Rockford Sun

GOP gubernatorial candidate and state Sen. Darren Bailey (R-Louisville) has been calling on Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D-IL) for a special session to address inflation and taxes.

Bailey claims to have received no response from the governor on the topic of helping out distressed Illinoisans.

“It is time for us to take decisive action to help struggling families in Illinois,” Bailey told the Rockford Sun. “It’s been more than 60 days since I called on Gov. Pritzker to call a special session of the Legislature to repeal his disastrous gas tax hike and address economic hardships in Illinois. What has been the response from Pritzker? Nothing. He’s either too busy running for president or doesn’t care that Illinois families are struggling under his failed leadership.”

He noted that Illinois gas tax rates are too high.

"Gas prices in Wisconsin are nearly 50 cents per gallon cheaper than the prices in Rockford," Bailey said. "The reason states like Wisconsin have such dramatically cheaper gas prices is the difference in taxes."

In 2019, Pritzker signed a bill that raised the state's gas tax. Illinois has the second-highest gas tax in the country, according to the Sangamon Sun. Before that, the state’s fuel tax stood at 19 cents per gallon for almost 30 years, as cited by a report from the AP News.

"Pritzker had a chance to do what’s right and remove or suspend this tax," Bailey previously said, according to WDBR 103.7 FM. "But instead, he failed. Instead, billionaire J.B. decided to merely freeze the increase and throw a couple of pennies at struggling families here in Illinois. That’s a disgrace. That’s unacceptable.”

The American Petroleum Institute found that Illinois residents are charged 77.96 cents per gallon with both federal and state taxes and fees combined, Illinois Policy reported. "The average Illinoisan will pay $11.55 in taxes for 15 gallons of gas. During the course of a year, the average gasoline tax is $408 per driver -- $105 a year more than before Illinois doubled the gas tax in 2019."