From State Rep. Allen Skillicorn:
Skillicorn Electrified Over EV Fee and Gas Tax Hikes!
SPRINGFIELD – State Representative Allen Skillicorn (R-Crystal Lake), joined by House colleagues Darren Bailey and Chris Miller, held a press conference at the Illinois State Capitol today. Officials from Rivian Automotive LLC had hoped to join them for the press conference to express their shared concerns with the excessive fee hikes proposed on electric vehicles.
It’s no secret the Capitol is buzzing about Gov. Pritzker’s $40 Billion Tax and Fee Hike capital proposal. According to WalletHub’s March 2019 study,
Illinois already has the highest overall tax rates in the nation and simply put, the Governor wants MORE!
Pritzker’s tax and fee increase proposals include:
* Gas tax: 231% increase
* Passenger car/truck registration: $101 to $199
* Electric car registration: $17.50 to $250
* Tobacco tax: 1% increase
* Ridesharing tax: $1 per ride
* Cable, satellite and streaming tax: 7%
* Beer tax: 23.1 cents to 27.7 cents
* Wine tax: $1.39 to $2.05
* Liquor tax: $8.55 to 12.60
* Parking tax: 6% daily, 9% monthly
“Illinois managed to bring in $1.5 billion more in tax revenue and the increased revenue is expected to continue in the next fiscal year thanks to the economic boost of Pres. Trump’s tax cuts, but we are still not even growing at the same rate as the rest of country,” said Skillicorn. “The windfall benefits of the national economy won’t continue forever and Moody’s just reported we cannot withstand a recession.
“Despite these facts, Gov. Pritzker and Springfield Democrats have proposed a mountain of new taxes and fees on essential transportation needs that will surely drive more people and investment out of the state instead of helping us catch up with the rest of the country.
“Rivian is a perfect example of a company that wants to invest in Illinois, but their plans for a $400 million invest in Normal could be severely damaged if these oppressive fees from Springfield are implemented.”
Rivian, an electric car manufacturer, purchased the former Mitsubishi plant in Normal in 2017 and began a $400 million investment plan that will ultimately create 1,000 jobs. One of the driving factors for their expansion in Illinois was the favorable climate toward electric vehicles and the prospects of major EV growth in the state. However, proposals that would drastically increase the fees on electric vehicles and other transportation tax and fee increases could dramatically dampen their investment and job creation plans.
Skillicorn also pointed to data from the Federal Highway Administration to show that Illinois does not need a broad range of new regressive taxes to meet infrastructure needs. According to their data, Illinois’ roads and bridges are in twice as good condition today as they were in the 1990s. Only 9% of Illinois bridges faced structural deficiencies in 2017, compared to 18% in 1992. As structurally deficient, they are not at risk of collapse or a safety hazard, but the maintenance costs are higher than necessary. A problem, which like other state issues, can be more readily dealt with through better management and project prioritization on the state level.
Too bad for Skillicorn his news conference got upstaged by Congresswoman Underwood’s ridiculous conduct and comments today:
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/dem-rebuked-after-calling-child-deaths-intentional-in-fiery-exchange-with-dhs-boss
Ted Gradel said it best of her ugly comments, and the deserved rebuke vote against her to strike her comments from the record:
Ted Gradel for Congress
3 hrs ·
Disappointing and unacceptable comments from Lauren Underwood. Playing politics with both the tragic deaths of children and the integrity of those who serve.
Congressional candidate Jim Marter and prospective candidate Allen Skillicorn got in a social media comment on today’s event at the House Homeland Security Committee, too.
The fake nurse is Illinois’ version of AOC, but much more of a Marxist White hating racist.
Since Ms. Underwood is so concerned about this issue, and since she says she is a RN registered nurse, I suggest she goes down to these border areas and help out with the medical needs of the ill and infirm.
The thing is, once is an accident.
Five times, if you haven’t made changes, it IS intentional.
For making that comment, the woman Loren is a disgrace to the U.S. Congress and should be asked to resign. She is just one of many Democrats who were elected to Congress in recent years who are nutballs. Too bad that voters are ill informed and low information and vote for people like these. Why is it that the Democrat Party attracts and sponsors such people including a recently elected one who made anti-semitic comments. Of course there are older entrenched Democrat politicians who make crazy comments such as Maxine Waters who on national tv urged Americans to harass members of the Trump Administration wherever they see them. Such as gas stations and restaurants.
The Democrat Party politicians have become unhinged, gone off the rails. They cannot accept the defeat of their candidate for president, the worst ever candidate in the history of the U.S., and they have gone berserk and are seeking vengeance. As a whole, they are unfit to legislate for our Nation much less control the white house in 2 years and must be soundly repelled and defeated in both the presidential race and in Congress.
* Gas tax: 231% increase
* Passenger car/truck registration: $101 to $199
* Electric car registration: $17.50 to $250
* Tobacco tax: 1% increase
* Ridesharing tax: $1 per ride
* Cable, satellite and streaming tax: 7%
* Beer tax: 23.1 cents to 27.7 cents
* Wine tax: $1.39 to $2.05
* Liquor tax: $8.55 to 12.60
* Parking tax: 6% daily, 9% monthly
Of all of the above, only four items are related to road use.
The rest shouldn’t be part of a road tax discussion.
Road use is directly related to gas taxes, so raise the gas tax.
Leave the rest of these things alone.
More license plates don’t mean more road use.
The rideshare drivers are burning gas, don’t double tax them.
If you want to tax EV’s then tax them based on use, like the gas tax does today.
Alternately flat tax all passenger vehicles and drop the gas tax.
The downside of that is you miss out taxing non-residents.
Keep the gas tax and tax DC Fast charging too would make sense.