SPRINGFIELD, Illinois- A Chicago Representative has put forth the “mileage tax” bill you may have heard of on social media, but what does it actually aim to do?
Thursday, February 14, the Democratic Chicago lawmaker Rep. Marcus C. Evans, Jr. introduced the bill HB2864 for consideration to be made law.
Rep. Evans Jr. says the voluntary program would allow Illinois residents to pay a tax on each mile they drive instead of paying the current flat 19-cent tax on each gallon of gas.
According to the language in the proposal:
“(the proposed law) Provides that the registered owner of a motor vehicle that is approved to participate in the program shall, in lieu of the taxes imposed under the Motor Fuel Tax Law, pay a per-mile road usage charge for metered use by the subject vehicle of the highways in this State. Provides that the per-mile road usage charge is $0.021 per mile. Effective immediately.”
Instead of paying 19-cents in tax on each gallon of gas purchased, Illinoisans would instead pay $0.021 per mile they actually drive.
The new bill would “amend” the Motor Fuel Tax Law. According to the legislature, vehicles would need to be equipped with a device or “method for collecting and reporting the metered use by the motor vehicle on one of the 18 highways in the State.”
HB2864 will now be reviewed by the rules committee for approval. Illinois is one of the few states that implement a motor-fuel tax.
