There is nothing new under the Statehouse dome.
That’s not entirely true, as every bit of legislation must stem from an original idea, but it’s easy to lose track of how many times a bill stirs a flurry of debate largely disconnected from understanding the issue has already been on the table for years.
Consider House Bill 2963, the Road Usage Charge Act, which would create an advisory committee to develop and evaluate a pilot program to consider whether Illinois should move from a per-gallon gas tax to assessments based on mileage driven.
This topic has been a political fight in Illinois since at least 2018 when then-Gov. Bruce Rauner, speaking on WCIA-TV in Champaign, misquoted his challenger:
“[JB] Pritzker came out and said, ‘Let’s tax everybody by the miles they drive, let’s put a box in people’s cars – track how many miles when they drive to work, when they drive to school, when they go to the grocery store.’ That is big government, big taxing.”
What candidate Pritzker had actually done was acknowledge some states tried a vehicle mile traveled tax and said he’d be open to testing for possible implementation here. Rauner was right that tracking everyone’s driving habits is a huge overreach. But that wasn’t the proposal then and it still isn’t today.
Viewed most favorably, it’s possible to argue Rauner was simply trying to keep his state off the slippery slope toward an inevitable, undesirable outcome. But seven years later, fuel efficiency is improving, electric vehicles are more popular, gas taxes remain onerous and any licensed driver can point out half a dozen roads that need repair.
What’s at stake? In January 2023, the Illinois Economic Policy Institute released a report estimating that if the state reaches its goal of having 1 million EVs on the road by 2030 – adding 119,000 per year – the loss of state and federal gas taxes would exceed $1.1 billion.
A study would help discern the best way to balance the expense of road maintenance across the user base such that we have enough money without preferential treatment for one type of conveyance. The entire discussion involves broader issues like adequately funding (and systematically overhauling) public transportation, and ensuring adequate access for cyclists and pedestrians.
Privacy concerns belong in that conversation, but rejecting studies out of hand requires embracing a status quo in ignorance of consistently changing factors.
Not every idea is worth expending public resources to explore. Not every task force or pilot project yields an actual new policy. Seven years ago wasn’t the right time and today may be wrong as well. But with widespread agreement on flaws in the current system, this discussion is nowhere near an off-ramp.
• Scott T. Holland writes about state government issues for Shaw Local News Network. He can be reached at sholland@shawmedia.com.
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