirement, Week 25 News reported.

"You can't force businesses in Illinois, or in any state, to participate in speech they disagree with or that they don't want to participate in," Sharp told Week 25 News. "This whole ploy to force our members into posting these signs just shows you how scared some in Springfield are and some of those that are running statewide in November are for perhaps being blamed for those high gas prices. And frankly, they should be blamed."

The gas tax-increase delay was included in a bundle of tax rebates and delays as part of the record $46.5 billion fiscal year 2023 budget, Illinois Policy reported. The savings is estimated to be about $556 for the average Illinois family. Beginning January 2023, however, the cost of the gas tax will increase by 2.2 cents per gallon, with another increase scheduled for July.